In corporate America, rumors travel faster than truth.
My name is Harper Lane, and I never imagined that one late-night project, one blurred boundary, and one jealous coworker could almost destroy everything I worked for. It began with a photo taken in a Dallas hotel lobby—my boss’s jacket around my shoulders, a moment taken wildly out of context. The next morning, HR called us both in.

Suddenly I was the center of an office scandal I didn’t start.
People whispered about favoritism.
Slack screenshots were leaked.
My raise was frozen.
And a coworker who wanted my promotion did everything she could to push me out.

But the truth was bigger—and darker—than a rumor.