Chapter 2

When I came to, I was in a hospital bed.

Before I even opened my eyes, I heard Tristan Bellamy's smarmy voice.

"Babe, Declan brought in eighty-five thousand dollars in sales last month. Under his commission agreement, we owe him eighty-five hundred. Isn't that way too much?"

"Eighty-five hundred? In his dreams," Darlene scoffed. "These longtime employees think they can do whatever they want just because they helped build the company. Declan's the worst of them."

She gave a humorless laugh.

"He embarrassed me in front of everyone. I need to make an example of him."

"But his contract says he gets ten percent. What are we going to do?"

"Find a reason to deduct it. Say his attendance record is bad, or a customer complained. Blame his livestream work if you have to. Our company decides how performance is evaluated. Leave him fourteen hundred and call it generous. He's a grown man. He won't starve."

So that was my boss.

The previous month, she'd begged me to help the company break into livestream selling because our telephone-sales model was falling behind.

I'd swallowed my pride, called in favors, and attended enough business dinners to end up bleeding from my stomach before I found people willing to build the livestream operation for us.

It brought in eighty-five thousand dollars in sales.

Now the commission I'd earned was being slashed from eighty-five hundred to fourteen hundred.

What had I been killing myself for?

"Honey, what if he makes a fuss?" Tristan asked. "He's still handling that million-and-a-half-dollar deal."

"He's a troublemaker. We don't need him," Darlene said with a cold laugh. "By the time we get back from Santa Lucera, he should have done all the hard work. I'll transfer the contract to you. Signing it is just a formality."

That deal had taken six months of meetings and endless travel. I'd earned the trust of Helena Bishop, the executive whose company would be funding the project.

And now Darlene wanted to hand the whole thing to her boyfriend as if my work meant nothing.

Not a chance.

Footsteps approached my bed.

I pretended I was just waking up. Darlene's expression changed instantly to a concerned smile.

"Water..." I rasped.

"Oh, Declan! You're awake. How are you feeling?"

Tristan stood beside her with his hands in his pockets. He didn't lift a finger to get me a drink.

"You're the only person who fainted," he said. "That's your own weak constitution. Don't think you can stick the company with your hospital bills. We provide health insurance. Use it."

They'd let the office get so cold I'd ended up feverish and unconscious, and somehow I was the one trying to scam them.

I kept my expression blank.

Darlene pulled a chair up to my bedside.

"Declan, I'm only saying this for your own good. You're almost thirty, you went to an average college, and your health is poor. I'm keeping you around out of loyalty."

She shook her head as though I were hopeless.

"People with graduate degrees are delivering takeout these days. Who's going to hire you if you leave? Learn to appreciate what you've got. And hurry up and close that big deal. You'll be rewarded."

Rewarded with a pink slip, probably.

"You're absolutely right, Ms. Kessler."

I smiled weakly, burying my disgust.

"I haven't been good enough. I'm sorry I've caused trouble. Don't worry. I'll give the deal everything I have."

Darlene and Tristan exchanged a pleased look.

"That's more like it. Get some rest. We've got things to do back at the office."

They were out the door almost before she'd finished speaking, as though staying one more minute might mean paying for my treatment.

The moment the door clicked shut, I reopened the job-search app on my phone and marked myself available for new opportunities.

A message arrived almost immediately.

"Mr. Pierce, Ms. Bishop is very interested in your experience and would like to speak with you. Compensation is negotiable."

Before, the idea of leaving my old company had felt like betrayal.

Not anymore.

I tapped Accept.

"I'd be very interested. I'm available whenever she is."

Less than three seconds after I sent it, my phone rang.