Hearing my words, Seth looked like he could not believe his ears, his eyes boring into me.

"Janice, are you out of your mind? Do you even hear yourself?

"We're so close to the hundred fifty-million goal I set before I'd propose. Just three hundred more orders to go, and once they're in the bank, we'll have made it.

"If you screw this up now, don't expect me to give you another chance!"

I was done talking. I walked out of the company and did not look back.

I had barely slipped off my shoes at home when my phone erupted with the shrill sound of a call. It was my mom, and she was laying into me the second I picked up.

"Janice, what's gotten into you? Did you fight with Seth? Listen to me, go apologize to him, now!

"You wouldn't be where you are without him. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"

Her voice was getting more piercing by the second. "Seth's a catch, and he's put up with you for twelve years. You should count your blessings!

"Now you've gone and made him mad. Do you think anyone else will want you? The best thing a woman can do is marry well. Go make it right, set a date for the wedding. That's what matters, not this nonsense you're pulling!

"Without Seth, you're nothing!"

I gripped the phone, barely holding back laughter.

Since we started going out, Seth had always known just how to charm my mom with little gifts and money. She saw him as some kind of hero and would always tell me to stay in line.

She must have gotten some kind of sweet deal to rush over and play peacemaker without even bothering to ask what the whole mess was about.

I kept my cool, did not bother with excuses or arguments, and just waited for her to run out of steam before I ended the call.

The phone screen was still glowing when I hit up the client group chat and dropped the bomb.

[Hey everyone, I'm thinking of leaving Hoffman Real Estate. If you need anything property-related down the line, I'm still your go-to.]

No sooner had I sent the message than the chat blew up.

[Janice, you're bailing on us? What about the house we locked down? You're the only one I trust. Handing me off to someone else? No way!]

[Seriously, we came to Hoffman 'cause of you. You're out, we're out!]

[Doesn't matter where you land–we're right behind you. Hoffman is nothing without your magic touch!]

[My paperwork's still up in the air, Janice. Wherever you set up shop, count me in. Just tell me what to do, and it's done!]

The chat was a flood of support. Not a single doubt in sight, just pure, unconditional trust.

12 years of giving it my all, and Seth could not see the worth in that.

However, those folks did not miss a thing. They remembered every bit of heart I put into helping them.

It turned out that it was not about my sincerity being wasted; it was Seth who did not deserve it.

Drying my eyes, I typed back into the chat. [Thanks for all the love and trust, guys. I'll let you know where I'm headed as soon as I figure it out!]

…

Just as I was soaking in all that warmth, a message from an unknown number popped up, a headhunter by the looks of it.

[Hey there, Ms. Stewart. We've been keeping an eye on your stellar rep in the biz. Heard you're thinking about quitting, so we're reaching out with an offer to join our team. We're talking double your current paycheck, and you get to pick your title. Interested in chatting more?]

I shot back a [We'll talk later,] and shut off my phone.

I lay awake all night, but weirdly, I was not tired at all.

Bright and early the next day, I showed up at the office as usual. I ignored the whispers and stares, and made a beeline for my desk to start clearing it out.

That was when Lily waltzed over, oozing fake sympathy.

"Janice, can't you take a joke?

"Come on, it was just a little toilet cleaning. Why'd you have to go and tell Mr. Hoffman you're quitting? No need to blow things out of proportion.

"Look, I'll even dip into my own wallet and toss you a little extra cash to make up for it.

"Here, just take the two hundred fifty bucks."

She thrust an envelope at me with a smirk, the word '250' dripping with spite.

This year, the company was rolling in dough, and even the smallest pity prize at the annual raffle was a cool 8888 dollars.

Me? A loyal employee and the top seller, stuck with this measly $250, like tossing coins to a street performer.

The shame cut deep, but I was not about to show it.

I felt a rush of heat as I knocked her hand away, not hard enough to do any real damage, but Lily shrieked and tumbled right in front of my desk, her eyes welling up instantly.

"Janice, I'm just trying to be nice here, giving you money. If you don't want it, fine, but hitting me? Really?"

Before I knew it, Seth was there, gripping my arm like I was some kind of criminal.

"Janice, I've had just about enough of you!

"If you don't apologize to Lily right this second, you can forget ever walking through Hoffman Real Estate's doors again!"

I shrugged off Seth's grip and said with an icy edge, "Mr. Hoffman, have you forgotten our chat from yesterday? I told you I was quitting. Today, I'm just here to pick up my stuff!"

Seth's face twisted into a scowl as he stepped in front of me, blocking my path while I held my cardboard box.

"You can quit, but you're leaving the client's orders behind!"

I paused, giving him a sidelong glance, my face a blank slate. "Alright."

I quickly agreed, bending down to pull out a stack of client files from the box and setting them on the nearby desk.

"Just so you know, those three hundred clients came for my expertise and reputation, not for Hoffman Real Estate, and certainly not for you or Lily."

Seth let out a derisive laugh, as if I had cracked the world's funniest joke.

"Janice, you're way too full of yourself. Without the Hoffman name behind you, who do you think you are?

"You think you could land those deals without the company's resources? Don't kid yourself."

Lily, his ever-present echo, piped up, too. "Seriously, she's got such a big head. We'll keep the clients without her. She thinks the company can't run without her?"

I did not waste my breath arguing. It was useless.

I straightened the files on the desk, ensuring I had not missed anything, then stood up, grabbed my box, and walked away.

As the elevator doors slid open and I stepped inside, a voice suddenly cried out from behind.

"Mr. Hoffman! Ms. Smith! Disaster! Something huge has happened!"

The employee was pale, rushing up to Seth, babbling the news.

"The front desk was swamped with calls, one after another–all from guests who'd booked rooms before. They were all saying the same thing; they wanted to cancel.

"We've counted them up, and there are over a hundred," the employee said, panic edging his voice. "And the calls just keep coming!"