《Five Bucks for a Million-Dollar Lunch》全部章節：第 1 章 - 第 10 章

It was often said that young people nowadays were blunt and lacked propriety in their speech and actions, but in all my years of working, it was the first time I ever encountered an intern who took things that far.Upon noticing my silence, Julia Hall, the intern, pursed her lips and said, "You can't just give me the silent treatment, Emma. I'm not looking for a free meal—I'm paying. I know five dollars isn't a lot, but I'm trying to lose weight, so I won't be eating much anyway. "I mean, considering how you're an orphan and how I'm not picky about food, you can just make a little extra when you cook. It's a great way for you to make some extra cash on the side."I found it hard to believe that she actually thought she was doing me a favor by letting me pack her lunch. I nearly laugh out of sheer frustration.Mom and Dad were doing perfectly fine, enjoying their retirement at home.Yet, according to Julia, I was suddenly an orphan with no family. I deliberately kept a low profile

"You'd better not twist the facts here, Julia! You ought to know that taking someone else's thing without permission is considered theft! How can you steal my food and act like you did nothing wrong? "I'm warning you—if you fail to issue a public apology and provide compensation, I won't let you go!" I bellowed before I tossed my lunch box into the trash can. I then grabbed my handbag, turned on my heels, and walked away.I ate a freshly made meal once I returned home, but I was still absolutely furious. I unlocked my phone, ready to blast Julia publicly in the company-wide group chat. But at the last second, I realized that even though I didn't care about keeping the job, making a massive scene would only end up causing more trouble for me in the long run.I messaged Julia privately with that in mind. "You'd better fully reimburse me for the food you stole at lunch and make a public apology by tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I'll contact the police and file a report."I hadn't eve

When the police heard my words, their expressions immediately turned grim. "That's considered a criminal offense, so please come with us to the police station."Julia looked entirely unrepentant. "You're just taking Emma's word for it! What do you even mean by thousands of dollars? It's just a few pieces of vegetables, so there's no way it costs that much money!"In that instant, the police officers promptly placed the valuation documents in front of her.Julia's face turned pale as she trembled, seemingly realizing the severity of the problem for the first time. She quickly glanced at Mr. Lowe, hesitated for a split second, and immediately recovered her bravado. "W-What about it? Your measly thousands of dollars are less than the price of a single handbag of mine! Go ahead and check the surveillance footage, then! You've got nothing without proof!"Just as expected, Mr. Lowe immediately picked up on Julia's cue. He put on a look of regret as he offered the police officers an apo

Mr. Lowe's cries gradually faded, eventually disappearing at the office entrance.In that instant, the surrounding colleagues watched in fear, not daring to make a sound. Karl and the others, who had previously sided with Julia and given false testimony, were especially terrified. They huddled in the corner, wishing they could just vanish into thin air.I calmly looked over every single face in the room before locking eyes with Karl and his group. "What's the matter? You guys were running your mouths just a second ago. You laughed while Julia attacked me with a known allergen. You fueled the fire when she ran a smear campaign about my family status. "You even fabricated a story for the police, telling them I set her up and launched into a violent episode. Where did all that energy go?"Those words of mine were like knives, striking Karl and his group exactly where it hurt the most.Karl abruptly looked up. His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with panic and remorse

I continued, "Dalton Group will also launch a comprehensive audit and restructuring of the HR frameworks and management systems across all subsidiaries. We are pausing the approval process for all incoming investment ventures until these corrective measures are finalized." The expressions of several shareholders shifted instantly when they heard that. Freezing new ventures meant tightening the company's capital chain, directly impacting their upcoming quarterly dividends.They didn't dare to raise an objection, though. After all, they were well aware that this company only survived as long as it did because Dalton Group kept it afloat financially.In addition, I was the future successor of Dalton Group.I looked over at them, keeping my voice level as I said, "You ought to know that what happened today wasn't a one-off incident. It's proof that the entire management framework is broken. If we can't even tell right from wrong on a fundamental level, then any policies we put on pape