I Listened for Once, and He Broke for Good

"Maggie."

Kimberley Lester interjected with a sweet tone, flaunting the limited-edition handbag dangling from her wrist. It was a handbag I had bought with my bonus from last quarter.

"Mr. Carter has said before that the company can't do without you, but relying on you alone to carry everything is a little too risky. I'd like to help share the burden," Kimberly said.

Daniel Carter patted her hand approvingly. "See? Kimmy is so considerate. Margaret Sinclair, stop being so difficult. There's a dinner tonight, and Mr. Ashford specifically asked for you to attend.

"Take Kimmy along to show her the ropes and close this deal while you're at it. Count it toward her performance. I'll reimburse your commission privately."

It was the same old story. In the past, I had always swallowed my pride and endured in silence to keep the team together and protect the company we co-founded—a company I deeply cared about. But this time, I refused to take the coffee he offered.

"I'm not going," I said.

Daniel's hand froze in midair, and his expression darkened instantly. "You're not going?"

He sneered and brandished his phone. "Margaret Sinclair, your mom is still in the ICU, isn't she? I still have her medical expense approval for this month sitting on my desk. The finance team told me the funds won't be released without my signature. Are you sure you want to throw a tantrum at me right now?"

I glared at his smug face as my chest tightened. Mom was my weakness, and she was also the sole reason I drove myself so hard to make money.

When I stayed silent, Daniel grinned triumphantly, convinced that he had me under control again. "That's more like it."

He casually tossed my resignation letter into the shredder. As the machine whirred with a harsh grating sound, he stood and straightened out his suit.

"Go change your clothes. Don't dress like a spinster. Make Mr. Ashford happy tonight, and I'll approve twice the amount for your mom's treatment."

I took a deep breath, my nails digging into my palm. "Fine. I'll go."

Satisfied, Daniel wrapped an arm around Kimberley and headed for the door. "Let's go, my future top salesperson."

As I watched them walk away, the final spark of hope within me vanished completely.