The Price of Greed

The room felt heavy, like frost had settled over it.It wasn’t cold inside, but a chill still crept over me.On the screen, a photo of a white car gleamed under the light. It was parked right outside International Elementary. The angle caught the exact moment I bent down to pick up a child, even the last digits of the license plate crystal clear.The intern, Winnie Taylor, leaned forward with both hands braced against the table. Her young face was practically glowing with the thrill of “standing up for justice” on behalf of the company. She stared at me as if she’d just caught a rat stealing cheese.“According to the company vehicle policy, cars are for business use only. But Ms. Clark has been treating the company car like her personal vehicle, driving it to pick up her kid, going grocery shopping, even taking it home on weekends.”Her voice was sharp and loud.The next slide flipped to a spreadsheet.“I did a quick calculation. For her daily commute and weekend use, that’s

I picked up the report and glanced at it.The calculations were impressively detailed.Even the trips I made on weekends to the dealership for maintenance had been listed under “personal use”.“$128,000.” I let out a soft laugh. “Winnie, you’re pretty good at accounting.”“Of course.” She lifted her chin. “Ms. Clark, I know you’re not happy about this. But rules are rules. If you’ve enjoyed benefits you shouldn’t have, then you have to pay the price.”“Enjoyed?”I set the report down and leaned back in my chair, looking at her.“Do you know how much this car costs in insurance per year?”Winnie froze for a moment. “Isn’t that covered by the company?”“No. I pay for it myself. Fifty thousand a year.”“And the maintenance?”“I pay for that, too. Over ten thousand each time.”Her tone immediately turned flustered. “T-That’s still your responsibility! After all, you’ve been driving it for so long!”I continued, “Then, three years ago, who was the one who brought this car to th

“No issues.” I handed over the spare key. “Do a full inspection, and upgrade the tracking system while you’re at it.”“Of course. Is the car outside now?”“No.” I gave a faint smile. “Someone will bring it in a couple of days.”“Huh?” The manager looked confused.“Just remember that once the car enters the shop, lock it immediately. Without my permission, no one is allowed to drive it away.”Although the manager didn’t understand why, he still nodded.“Understood. The car is registered under your name. We’ll follow your instructions.”By the time I left, the sky had turned overcast, like it was about to rain.I called a taxi back to the company.Just as the car pulled up downstairs, I saw that white car driving out of the underground garage.John was behind the wheel. Winnie sat in the passenger seat, and Noah was in the back, eyes closed.They were heading out to meet a new client.The window rolled down. When Winnie saw me standing by the roadside, she deliberately had Jo

John parked the car in the most visible spot at the entrance. The car’s body was polished spotless. Even the tires were jet black, without a trace of dust.Noah had also changed into his most presentable suit. He kept rubbing his watch nervously, his expression tense.“How much longer until Mr. Parker arrives?” he asked urgently.“He just landed. He should reach the park in about forty minutes,” Winnie replied immediately. There was undeniable excitement in her voice.Meanwhile, I sat at my desk, slowly packing up my personal belongings.Photo frames, a mug, a small potted plant, and neatly organized stacks of documents.Everyone else was so busy tidying the office and adjusting the setup that no one paid attention to what I was doing.Or rather, they didn’t care.In their eyes, I was already a sidelined former director, while Winnie was the company’s future.At 9.30 a.m., Winnie’s phone suddenly rang.“Mr. Parker has arrived at the park entrance? Okay, okay, I’ll have the

“Mr. Parker, actually, Ms. Clark violated company policy—”“Shut up!”Noah shot her a fierce glare.He knew that bringing up company policy now would only make things worse.Turning back to me, his tone almost pleading, he said, “Ava, I’m begging you. Please explain things to Mr. Parker. It’s just an internal conflict. We can settle it privately…”I looked at him, so humbled now, and felt nothing.“Mr. Anderson, now you’re worried about losing reputation? When you issued that notice criticizing me, why weren’t you worried then? When you had Winnie throw my things on the ground to be trampled, why weren’t you afraid?”I lifted the box.“Mr. Parker, I’m sorry you had to witness this. From today on, I have nothing to do with this company. I’m taking this car back, too.”I took out my phone and opened the remote control in front of everyone.Then I said softly, “Unlock.”The next second, the car lights flashed twice, followed by two crisp beeps.The lock was released.“John, s