Her Smile Was Strategy

Marla Devine was always the one who held the door, remembered birthdays, and sent thank-you notes on heavyweight stationery. Her voice was soft, her heels barely made a sound, and people trusted her — which was their first mistake.

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What Marla wanted was never small. She didn’t dream in weekend getaways or shiny handbags. Marla wanted the entire company — the corner office, the equity, the board seat, and the exit strategy with her name etched on it like a signature scent.

It began, as it often does, with a whisper. A favor here, a coffee there, a little shared frustration with the right coworker. She listened more than she spoke, and when she spoke, it was always calculated — praise cloaked in ambition, concern disguised as strategy.

Marla didn’t threaten. She orchestrated. Her rival in finance was suddenly pulled into an HR investigation over a “harmless” joke — one Marla had casually repeated to the VP of HR over drinks. The marketing director who kept underestimating her? Promoted. Laterally. To a city she hated.

Each move was subtle. Surgical. A whisper here, a nudge there. No fingerprints.

Her boss, the CEO, admired her tenacity. Called her a “team player” with “killer instincts.” He thought he was grooming his protégé.

He didn’t see the knife until it was already buried between his shoulder blades.

The board was wooed over months with tailored presentations, flawless pitches, and that same unassuming smile. When the CEO was ousted for “burnout and mismanagement,” Marla was the natural choice. Smooth transition. Total support.

She sent him a gift basket.

People whispered later — stories of sabotage, whispers of betrayal, side-eyes and silences. But they could never quite prove anything. And Marla?

Marla just smiled. She had exactly what she wanted.

And she was already thinking about what — or who — came next.

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