Chapter 3

Henry tried to explain, but Philip wouldn't listen at all.

His voice boomed across the entire office. "There's no need to explain! I know exactly what's going on. You're deliberately bullying my daughter-in-law! You're sending her off to the middle of nowhere! What kind of garbage company is this? I'm going to sue you!"

Fran was rolling on the floor, flailing about like a child.

"Oh, my poor Laura! How could they treat you like this? A fragile young woman forced to commute 25 miles every day! This is a tragedy!"

Surrounded by onlookers, Philip and Fran showed no shame whatsoever. Instead, they got even more carried away.

"I don't care what excuses you have! Cancel the transfer or I'll report you to the labor office!"

In the video, Philip and Fran looked like a pair of clowns, throwing a tantrum in the middle of the office without a care for anyone watching.

I was so mortified that my face burned red. A wave of shame surged through me.

My colleague cautiously observed my reaction. "They… Didn't just make a scene here. They went to headquarters too…"

My phone trembled in my palm as rage and humiliation boiled inside me. I wanted to find a hole to hide in, too ashamed to face my colleagues.

It was no wonder my job transfer was canceled.

What company would tolerate an employee's in-laws storming in and causing a scene like this?

This promotion had been an incredibly rare opportunity. I had worked tirelessly for it, enduring countless interviews and passing multiple rounds of evaluations before finally earning it.

I had been on the verge of stepping into my new role—until my in-laws ruined everything.

Years of hard work were gone in an instant.

And they did all of this… over a car!

It was utterly ridiculous!

Blinking back my tears, I straightened my back and walked into Henry's office, offering him a sincere apology.

Then, I picked up my phone and dialed Steven's number.

…

"Steven, did you know that your parents came to my office and made a scene?"

Steven hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yeah. I knew."

I felt something inside my snap. "Do you have any idea how unprofessional it is to bring personal matters into the workplace? Why didn't you stop them?"

His reply was cold and indifferent, "Because I don't think they did anything wrong."

"Say that again?"

"Your company didn't take your personal situation into account. They assigned you to a position so far away, disrupting our family life. You not taking the job is the right choice."

I was stunned. "Steven, do you even realize this isn't just a transfer? It's a promotion. A freaking promotion! Do you know how long I've worked for this opportunity?"

"It makes no difference whether you get promoted or not in that crappy company. I really don't get why you care so much. You're married now. Your priority should be the family. You should be focusing on getting pregnant and having a son. That should be your main goal at this stage in life."

I felt my heart sink slowly into the abyss.

So, in his eyes, my only value as a woman was to bear him children.

My career and ambitions were nothing, all disposable in the face of family duties.

"I can't believe this, Steven. It's the modern era, and I'm hearing such outdated, masculinist nonsense from a man with a master's degree."

"Stop being difficult, Laura. Just go home and apologize to Dad. You've been making a fuss nonstop, and it's disrupting the peace at home. How am I supposed to focus on work?"

I hung up on him.

Apologize? What a joke!

They destroyed my career, and now they expected me to just let it go?

Did they really think I would swallow this humiliation just like that?

I grabbed my bag and headed to Philip's workplace.

He stormed into my office and caused a scene, didn't he? Well, it was time for payback.