He Called My Father ‘Sugar Daddy’

In the company group, Chad, a guy from Sales, suddenly dropped this bomb:

So, I had a crush on this girl in our company earlier this month. By the end of it, I see her climbing into a freakin' Rolls-Royce. How am I supposed to get over that?

The chat went wild. Everyone started joking and probing, trying to figure out who it was.

But Chad just played coy, adding sarcastically,

"Seriously, some girls have it so easy these days! Flash a smile, spread their legs, and some sucker just bites!"

"Meanwhile, guys like us are stuck eating dollar-menu burgers while those fake 'bougie' girls camp out at the overpriced coffee shop downstairs!"

"I just don't get it. Whats so hard about building a future together? Why the rush to chase some rich old sugar daddy?"

Finally, he sent a voice message dripping with outrage,

"And hey, Gold-Digger, I know you're reading this. Listen up! I did my homework on that guy. He's married. So maybe stop throwing yourself at him, you homewrecking wannabe!"

I couldn't hold back and fired back:

"Spreading rumors without proof is called slander. You'd better watch your mouth."

The next second, he tagged me directly.

"I was trying to spare you the embarrassment, but you jumped out yourself. Still playing the innocent card? Gold-Digger?"

My jaw dropped. He was talking about me?!

But did this idiot not realize rich people have daughters too?

...

While I was still reeling, messages flooded the chat.

Chad kept tagging me:

"Cat got your tongue now? Playing dead?"

"How's it feel being someone's kept woman? What's it like with an old man?"

"Was it good?"

The words swam before my eyes. I almost cursed out loud at my desk.

"Who even are you?"

"Do I know you?"

The main company chat was set up by HR for "team building," so everyone used nicknames. I couldn't place who this jerk was.

"Playing dumb again? If you don't know me, why'd you take my gift?"

That stopped me cold.

Because I had zero memory of this guy!

I'd only been at the company a little over a month. Besides focusing on my projects at my desk, I had practically zero social life.

Plus, I have a fianc, so I keep my distance from male coworkers. Taking a gift from some random guy? Not happening.

"Are you sure you have the right person?"

I typed the words carefully.

"Wrong person? I'd know you anywhere, even if you were ashes!"

"Stella Rhodes!"

My hands started shaking. Chloe, who started the same day I did, leaned over my cubicle partition with a nasty smirk.

"Stella, wow. Never pictured you as that kind of girl~"

She tsked meaningfully.

"You seem so quiet and proper, but playing the field like that behind the scenes? Impressive!"

"Seriously, how'd you hook those rich guys?"

"Spill the tea!"

I forced a smile through my anger.

"Well, you're probably out of luck. I've known my sugar daddy' since the second I was born."

Chloe's face darkened instantly.

She muttered "pretentious bitch" and slammed back into her seat.

Ignoring her venom, I tagged Chad back in the chat.

"Who the hell are you? What gift did I take? When did I become a homewrecker?"

"Do you understand you're committing defamation right now?"

"You have ten minutes to apologize. Or we settle this at the police station."

My messages had just been sent when my team lead, Mrs. Henderson, rushed over.

She snatched my phone and frantically recalled my last three messages.

"Mrs. Henderson! What are you doing?!"

"You dare ask me that?!"

She slammed my phone on the desk and jabbed her finger at my shoulder.

"I look away from the chat for one minute, and you cause this kind of mess?!"

"Do you even want this job anymore?"

Falsely slandered and suddenly threatenedeven my usually calm temper snapped.

"I'm causing the mess?"

"I'm the victim here! I don't even know who this guy is! He's just--"

"That's Chad! Chad Henderson! Mr. Henderson the VP's son!"

Mrs. Henderson cut me off impatiently.

"Do you understand now?"

"Now, apologize to Chad in the group chat immediately."

I frowned.

"Chad Henderson? Who's that?"

It wasn't me being snobby. That name genuinely didn't register in my brain.

Seeing my confusion just pissed her off more.

"Stop playing dumb, okay?"

"If you didn't know him, why take his gift?"

Meanwhile, the chat updated again.

Chad lamented:

"Buy a buddy some beers, he'll have your back."

"Buy our precious Stella a fancy dinner and she calls you a broke loser!"

Chloe jumped in:

"She's too classy for us regular folks, obviously!"

That opened the floodgates. People who knew me, people who didn't, all took turns tearing into me.

"Why's the homewrecker gone quiet?"

"Seriously, I'd love to interview our Stella. Aren't you scared the wife will come after you?"

"Scared? Pfft. She picks old dudes! The wives are probably old ladies too C can they even throw a punch?"

Mrs. Henderson, seeing I hadn't replied yet, pushed again.

"Hurry up! Apologize properly to Chad!"

"Otherwise, I can't protect your job!"

She wasn't being subtle. The message was clear: apologize or get fired.

I didn't care about the job itself C I only took it because I was bored. But I cared about my reputation!

I'd done nothing wrong, yet this stranger, and everyone else, was branding me a gold-digging homewrecker. I couldn't swallow this injustice!

Though furious, I forced myself to stay calm. I started screenshotting every single nasty message in the chat. Gathering evidence was just the first step.

My silence just made Chad bolder.

He posted a picture of my back getting into a car, which was my dad's year-old Ghost.

"Stella Rhodes, you said I was lying?"

"Then tell me, who's this?"

Chloe chimed in instantly with a thumbs-up emoji:

"I am sitting right next to Stella. That camel coat is definitely hers."

Other coworkers got excited:

"So, it's confirmed? Our girl bagged a sugar daddy!"

"Obviously! Why else would she ghost the chat?"

"Bet she quits the group any minute."

As they buzzed, Chad tagged me three times in a row.

"Stella, look, even though you're used goods now, I,Chad, am not heartless. Come crawling back, and I might just take you."

Once Chad revealed himself, Mr. Henderson's underlings piled on the praise.

"Whoa, that car's gotta be half a mil! How loaded is that old guy?"

"Chad, man, you're a saint! Such big-heartedness!"

"Nah, man, you can't take back a cheater! She'll just stray again!"

"Let her stray! I'll beat her ass if she does!"

Mrs. Henderson, enjoying the show, nudged me again:

"Apologize to Chad!"

I took a deep breath.

"That car is my family's. My dad was picking me up. What's the problem?"

Chad sent a voice message next, his tone dripping with sarcasm:

"Daddy? Or sugar daddy?"

Mrs. Henderson glared.

"I told you to apologize! Are you deaf?"

She lunged for my phone, but I blocked her with my arm.

Behind me, Chloe snickered.

"Stella, just one question."

"Does that old fossil you're with smell like mothballs and Ben-Gay?"

As her words hung in the air, police sirens wailed from the street below.

Everyone froze. Mrs. Henderson looked at me, horrified.

"You called the cops?!"

I gave a tight smile.

"What else? Wait for more lies?"

The officers arrived, asked for my details, and turned on their bodycams.

On camera, I showed them the entire group chat history, explaining it was baseless, malicious gossip.

Once they understood, they helped me track down the infamous Chad Henderson.

He was hunched over his phone, furiously typing in the chat.

Seeing the cops, guilt flashed in his eyes.

"What's this about?"

The officer didn't mince words.

"Do you know Stella Rhodes?"

He snorted dismissively and nodded.

"Yeah, sure do."

"She's my ex-girlfriend."

I couldn't take it anymore. I stepped out from behind the officer.

"Chad Henderson, what the hell are you talking about?!"

"I don't even know you! And you're lying to the police--?"

My words died in my throat.

Because I did know this guy. All too well...

"It's you?"

My shocked outburst confused the cops.

"You two know each other?"

Chad blinked rapidly, pleadingly.

"Of course we do!"

He walked over and slung an arm around my shoulders like we were buddies.

"Right, babe?"

I shoved him off, disgusted.

"No!"

"He harassed me. Does that count as knowing him, officer?"

When I came to this company, Chad was the building security guard. Trying to be polite, I'd say "hi" when I walked in.

Then, a few weeks ago, I left early and overheard him bragging to another guard that I was into him.

"If she wasn't into me, why would she say hi every morning?"

"Look, man, girls who act all shy are total freaks behind closed doors!"

"Once I seal the deal, I'll show you the goods!"

I almost puked right there. I didn't even know his name!

After that, I stopped saying hi to him.

But my ignoring him pissed him off. He started showing up everywhere, bothering me.

In the cafeteria, he'd have the nerve to ask me to buy his lunch.

After several times, I lost all patience and started bringing homemade meals (courtesy of our housekeeper) to avoid him.

That's when Chloe started calling me "Miss Fancy-Pants."

Remembering this, my fists clenched.

"Officer, he's blatantly slandering me. I want a handwritten apology letter from him, posted publicly in the group chat."

The cops agreed it was reasonable. Chad, however, was livid.

"Slander? What slander?"

"You did get into that old guy's car, right? And he is married, right?"

His dodging made the cop smirk.

"Chad, take the lifeline. Apologize while you still can. Otherwise, a trip downtown won't look good on you."

Chad fell silent for a long moment, then stared straight at me.

"Fine, I'll apologize. But you gotta give back my gift first! And pay me back for everything I spent on you!"

I was baffled.

"What gift?"

"And when did you spend money on me?"

Chad gave me a knowing look.

"Playing dumb or for real?"

"That lollipop! Time to pay up!"

His words slammed me back to that awful memory.

Back when his harassment was unbearable, I finally told him to stop following me at lunch.

He agreed instantly but had one condition: "I'll back off, but you gotta buy me a coffee from that place across the street."

I agreed and handed him a twenty. Half an hour later, he showed up with a cheap lollipop.

"Had a buck fifty left. Bought you this instead. See how good I am to you?"

I was swamped with work and ignored him. When I remembered later, Chloe had already eaten it.

"Plus, I started eating in the cafeteria just to be near you. That cost me $328. You owe me for that too!"

Hearing these absurd words, I actually laughed out loud.

The cop just shook his head, exasperated.

He gave Chad an ultimatum: "Apologize now, or we take you in. Your choice."