Chapter 11

I smiled.“Compensation should never be a mystery. No one should have to guess what they’re worth to a company.”They did not know that I had once spent six years wondering exactly where I stood.I had wondered whether Bill was truly struggling, whether the company was about to turn a corner, and whether I simply was not good enough yet.Eventually, I learned that people who really respected you would never keep you guessing.At Ellington Group’s year-end awards ceremony, I was named Executive of the Year.The award came with a $500,000 bonus.The spotlight made my eyes teary as I stood onstage.Charlie was sitting in the front row, and he gave me a quiet nod.Holding the microphone, I looked at my team below the stage and felt more at peace than ever before.“I used to believe that success in the workplace meant learning to put up with everything, including disrespect and unfairness. Anything that kept the peace. Then, I learned that controlling your temper is one thing. Sur

Chapter 12

My mother’s condition had stabilized as well.I transferred her to a better hospital and also bought a small condo near my office.The day I received the keys, I stood in the empty living room.Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and cast a golden glow across the floor.Sitting in her wheelchair, my mother ran her fingers over the wall with tears in her eyes.“Is this really our home?”I crouched beside her. “Yes. We’ll never have to move again.”She stroked my hair as she had when I was a child.“Kristen, this must’ve been so hard on you.”I took her hand and smiled as I shook my head. “Not anymore.”I meant it. Life no longer felt like a constant struggle because I had finally found a path where my hard work actually led somewhere.Some time later, I attended an industry conference.I saw Bill again.He was wearing an old suit, and his hair had gone noticeably gray. Standing alone in the corner of the venue, he barely resembled the man I remembered.W

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Chapter 11

Chapter 12