HR claims they 'lost' employee's application for promotion after they hired an external nepo candidate for the job: 'Did you send it by carrier pigeon?'

Nothing is more disappointing than realizing you never stood a chance. 

There is nothing more frustrating than putting so much effort into something and then realizing that it could never be yours, due to systems outside of your control. This is when you run up against structural inequality, and you realize how powerless you actually are. No matter how much work and effort you put into a project, it might not succeed for reasons beyond your control. That's how the world works, you suppose, and go home with a little less light in your eyes than before. You hope this doesn't happen to you in the workplace, but you can never be sure. You hope that you can build up enough goodwill with the people with whom you collaborate that they will see your strengths and reward you in kind. 

That's what happened to the employee in this story, who thought they were doing all the right things. They thought they had gone through the proper channels to work their way up at their place of work, but they soon discovered that it wasn't enough. When you submit a job application, you're putting yourself out there. Especially if it's for a higher position at your current job. It's a vulnerable thing. You display your wants and needs, and they decide if you're the right person for the task. If it doesn't work out, it might make it kind of awkward to stay at your job. But these are the risks you take.