No names were mentioned in the company group chat's text, but everyone knew it was aimed at me.

I leaned back in my chair, my chest heaving rapidly. I opened the message again, and I replied, "Got it."

Then I opened the company handbook that the company had issued when I first started and studied it line by line.

We had to follow the company policies, right?

I was the top salesperson. Did they think they could do this to me and get away with it?

I stopped joining small talk with coworkers and stopped volunteering for extra work. I only finished my workload. Every spare minute went into reading that handbook.

Zack was very pleased with the result.

That afternoon, Zack called me into his office, and his expression turned serious. "We have something urgent that we need to deal with. There are some issues with a client's project in Blueport City, and we need someone to go there immediately. That client is difficult, but I don't trust anyone else. I thought it through, and it has to be you."

Blueport City was quite far, and the traffic was brutal. The client was also famous for being impossible. Nobody wanted to touch that project.

Before this, I had believed his nonsense about how the skilled people should contribute more and how the young needed more practice. So, I had kept getting sent out on the worst assignments.

Now? All I had was a sneer.

Zack left no room for argument, though. "Get ready. You'll leave tomorrow with Alicia. Young people like you should move around a little more for exposure. That's good for you!"

Alicia was getting dragged into this because of me. I answered calmly and said, "Alright, Zack."

Zack then waved me out, satisfied.

-

Three days later, we came back from the Blueport City trip, and I walked up to Finance with a reimbursement form for one thousand dollars.

Before I even stepped inside, I could already hear Zack's voice. "See? Lisa is now much more well-behaved after she was put in her place. She's a completely changed person."

Celia laughed so hard she shuddered. "Exactly! You should have let me handle her earlier! I would have fixed her attitude in no time!"

I pushed the door open and handed the form to Celia.

Celia looked it over and snapped, "You spent 5,000 dollars on a three-day trip?! Do you think the company is your personal ATM?!"

Zack looked stunned. "Get everyone into an emergency meeting. You two will explain this clearly!"

I stayed calm and said, "Then we'll discuss it at the meeting. Every expense followed company policy."

They rushed everyone into an emergency meeting.

At the meeting, Zack was furious. "Three days. Two personnel. Five thousand dollars. And you still claim policy compliance?! Show me how!"

Celia slammed the receipts on the table. "First item. Transportation. You spent 2,500 dollars. Flights are discounted right now, and a round-trip for two costs at most 1,000 dollars! Why did you take the high-speed rail?!"

I answered steadily. "Company policy says ordinary employees on business trips must take the high-speed rail."

Celia's face flushed red. "Why are you so rigid? Aren't flights cheaper?! Why can't you be flexible!"

Alicia hopped in, "Flights are not reimbursable. That's not something we can just be flexible about."

Celia shot back with a screech, "Fine! What about accommodation, then? 2,500 dollars for three days... Did you stay in a presidential suite?! The policy says lodging cannot exceed 150 dollars per day!"

I nodded. "That's right. We couldn't find any hotel in Blueport City that meets the price. To comply with policy, Alicia and I went to the neighboring Avaton City. It cost us 149 dollars and 90 cents a night and not a cent over."

Celia roared, "Then how did you spend the rest of the 2,500 dollars?!"

I explained, "It includes the 1,500 dollars in taxi fares."

Celia blurted out. "Why not just take an illegal cab. Those are cheaper!"

I gave her a cold smile. "Ms. Johnson, company policy requires legitimate invoices and receipts. Illegal cabs can't issue receipts."

Celia pointed at me, and her hand shook violently. She was so angry that she could not get a single word out.

The meeting room went dead silent.

Zack looked like he was about to have a heart attack in front of the entire staff, but he could only grit his teeth and accept the receipts that fully complied with company policy before forcing the words out one by one through his teeth, "Reimburse her."

Celia leaned in close to me and hissed, "Just you wait!"

After the meeting, I noticed coworkers who used to be friendly with me had started to keep their distance.

Alicia texted me in secret: [The few coworkers who hung out with you all had their reimbursements blocked by Celia. She kept dropping hints about staying away from the wrong crowd and not picking up bad habits from them.]

I could feel anger boiling inside of me. Coming after me was one thing, but she was punishing everyone around me, too?

Meanwhile, an important potential client came to visit, and he specifically asked to see the 'sales lead who closed the five-hundred-thousand-dollar deal'. Zack personally ordered that I attend the lunch reception.

I knew it was a trap, but I still had to go.

Sure enough, when I pushed open the door into the private room, Zack and the client weren't the only ones there. Celia was there too, chatting warmly with him.

When she saw me, something cold flashed in her eyes.

Celia smiled at the client. "That five-hundred-thousand-dollar deal was not easy to close. I heard that Richard enjoyed drinking with Lisa, someone who was willing to cut loose. You have really sacrificed a lot for the company, haha."

She was openly implying that I signed the deal through improper means.

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward. The client, Mr. Sanders' expression shifted as well.

I took a slow breath and forced my anger down, keeping my smile polite. "You must be joking. The things that Richard values are our company's capabilities and proposals."

Celia gave Mr. Sanders a meaningful smile. "If you have any special requests, you can just tell Lisa. She's both sensible and driven and will find a way to meet your needs!"

My whole body trembled with anger. She was treating me like something to be traded.

Mr. Sanders looked unbearably awkward and could only let out a dry laugh.

I could not take it anymore and said, "Celia, you are publicly damaging my reputation with zero evidence. According to the law, that is enough for them to get you for defamation."

Celia's face darkened. "Who are you trying to scare?!"

Zack, who had been acting invisible the whole time, lowered his voice and snapped at her. "Celia, what are you saying? Apologize to Lisa already."

So, when he needed me to close deals, the tone he used was soft and respectful, but when he needed to protect his sister-in-law, I was just another worker.

I let out a laugh and pulled out my phone, ready to record the following exchange between us.

Just then, Richard called. It was about the deal, and he said two details still needed confirmation.

I used the call as my excuse and walked out of the luncheon.

As the top sales representative, recruiters had been trying to poach me for a long time. I had always turned them down out of loyalty to the company.

But now, I needed to think seriously about what came next.

When I met Richard, we reviewed the terms quickly and cleanly. Everything went smoothly.

Richard closed the folder, satisfied. "Just wait for a delivery for you tomorrow."

I checked the time, and it was already after seven. I then said, "Everyone stayed late because of me. Let me treat you all to dinner as a small celebration."

Richard was in a great mood tonight and agreed right away.

With a teasing tone, he asked, "Hey Lisa, some rumors are floating around about you not getting reimbursed for that dinner you treated us to at Peak Restaurant. Does your company think my deal was not worth that meal?"

He laughed, clearly treating it as gossip.

It was like a knife in my chest, yet I smiled. "You're on top of things, that's for sure. Guess bad news travels faster than good news."

Suddenly, Richard's expression turned serious. "You're wasted at that company. Have you ever thought about coming to work for me?"

Something stirred in me, but I skipped past Richard's prompt with a joke. "I still haven't gotten the bonus from your deal. If I jump ship now, I would be taking a huge loss."

Richard smiled. "Let's make a bet. If you don't get the bonus for this deal, you'll consider what I just suggested. How does that sound?"

When it was time to pay, I pulled out the company card. That was the sales department's card for entertaining clients, as long as they didn't go overboard.

The charge failed.

I called the bank, and they said the account was frozen.

By policy, an account like that would not be frozen unless the department was dissolved or there was a major violation. This was clearly aimed at me.

I forced down the urge to smash my phone and called Celia.

"Ms. Johnson," I started, my voice icy. "Why is the sales department's card frozen?"

Celia replied calmly. "The company is conducting a financial risk review. All non-essential spending accounts are temporarily frozen. This is a normal procedure."

I laughed in anger. "I'm hosting Richard's team. We just signed a five-hundred-thousand-dollar contract with him. You call that non-essential?"

"Watch your attitude, Lisa." Celia's tone hardened. "Do I need to explain every financial decision to you? If you're entertaining a client, you can front the money first. Come back and submit the reimbursement through the usual process."

Considering how hard the last five hundred dollars had been, I could almost hear her gloating from the other end as I thought about the obstacles she would set this time.

I grit my teeth, seconds from losing control.

Richard took out his wallet, pulled out a card, and handed it over. He calmly said, "Use mine."

I wanted to say something, but he raised his hand to stop me. "It's just one dinner, I don't mind covering it. But everything I said today is effective henceforth."

-

The next day, an announcement hit the company group chat. Employees rated unsatisfactory in performance would not receive that quarter's bonus.

My name was first on the published list,

A wrath that I couldn't describe possessed me as I stormed into Zack's office and roared, "I just signed such a huge deal for the company! Tell me, what is unsatisfactory?!"

Celia's voice came from behind me. "Performance reviews are comprehensive; it's not just sales numbers."

"So, it's about who butters people up better? Or who obeys your ridiculous rules better than anyone else?"

"Lisa!" Zack slammed his hand on the desk and stood up. "Watch your attitude!"

Celia spoke slowly, almost amused. "You set a bad example, and you created a negative image for the company."

I laughed through my anger. "So, you're going to use that to block my ten-thousand-dollar bonus? Do you have any shame at all?!"

Zack's expression darkened. "Enough! What the company gives you is yours. If the company doesn't give it to you, it's off-limits. Do not think you can hold the company hostage with your performance.

"Closing deals is your job. Doing it well is what you are paid to do. The bonus is something the company awards you, and it's not money you earned on your own! It's not something you are entitled to!"

I laughed again, colder this time. "Fine. You write the rules, you control the interpretation. I have nothing else to say."

I walked back to my desk. Behind me, Celia's smug laugh followed. "How ungrateful. That bad habit needs to be corrected."

Ten minutes later, Zack came rushing over in a panic. "Richard said the contract had already been delivered. Why did I not see it on my desk?"

I replied coolly. "I refused to accept it. The package was cash-on-delivery. Company policy states that all cash-on-delivery deliveries must be refused.

"Also, today is my last day here. I'll be working for Richard's company starting tomorrow. As the client, I'll be the one setting the rules this time."