Chapter 1

At the company's celebration dinner, my boss, Patrick Gibson, handed me a gold-embossed envelope. "Evangeline, this 100 thousand dollars is yours. You've earned every penny of it."

I tore open the envelope in front of everyone, and a sheet of paper fell out. In bold letters, it read, "Certificate of Recognition."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Mr. Gibson, is this supposed to be my bonus?"

"Mr. Gibson, what's going on?"

Anthony Thompson was the first to speak, clearly taken aback. He was my boyfriend of three years, and he worked at the same company. Like me, he'd assumed the envelope contained a payment slip for my bonus.

In an instant, the ballroom fell silent as everyone turned to look at the paper in my hand.

Patrick's smile faltered. He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Evangeline, don't make a scene. We'll talk about your bonus later, in private."

I didn't budge. Instead, I raised the paper a little higher.

Patrick's expression shifted, and he turned to address the room. "Your 100-thousand-dollar bonus was approved a long time ago. You'll get every penny! We just wanted to honor you in front of everyone tonight and give you the recognition you deserve."

He paused, feigning reluctance. "And you just had to bring this up in front of everyone, putting me on the spot in front of the entire company."

My coworkers exchanged uneasy looks and began murmuring among themselves.

"Mr. Gibson is trying to make her look good in front of everyone, and she can't even appreciate it."

Another said, "She really thinks the company's going to stiff her for 100 thousand dollars?"

"She does one thing right, and now she's demanding money in front of everyone. Is she that desperate for cash?"

My fingers slowly tightened around the certificate, leaving creases in the paper.

I was about to speak when Troy Jensen stood up and flashed Patrick a fawning smile. "Mr. Gibson, Evangeline's young and doesn't know any better. Please don't hold it against her."

Troy had been my direct supervisor when I first joined the company.

Just then, he turned to me, looking disappointed. "Evangeline, I hired you because you were hardworking and dependable. After everything the company has done for you over the years, how can you make a scene in front of everyone?"

Beside him, Lionel Davis, the junior colleague I'd mentored, nodded in agreement.

He leaned toward me and whispered, "Eva, just apologize to Mr. Gibson. Everyone's watching. You're only going to make things worse for yourself if you let the situation escalate."

A flicker of triumph crossed Patrick's face as he watched everyone shut me down. He quickly waved.

"Let it go. She's young," he said, putting on a show of generosity. "You'll get your money. A company this big can certainly afford 100 thousand dollars."

Troy looked pleased. He shot me a look and hissed, "Evangeline, Mr. Gibson just gave you his word in front of everyone. So what are you waiting for? Apologize!"