Chapter 1

A new message popped up on my screen. I opened it and saw a payroll list. "This month's salaries: Technical Director–10,000. Marketing Assistant–5,600. Receptionist–2,000..."

Timmy Sunderland in Finance instantly deleted the text, but I had already seen my salary.

It was also ten thousand dollars a month, but...

Most of it had been deducted and given to Timmy!

Anger surged through me as my whole body started to shake.

Timmy sent another message right away. "Sent by mistake, please ignore!"

How was I supposed to ignore that?

I rushed straight to my boss, Jessica White's office, and pushed open the door. "Ms. White, I want an explanation about my pay."

"Don't you know you are supposed to knock before you come in? Don't treat the company as your own apartment. Just because you're a senior employee here, it doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! I can still fire you at any time!"

I stepped back and knocked on the door a few times.

"Ms. White, can I come in now? Why am I only getting sixteen hundred a month? The other directors all get ten thousand dollars. Even the receptionist gets two thousand!" My voice was trembling as I spoke.

"In this company, your pay is confidential. Who permitted you to discuss it? Who do you think you are?" Jessica asked sternly.

"And why is my salary being deducted and given to Timmy?" I asked again.

Jessica's expression immediately changed as she slammed her hand on her desk and stood up. "I'm warning you, don't make up any stories and kick up a storm here. The economy is bad right now. I kept you only because you're a senior employee. You should be grateful."

"Ms. White, I'm asking for a raise now! I honestly can't survive with this amount!" I said, my voice hoarse.

"Claude, this is a business decision, and I'm not at liberty to explain anything to you. Haven't you always been the one who understood me the best? This company is not a shelter. If you can't survive with that amount, you should find a way to solve it yourself," Jessica said as her tone finally softened, but my heart had already gone ice-cold.

I had worked for Jessica for a decade and was among the first batch of employees who helped build up the company. I had watched it grow from a nameless company into a major player in the industry. I had deep feelings for the company, but more importantly, I had fallen for Jessica from the first day I joined.

Everyone said I was a fool, a total simp for Jessica, and I was happy to be one.

But now, it seemed that I was not even fit to be alive in this company!

I walked out of her office as I held my anger in and ran into Timmy at the doorway. He arrogantly walked right past me into the office without even looking at me, saying, "Ms. White, I accidentally sent the payroll to Mr. Arkwright."

I stayed outside and did not leave right away as I heard Timmy say, "The senior employees in this company are so shameless. They talk about a raise every time they open their mouths. What does he know? Does he really think his pay is decided by how long he has worked here? He must think a decade in the company is something special.

"I've noticed his attitude at work has been really negative lately. Maybe he has already got a problem with the company or with you, Ms. White."

My stomach had been hurting a lot lately because of all the business dinners and drinking I had to do. Sometimes it hurt so much that all I could do was bend over and lie on my desk. Even so, I was still the one bringing in the most business for the company!

"Ms. White, what if he wants to leave?" Timmy asked.

"Does he think the company will stop running without him? He has been here all these years and has nothing to show for it! Keeping him here employed for so long is already more than he deserves! He should go outside and look around! See if he can find any other bosses that treat him as well as I have! If he wants to go, I won't stop him."

I could feel the flame in my heart burn as I clenched my fists and walked back to my desk.