Chapter 4

The client flew into an absolute rage, and no amount of bowing or scraping from Owen could salvage the situation.

The moment the client stormed out, Owen turned on me and bellowed, "You're deliberately sabotaging this company! You're destroying our client relationships one by one!"

I shrugged, looking entirely innocent. "Didn't you tell me yourself that only the profit generated during official working hours belongs to the company?

"This specific deal was negotiated entirely on my own time after hours. What if the partnership ended up costing the company money down the line? I'm just correcting my past mistakes. I couldn't possibly let the company take on that kind of liability."

Owen's face contorted with malice as he gritted his teeth. "You did this on purpose!"

I shook my head and put on a look of deep regret. "If I don't do what you say, I'm wrong. If I do exactly what you say, I'm still wrong. What exactly do I have to do to make you happy?"

Owen stared daggers at me, spitting out, "You piece of shit! Don't get too smug just yet!"

I frowned at his vulgar language but didn't let it bother me.

The next day, Macy burst into my office. Without asking a single question, she launched into a furious tirade.

"I asked Owen to help me run this place, and you're using your seniority to actively sabotage him at every turn! Toby, how can you be such a petty bully? Don't think you're indispensable around here!"

I let out a sharp laugh. Setting aside the fact that Owen was a complete newcomer acting like a CEO, I hadn't even said a word yet, and he had already run to Macy to spin his web of lies.

The moment I tried to speak up, Macy cut me off impatiently. "Am I the CEO or are you? Owen is incredibly talented, and his management role is a special arrangement I approved! It takes me one sentence to put whoever I want in charge. What right do you have to question my authority?"

I kept my face grim and remained silent. Seeing this, Macy softened her tone slightly. "Stop trying to get special treatment just because you're my fiance. Like I said, we need to keep business and personal matters completely separate."

I sneered inwardly. She seemed to have completely forgotten that the only reason she was sitting in the CEO's chair was that I had secured our partnership with Deltarune Group.

Keep business and personal matters completely separate, huh?

Deltarune Group's annual bidding process was happening next week. I'd like to see how the highly capable Owen and the strictly professional Macy handle the pitch on their own.

At the morning meeting the following day, the company formally approved Owen's disciplinary action against me in front of the entire staff.

Not only were my 3,000-dollar lottery winnings confiscated, but I was also fined an additional 30 thousand dollars as a penalty for embezzling public funds.

Owen smiled triumphantly from the front of the room.

"Hey, you. Come up here and deliver your self-reflection. Let's make this a lesson for everyone else to remind people of their place so they don't make the same mistake."

He wanted nothing more than to humiliate me.

I walked calmly up to the podium and spoke into the microphone. "I apologize. I was wrong."