Lahat ng Kabanata ng I Gave Their Billion-Dollar Deal to a Rival: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.“Miss Smith, we’re competitors! You’re not planning to steal our trade secrets, are you?”I let out a self-deprecating laugh.Over the years, I had built quite a reputation for myself while helping the company grow.Everyone in the industry knew that Alex Smith would stop at nothing to land a deal.Drinking with clients until I ended up vomiting blood was practically routine.It wasn’t because I didn’t care about my health or because I was desperate for money.When I first joined the company, my mother was in the hospital after a car accident and urgently needed money for her medical bills.When my boss, James Farr, found out, he paid the bills for me without a second thought.The company had only just been established and was already struggling financially. James himself had been surviving on cheap meals every day, yet he still reached out to help me when I was in trouble.That was when I secretly vowed to help the company grow a

“Go ahead and sue us. How are you going to afford a lawyer when you’re supporting a gambling addict?”“Exactly. She’s a walking jinx who actually thinks she’s important.”“You should hand all your projects over to Denise. The company needs a lucky charm like her.”I looked around the room at their ugly faces and suddenly found the whole scene laughable.I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them any longer, so I carefully slipped the photograph into my pocket and walked out of the office.I had just reached the door when Denise came running after me, tears in her eyes.“Alex, don’t go. I—I’m willing to transfer the bonus to you. Just send me your bank details. We can’t let anything happen to your father.”The moment she said that, my colleagues began praising Denise for being kind and generous.I stared straight at her.I worked myself to the bone for three months and landed several major contracts, yet I hadn’t received a cent.Fine. If she loved putting on a show so much, I’d make her

Through the camera feed, the contract’s inner pages appeared on the large screen.Instead of the familiar contractual clauses, everyone saw ten neatly arranged Mega Millions tickets.Everyone froze, and an eerie silence fell over the venue.A full minute passed before the room erupted.“What happened? Why are there lottery tickets?”“Who thought this was funny? This is an important event. Do they have a death wish?”James seemed to finally recover.He snapped the contract shut and turned toward Denise, his face blazing with fury.“Denise, what the hell is going on? Where’s the contract?”Denise looked flustered.“Mr. Farr, I don’t know. Alex handed all these documents over to me.”She glanced in my direction.“Could it be because Alex was unhappy about the year-end bonus, so…”She didn’t finish, but James immediately understood.He strode over to me and leaned in to threaten me.“Alex Smith, I’m warning you. Hand over the contract right now. If you try anything else, I’ll make sure you

“James Farr, you bastard!”When he saw who had arrived, a flicker of fear crossed James’ face.It was his wife, Rebecca Cook.“You really have a death wish, cheating on me behind my back.”She grabbed James by the ear and twisted it hard.His face turned deathly pale as he begged for mercy.“Rebecca, please, just let me explain.”Rebecca raised her voice.“An explanation? Listen to this!”She tapped the recording in her hand. I gave it to her three days earlier.The voices soon echoed through the entire venue’s sound system.“James, when will I ever be as capable as Alex? She’s the one who lands all the company’s major contracts. I want to know what it feels like to close a $60-million deal too.”James let out a sleazy laugh in the recording.“That’s easy. The company is mine. As long as you stay with me, all the best projects and resources will be yours.”“But what if Rebecca finds out? I—”“Forget that old hag. The company belongs to me, so I make the decisions.”Then the recording f

I encrypted all the files into a single archive, then picked up my phone and called Rebecca.“Rebecca, did you look through the files?”There was a brief silence on the other end.“Alex, I’m sorry. James and I both owe you an apology. I never imagined he would turn into someone like this. I—”“Rebecca,” I interrupted.“I’m not looking for an apology. I want justice. I’m going to release this evidence. You’ve always treated me well, so I wanted to warn you in advance. What you do next is up to you, but you need to think carefully.”Rebecca remained silent for a long time. When she finally spoke, she sounded as if she had made up her mind.“Alex, thank you. I’m going to file for divorce and protect my share of the assets. I’m better off without a scumbag like him.”I answered softly, “You’ve always been a sensible woman, Rebecca.”After ending the call, I sent the email.Recipients: a financial reporter and the Financial Crimes Division’s tip line.Once I had done everything, I shut down