Chapter 3 The Commission He Gave Away

The atmosphere in the conference room felt strangely tense during the next morning's executive meeting.

Conrad sat at the head of the table, flipping through the quarterly reports in front of him.

Summer sat at the far end of the long table. Around her neck hung a sparkling pink diamond necklace. Her makeup was flawless today, and she looked positively radiant.

"I've made some adjustments to next quarter's project assignments." Conrad closed the report and swept his gaze across the room. "The renewable energy account currently handled by Seraphina will be transferred to Summer."

The room fell silent.

I had spent three months on that account. Countless sleepless nights. Endless rounds of negotiations. More late-night drinking sessions than I could remember, to the point where I had ended up sick more than once.

I had finally secured the client, and the contract was nearly ready to be signed. Now, with one casual sentence, he was handing it to someone else.

"Mr. Brooks, isn't that against company policy?" The operations director finally spoke up despite his obvious reluctance. "Summer is still an intern. A project this large is beyond her experience."

Conrad glanced at him, his eyes turning cold. "If she can't handle it, Seraphina can guide her. Seraphina is one of the company's founding employees. Helping train new talent is part of her responsibility."

Then he looked at me. His tone left no room for disagreement. "Seraphina, do you have any objections?"

I met his gaze and calmly closed my notebook. "No objections."

Conrad seemed pleased by my compliance. He nodded slightly. "Good. Then it's settled. Meeting adjourned."

He stood and walked out first.

Summer gathered her files and approached my seat. The satisfaction on her face was impossible to hide. "Seraphina, I hope you'll teach me everything I need to know."

"Not a problem." I organized the documents on the table and slid them toward her. "Everything about the client is in there. Their preferences, background, all of it. Read through it yourself."

Without waiting for a response, I stood and walked straight toward the restroom.

The moment I stepped into a stall, my stomach lurched violently. I doubled over the toilet and began vomiting.

When it finally stopped, I looked down. Drops of blood stained the white tile floor.

My eyes were empty. The faucet ran steadily as I splashed cold water onto my face.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Clara.

"Seraphina, when are you coming to the hospital to schedule the surgery?" Her voice trembled as though she was struggling not to cry. "The doctor said the tumor is spreading fast. You can't keep putting this off."

I pulled out a paper towel and slowly dried my hands. "Clara, I don't want the surgery anymore."

Silence filled the line.

A few seconds later, she exploded. "Have you completely lost your mind? Are you seriously throwing your life away because of that scumbag?"

"It's not because of him." I stared at my reflection in the mirror. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. "They'd remove two-thirds of my stomach. Then there'd be chemotherapy afterward."

I paused. "It's too much. I just want to finish the time I have left with some dignity."

Clara broke down crying.

After the call ended, I returned to my desk. A message from Conrad was waiting for me. "Seraphina, come to my office."

I pushed open the door to the executive suite.

Conrad stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, smoking. "Are you upset because I embarrassed you during the meeting?"

He walked toward me and instinctively reached for my shoulder. I stepped back. His hand missed again. The frown on his face deepened.

"Seraphina, you've been unusually distant lately. The reason I gave that account to Summer is that something happened in her family. She urgently needs money."

He looked at me as though he were granting me a favor. "You own shares in the company. Your year-end dividends are more than enough. You don't need that commission."

His voice carried a note of condescension as he added, "Be reasonable. Don't compete with a young girl over something so small."

I looked at him. At the man who had once promised me everything.

"Fine." My voice remained calm. "I won't compete with her."

I held his gaze. "Conrad, are you free next Wednesday?"