Christmas in Flame

Valentina had always believed that if one day she was dragged in front of the entire office, with everyone's eyes glued to her body and her dignity spilled out like the contents of a bag on a table... she would be ready to defend herself.

She was wrong.

 **

Valentina is a beta who works in the production department of Burnes, an advertising agency located in Zurich, Switzerland. The agency is dominated by alphas and omegas. Among the staff: an alpha CEO named Erick, an alpha Business Director named Raffael, an omega Accounts Director named Lorenzo, and an alpha Production Director named Miguel.

In the production department where Valentina works, the team is made up of her boss Miguel, two senior producers (herself and Alex), and one beta intern.

Just like every year for the past eight she's worked at the agency—and like at all agencies worldwide—the holiday season is chaotic. It starts as early as August with all the prep: campaigns, shootings, media planning... everything multiplies. And there's extreme competition between agencies to snatch the best photographers, locations, and ad space before the rest.

Valentina doesn't get along with the accounts department—or rather, she tries not to pay them too much attention. Not just because of their particular attitude (all of them omegas), but also because of how much they tend to underestimate production work.Still, she maintains a professional relationship with most of them—especially one in particular, with whom she coordinates the majority of her projects.

"Ugh, what's with that face? It's barely 10 a.m. Didn't have breakfast?" he asks playfully.

"Ha ha ha, hilarious," she replies sarcastically. "Listen, we've got a problem. The neon lights proposal for the Christmas billboard on the road to Ticino got rejected."

"What? But the budget was already super tight! I had to practically bribe the vendors with extra jobs."

"Yeah, but the problem isn't the cost."

"Let me guess... they're bad for the local wildlife?"

"Exactly. It violates the cantonal laws."

"But the quote says they only turn on with motion sensors!"

"Well, go explain that to the client."

"You know I never speak directly with clients. So what do you want me to propose now?"

"I don't know. Think of something else. The client comes back in a month."

"Impossible! They're going to give the billboard to another agency."

"It's out of my hands, Valentina."

Hours later, at 3 p.m., Valentina receives an email requesting two new quotes: one for a photoshoot featuring promotional smartphones for a supermarket magazine, and the other for a Christmas campaign for a bank. Everything had to be organized in a week, and the quotes were due the next day, Friday.

It was pure chaos.

"Hey, listen," Valentina says to Alex. "I'll go talk to the 'Barbies' in accounts. After that, help me with the quotes, please? I'll check them Monday, or later today when I get to the airport—I'll do the Excel sheet and send it."

Alex, also a beta and a senior producer like Valentina, was already under pressure—especially with a telecom brand that affected multiple areas.

"Don't mess with me… I'm going to have to wake up early again. I have no soul left! And I really don't want to deal with accounts if they have questions. You know they never stay past hours."

Valentina had requested the day off five months in advance: Friday, for a three-day trip with her best friend. But of course, that Friday turned into the most chaotic day of the month.

She knew it was her boss's job to manage the crisis. With Alex overwhelmed, an inexperienced intern, and her time off approved, there was no one else to take over.In eight years, she had never caused problems at the agency. Punctual, hardworking, never asked for vacations or time off. A model producer.

(Knock on the door)

"Come in."

"Bischoff, what is it? Did you review the quotes?"

"Yes, boss. But there's a problem."

"What is it?"

"I won't be here tomorrow. Remember I asked for the day off five months ago?"

"Ah… cancel it. You have to do the quotes."

"I can't. I already bought the plane ticket."

"Well then, what do you prefer? Your trip, or your job? Haha. We both know the answer. Don't forget to CC me on the emails."

"Thank you, boss," Valentina said with a polite smile that barely hid the knot of frustration tightening in her chest.

She felt it again—that familiar pressure: the mix of suppressed anger, disgust, and disappointment.It wasn't just about the trip. It was about the mockery disguised as a joke, another way of reminding her of her place.

She returned to her desk, calmly. She looked at her coworkers and said:

"No one's covering for me. Sorry guys, that's more work for you."

"You're quitting?! Don't leave me alone with the intern and Miguel! They'll kill us! I'm already dead!" Alex shouted.

Knowing he was right, Valentina began drafting her resignation letter.She knew that being a beta would make it hard to find another job. But she couldn't take it anymore.

Before handing it in, she backed up important information and contacts. She sent a copy to herself and to her best friend, Lucas, and asked him to pick her up after work.

Before 7 p.m., she scheduled emails to Alex and the intern with pending tasks and left everything as organized as possible. Then she walked to her boss's office.

"See how fast you are when you've got time?" Miguel said without even looking up. "Since you've sent the quotes, tomorrow you'll call Becerra about the Christmas thing."

Valentina placed the resignation letter on his desk.

"What's this? You're quitting? Are you insane? No one's hiring in the middle of the holiday season! And even less a beta. You should be thankful you have food on the table."

She smiled politely and turned to leave.But Miguel followed her and grabbed her arm.She pulled away and told him not to touch her.

The agency had two floors, each around 400 square meters.The second floor housed production, editing, design, and postproduction—a fast-paced area filled with messy desks, forgotten coffee mugs, and glowing monitors at all hours.

In contrast, the first floor was more refined: the accounts department, the large-windowed meeting room, the central patio where omegas often socialized, and at the back—separated from the rest—were the private offices of HR, the CEO, and the Business Director.

When Miguel followed her downstairs and raised his voice, heads turned.Within seconds, he was shouting for someone to call security.

Valentina was escorted to the meeting room.There, with no clear explanation, she was searched from head to toe.The security guards, visibly uncomfortable, followed Miguel's orders in front of everyone. It was invasive. They emptied her bag, touched her clothes, examined each object as if she were smuggling contraband.

Her wallet was opened, her toiletry bag exposed, her lunchbox and makeup laid out one by one on the table—under the curious and judgmental eyes of several onlookers in the hallway.

Miguel said nothing. He just stared at her, angry and frustrated, like he expected to find something incriminating—or for her to beg.

The guards hesitated.Valentina, without breaking her composure, carefully picked up each of her belongings. She placed them back in her bag as if she were collecting the pieces of her dignity, one by one.She felt a lump in her throat, an ache in her chest—she wanted to cry. But she refused to let anyone see her like that.

She stood up, adjusted her jacket, and walked out—calm and steady.

Her footsteps echoed on the polished concrete floor, louder than any words spoken.That's when she crossed paths with the CEO and the Business Director. They had just returned from a meeting and entered through the patio.

Valentina barely glanced at them.

Erick, just 34 years old, was an alpha who inherited the agency from his family.A man used to instant respect.He didn't talk to producers. He didn't talk to betas.The agency had grown thanks to his connections—not his talent.

And yet, when he saw the scene—a beta woman walking out with her head held high, followed by a furious alpha screaming like a betrayed child—his brow furrowed.

He and Raffael saw Miguel grab her arm.

"Let go of me," Valentina said firmly.

"Thief!"

"What exactly did I steal? Or are you just mad because now you'll actually have to do your job?"

Erick called for an emergency meeting.Valentina hesitated but agreed. She knew she had to speak up—for her own dignity. Besides, the advertising world was small. Everyone knew someone.

"I asked for time off in advance," she said. "I can't cancel my trip. But the real issue is that we're overloaded because others don't take responsibility for their biological conditions."

Silence.

Miguel exploded:

"Ungrateful! Betas are replaceable! This company needs elegance, education—not mediocre people like you!"

Valentina looked at him calmly.

"I know my rights. I'll return for my final paycheck. And yes—biological conditions.Because while you leave early or disappear for days, we take care of things.You never respond. You leave everything half-done.And now you want to play the victim?"

As she stood to leave, Miguel grabbed her again.This time, Valentina twisted his wrist without a word.

Erick and Raffael said nothing.

"We'll contact you this week," Erick said. "We'll investigate. This agency respects all genders. Everyone here is family."

She knew they wouldn't do anything.She walked again through the accounts department—past the stares and whispers—and left without looking back.

Outside, Lucas was waiting for her.A 32-year-old beta, 6'2", tanned, muscular, with hazel eyes and a smile that caused chaos wherever he went.

Their friendship had started in a rather unusual way.They met during an internship at another agency, where they only lasted six months. He worked in accounts, but couldn't stand being bossed around. They were both fired for being too proactive—a quality that made the rest look bad.

"Ready to meet some hot Italians now that you're free?"

"You're such an idiot. I just quit and you're only thinking about..."

"DICK, DICK, DICK! Small but thick. Long and thick..."

"YES, yes, we all know you like it thick!"

Valentina put on her helmet, climbed onto the motorcycle, and as she adjusted her bra, she pulled out a small USB drive.She had no intention of leaving empty-handed after all those years.

That tiny device held all the valuable information for her future.

The game wasn't over.It was just beginning.

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GlossaryCanton – A territorial and political division of Switzerland, similar to a state, with autonomous laws.