Chapter 3

"I’ve always been reasonable. You know that."

After I said that, I suddenly felt a lot better.

…

There was silence on the other end of the phone, as if he were bracing himself for a storm.

While I waited, I checked the messages in the work‑group chat.

It turned out that the deal had fallen through without me there to handle it.

The company took a huge loss, and the boss personally called Mr. Lawrence and tore him apart.

Just because I stopped dealing with all the random extra tasks they kept dumping on me, everyone else’s workload had skyrocketed. They were not used to it, and their productivity dropped sharply.

Before long, the entire office descended into chaos.

It was only when they were completely overwhelmed did they finally start calling me.

However, I had already turned on Do Not Disturb after work, so I did not receive a single call.

As for Mr. Lawrence, he remained silent.

After a long while, he finally forced the words through clenched teeth.

"Fine, I got it. James, make sure you’re at your desk on time tomorrow."

I knew he was up to something, but I did not care anymore.

I was leaving soon anyway. There was not much he could do to me now.

The next morning, I arrived at my desk right on time, not a minute late.

However, Mr. Lawrence still came looking for me.

He smiled and said, "James, this company isn’t exactly hell. Do you really need to avoid it like the plague?

"You used to never leave before nine. What happened yesterday? You left early. Be honest. Are you upset with me? If you are, I can fix it.

"I just didn’t expect a grown man to be this petty."

I let out a cold sneer in my mind.

I knew it. All that smiling was just an act. He was up to something.

Honestly, I understood exactly why he was doing it.

If he could have fired me outright but chose to dock my pay instead, that told me everything I needed to know.

I was too valuable to lose.

The fact that he kept threatening me with my contract made it even more obvious that he did not want me walking away.

There was just one flaw in his plan. His memory was terrible.

He had forgotten the exact date my contract ended.

I kept my voice calm. "Mr. Lawrence, what are you talking about? Of course I’m not upset with you. We’ve worked together for years. Why would I have a problem with you?"

When he saw me play along, he let the matter drop, then casually knocked another 200 dollars off my paycheck.

"Sorry, James. I told everyone they had to be here on time today, but you were late."

I stared at him in confusion and was about to argue.

He immediately cut me off, pretending to suddenly remember something.

"Oh, right. I forgot. When we were working late last night, I told everyone to come in thirty minutes early today.

"But you weren’t there for overtime, so obviously you didn’t hear me. Next time, make sure you check the messages after work. Don’t miss anything important. Got it?"

He emphasized those last two words, making it clear he was trying to put me in my place.

Then he tossed a file onto my desk.

"I’m leaving on a business trip. Take over this project ASAP. This is a new deal. The client is one of those notoriously difficult clients you managed to win over before. This time, take Logan with you and get the deal done.

"Next week, we’re bidding against Company Y. I’ll be there in person. Once we win, don’t keep stealing the spotlight in front of the boss. Give the younger guys a chance. Got it?"

Before I could respond, someone called him away for his business trip.

I had to admit that he played his cards well.

Everyone knew Logan was his nephew.

This whole thing was designed to have me pave the way for his nephew, let Logan shine in front of the boss, and then kick me out.

I knew Mr. Lawrence had always been bitter about the fact that I was better at my job and that the boss valued me more.

He had been quietly targeting me for years, trying to sideline me and strip me of my influence.

However, I was not falling for it.

It was Tuesday. I had only three days left before I left the company.

I was not touching this deal for those three days.

After all, I would be reporting to Company Y in three days.

I was not about to leak confidential information. That would be illegal.

Still, before I left, I was going to give them a taste of their own medicine.

That, I was absolutely going to do.