Hellen's face twisted in fury, her carefully composed mask cracking for all to see. She lunged toward my desk, grabbing my hand with an iron grip and yanking it away as if I were clinging to something forbidden. Her other hand swept across the surface of my desk, sending pens, documents and my coffee mug crashing to the floor in a chaotic clatter.

"Boss!" she yelled, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and desperation. "Why am I doing all this? It's all for the company! I have no personal agenda! But listen to what Claire is saying!"

She turned back to me, her lips curling into a sneer as she added with exaggerated sarcasm, "If someone didn't know any better, they'd think I got here through connections and backdoor deals."

The tension in the room was palpable, the air heavy with unspoken accusations. Hellen straightened her back, lifting her chin slightly as if to assert her superiority. But the tremor in her clenched fists betrayed her true feelings—she was on edge and she knew it.

At that moment, I finally understood. When Hellen had first been promoted, whispers had circulated around the office, subtle murmurs questioning her qualifications. Those rumors hadn't disappeared; they'd only been buried, festering just beneath the surface. And lately, with the way she'd been stirring up conflict, plenty of people had grown fed up with her antics. They were just tolerating her—for now.

The boss stepped forward, his expression carefully neutral as he scanned the room. "You graduated from a top university and even interned here while studying," he said, his tone almost paternal. "Who would say such things about you?"

His gaze swept across the gathered employees, but no one dared to meet his eyes. A tense silence filled the room.

I broke it with a smirk. "Everyone in this company graduated from a top university, didn't they?"

The boss's eyes snapped to me, his expression darkening.

"Claire!" he barked, his tone sharp and reprimanding.

I folded my arms, refusing to back down. "Boss, I graduated from a top university too. But when I got here, you told me to work as a receptionist. Said it would help me 'gain experience' and 'sharpen my skills.'"

My voice was steady, but inside, my heart pounded like a drum. I couldn't afford to hesitate now.

Hellen took a step forward, her stiletto heel landing squarely on my résumé, which had been among the papers she'd swept to the floor. She twisted her foot slightly, grinding the paper into the ground as she looked at me with disdain.

The boss lowered his gaze, pretending to adjust his tie, but his silence spoke volumes. He had chosen his side—and it wasn't mine.

"Without us, who would want an old leftover woman like you?" Hellen said, her voice dripping with malice. She crossed her arms, her gaze raking over me like I was something distasteful.

For years, I had bent over backward for this company, sacrificing weekends, skipping meals and taking on tasks well beyond my job description—all for the sake of the boss' empty promises. And what had I received in return? A set of rules designed specifically to crush me.

I did a quick mental calculation, my stomach sinking. At the current rate, my paycheck would be completely drained by deductions within two weeks. Worse, I'd probably end up owing the company money.

I looked around at my coworkers, their expressions ranging from awkward pity to thinly veiled relief that they weren't the ones under fire. Harold stood near the back, his usual warm gaze clouded with unease.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my employee badge and yanked it off with a sharp tug. The lanyard snapped and I hurled it onto the desk, the small plastic rectangle spinning slightly before coming to a stop.

"This shitty job?" I said, my voice louder than I intended. "I quit!"

The weight on my chest lifted immediately, replaced by a rush of adrenaline. I pointed a finger at the gathered crowd, my voice steady and clear despite the tremor in my hands.

"They're treating me like this today—who's to say they won't treat you the same way tomorrow?" I said, my gaze sweeping over the room. "These new rules were made just for me, but what's stopping them from tailoring new ones just for you next?"

Hellen's face drained of color. Then, as the weight of the stares around her registered, her cheeks flushed crimson.

"You—you're just jealous!" she stammered, her voice rising in pitch. "Jealous that I'm younger than you! That my family is richer than yours!"

Her movements were frantic as she grabbed a stack of tissues from the corner of my desk and threw them at me. The tissues scattered in the air, landing harmlessly at my feet.

"Your jealousy is disgusting!" she shouted, but her voice cracked halfway through the sentence, betraying her panic.

The boss, who had been watching silently, finally spoke. "You're a disgrace," he said coldly, his tone dripping with condescension. "If you can't handle a simple job, maybe you're better off leaving."

I let out a bitter laugh. "You're right. I am better off."

As I looked around one last time, the sight of my coworkers' hesitant, almost hungry expressions struck me. They weren't happy for me—they were calculating, wondering how my departure might affect them.

With a wry smile, I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned to leave. "Thanks for all your empty promises over the years," I said, pausing at the door to glance back at them. "They finally made me see the truth."

And with that, I walked out, my footsteps echoing in the heavy silence behind me.