It was at that meeting that I realized something for the first time.

It wasn’t that they were bullying me.It was that—I had already accepted this kind of treatment as normal.

When I was summoned into the conference room that day, I knew I was nothing more than a temporary stand-in.

“Over there.”Someone pointed to the farthest corner.

I nodded without arguing, hugged the clipboard to my chest, and took my place.

The meeting began quickly, discussing resource allocation in the outer territories.The Alphas sat along both sides of the long table. They didn’t need to raise their voices—authority clung to every word they spoke.

I kept my head down,...