Victoria stepped into the executive conference room with her head high, but her stomach was in knots. Three people waited at the long table: the head of HR, the company’s legal counsel, and the COO.

“Victoria,” HR said in a neutral voice.

“Thank you for coming. We received an anonymous complaint about an inappropriate personal relationship with your private chef, Serena Vale.”

Victoria sat down slowly, her heart beat fast. “What exactly does the complaint say?”

They asked many careful questions. Victoria answered without admitting too much. They talked about the age gap and the power imbalance, the legal counsel warned her about possible damage to the company’s reputation. The...