All Chapters of Five Years In, I'm the Poorest Employee: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

In that moment, the noise around my table in the private hall seemed to disappear. The only thing left echoing in the air was the laughter of Clare Randall, the intern.I slowly lowered my cup, my fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure.Five years ago, the company had only a dozen or so employees, all crammed into a dilapidated residential unit.During the interview, the company's founder, Grant Conner, held my hand and spoke sincerely."Shania, the company is just starting out. Right now, I can only offer you three thousand dollars. But rest assured, as long as we grow and succeed, I'll make sure you get your fair share."I believed him.For five years, I handled administration, human resources, and part of the business development work all by myself.I watched the company grow from a dozen employees to the 300 it had today. I watched Mr. Conner's car upgrade from a used Volkswagen to a Porsche Cayenne.I always thought everyone was like me—still scraping by on me

Chapter 2

I instinctively held my breath and pressed my body rigid against the cold marble wall.I heard Grant laugh indifferently. "If you let it slip, that's that. It's no big deal."Clare's voice was probing, tinged with a hint of playfulness as she said, "I saw Shania's expression shift. What if she quits?"Grant let out an extremely contemptuous scoff. "Quit? She doesn't have the guts, not even in a million years. Shania's like a leashed dog. Even if you kick her a few times, she won't bark. "Besides, she's got a 30-year mortgage to think about. She has to make that payment every single month without fail. Even if I told her straight to her face that she has the lowest salary in the whole company, she'd have to suck it up."She's 30 years old, unmarried, and has no kids. Who else is going to hire her?"I felt something inside me snap. I stood in the shadows, feeling like a laughingstock that had been stripped of my dignity.I had worked diligently for five years and never complained

Chapter 3

My entire body tensed up on the spot, but Grant acted as if he hadn't noticed my stiffness and solemnly pressed the certificate into my hands."Here, take it! It's too tacky to offer you money. This honor is truly priceless. It's the highest recognition the company can give you!"The applause from the audience sounded again, now even louder than before.Grant told me not to go back to my seat, but to stay on stage as a "role model" for the other colleagues receiving awards.I stood under the spotlight like a fool, holding that worthless certificate in my hand.I watched as one colleague after another happily walked up to the stage. Jared Burch took home ten thousand dollars. Maya Porter took five thousand dollars…Even Clare, who had only been here a month, got a two-thousand-dollar bonus for the "Best Newcomer" award.Somehow, I made it off the stage and went home in a daze after the event ended.…The next day was the weekend, so I turned off my alarm, wanting to sleep in un

Chapter 4

That afternoon, I met with Richard White, the CEO of the competing company. After looking through my details, he clicked his tongue in admiration."I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Ms. Lawrence, your practical skills are even better than I imagined."He closed the file and made his decision on the spot. "Let's skip the fluff. What's your expected salary?"My hands, resting on my knees, clenched slightly as I did the mental calculations.My current company paid me three thousand dollars. Should I ask for a thousand more or be bold and ask for five thousand dollars?After all, I had a mortgage. If I could get a salary of five thousand dollars, it would make my life so much better."Uh… I think five thousand dollars…" I said the number tentatively, my voice trailing off at the end.When Richard heard that, he looked at me with an unreadable expression.That look made my heart skip a beat. Did I ask for too much?"Five thousand dollars?" he repeated before shaking his head helpl

Chapter 5

Grant was drinking water to clear his throat when he heard that. He nearly spat out a mouthful in disbelief.He stared at me wide-eyed, like he was looking at someone who had suddenly gone mad.After a few seconds of stunned silence, he suddenly laughed—a laugh full of mockery and contempt."Shania, have you lost your mind?"Grant picked up the resignation letter and waved it like it was trash. "You want to play this game with me? You're pretending to quit to get what you want? Look in the mirror and ask yourself who you think you are!"You've got a 30-year mortgage, and your parents aren't in good health. Where else are you going to find a job this easy and stable after leaving the company?"He was sure I was just throwing a tantrum and using the threat of quitting to force him to give me a raise.After all, how could the "dog" he'd kept on a leash for five years actually have the guts to break the chain and run away?Grant waved his hand, putting on a magnanimous air. "Alrigh

Chapter 6

I stopped what I was doing and slowly looked up at him as he choked on his own rage.There was no fear in my eyes, only pity."Mr. Conner, are you threatening me?" I asked.I casually pulled my phone out of my pocket and tapped on the screen."Since you want to talk about connections and loyalty, let's all listen to exactly what your definition of 'loyalty' is."I turned the phone's volume all the way up and pressed play. The next second, Grant's unmistakable voice echoed clearly through the silent office."Shania's like a leashed dog. Even if you kick her a few times, she won't bark. "Besides, she's got a 30-year mortgage to think about. She has to make that payment every single month without fail. Even if I told her straight to her face that she has the lowest salary in the whole company, she'd have to suck it up."She's 30 years old, unmarried, and has no kids. Who else is going to hire her?"The colleagues surrounding us were all stunned. They looked at each other with ey

Chapter 7

Grant was left speechless by my words and stood there like a statue. But he was a seasoned businessman after all, and he quickly collected himself.He wasn't about to let me walk away that easily."Fine! You want to leave?" He gritted his teeth and forced out his words. "Then follow the proper procedures. Don't even think about getting your resignation approved if you don't finish the handover!"He shot a look at Howard, who walked over with a grim expression and a printed handover sheet in hand."Shania, organize all the files and copy them to the shared drive."Howard's tone was harsh as he spoke. He clearly wanted to humiliate me one last time."Especially the maintenance logs for our key accounts, as well as the core logic for the Smart Campus project. Miss even one thing, and the company has the right to hold you accountable!"I looked at the sheet and sneered inwardly. So, they wanted to squeeze the last bit of value out of me for free?They could dream on!I sat back at

Chapter 8

I only found Grant's frantic and flustered face amusing."Professional ethics?" I shot back. "Grant, when you handed me the certificate for 'The Company's Backbone', did you care about ethics? Where was your humanity when you scheduled me to work alone on New Year's Eve?"I picked up the handover sheet and waved it in front of him. "Since you keep harping on about procedures, let's keep it strictly business."I haven't missed a thing that's required to be handed over as per my contract. Whatever isn't in the contract are my skills—not your property. You want it? Sure."I pointed toward the door and said, "Hire me back as a consultant at market rate. It's five thousand dollars an hour to teach you."Grant went red in the face as he choked up in rage. His finger trembled as he pointed at me, but he couldn't get a word of rebuttal out. He knew very well that he couldn't take advantage of the law in this situation. He had simply gotten used to my compliance and taking everything I

Chapter 9

My first week at the new company felt like a dream.I had a spacious, bright workspace, ergonomic chairs, and freshly ground coffee that was free for employees.My colleagues were all very professional. No one passed the buck or made excuses, and everyone did their own job.I no longer had to do the work of three people, nor did I have to waste time arguing with Finance over petty expenses.Every day, when I left work and saw the sun was still up, I found myself feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.So this was what a normal person's life was like.Just as I was thriving, "good news" finally came from my previous company.…The night before New Year's Eve, I was spending time at home with my parents when my phone suddenly rang.It was Fiona Morton, a former colleague I still got along with.When I answered the call, a miserable, wailing voice came from the other end."Shania, please, you have to save us! The company is in chaos! Total chaos!"It turned out that after the fir

Chapter 10

"Mr. Conner, my current job pays me a base salary of ten thousand dollars a month. I have weekends off, no overtime, and bonuses from projects. Do you really think I would come back?" I shot back at Grant.There were a few seconds of silence on the other end. Then, Grant panicked, and his voice shot up an octave."Okay! I'll give you ten thousand dollars, alright? Shania, you have to have a conscience! The company nurtured you for five years. You can't just watch us burn!"When I heard the word "conscience", I felt nothing but deep irony."Grant." My voice turned cold. "This isn't about the money. It's about the people—I don't work with beasts."With that, I hung up the phone. I also blocked his number.…Three months later, spring arrived.I had successfully completed my probation at the new company. I was also fast-tracked to project lead thanks to my outstanding performance on two core projects.The number on my paycheck had gone up again from when I first started.More im

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