They say when you don't know what to do..do nothing.

However, as an outsider and as someone who has worked in the corporate world her entire career after all your hard work (and mine) you now know where you stand with this company (for whatever reason).

It doesn't even matter if the 2 were sleeping together...WE don't get to make the decisions on who gets promoted..or how promotion decisions are made. And I learned that asking/questioning their decisions only makes my situation worse...always has

However, I do give you a lot of credit for going in and having a voice for yourself..and again, I am sorry that doing confronting your CEO about your disappointments did not give you the satisfaction that you craved. We have to realize...anyone hates being challenged and challenging someone at that level is bascially a joke to them because they have it all worked out and they don't care who they offend as we are all just numbers and replaceable.

I know you can see right thru them and I also see that the phone call and interview that is set up is to appease you and to keep you at a functioning level in your current role which will be in THEIR best interests. Its ALWAYS about their best interests.

Also, being good at what you do can be a fault (meaning they don't want to waste the time training someone else if they don't have to as it is easier to hold you in that one spot).

I was told a long time ago that the thing was that I backed myself against a wall regarding promotions for doing what I did, doing it well and staying in one role for too long. I had an ah ha moment that day when it sunk in that the writing was put on the wall the day that was said to me.

In the olden days..it used to be the longer you stayed in a role and the harder you worked showed...dedication.

All the companies want now are younger more educated people who they can pay less...than the more experienced older employees.

I think it is smart to start searching for another job because after this you are going to continue to be hypersensitive to every little thing that goes on there.