Chapter 3

I walked in.

Miranda sat behind her desk and gestured for me to close the door.

"Sit."

I didn't sit.

"Miranda, I have a few questions."

"Go ahead."

"First, what grounds is the company using to fire me?"

"Restructuring. Didn't HR tell you?" She flipped through documents on her desk without looking up.

"Second, why tell my colleagues I resigned voluntarily?"

Miranda's hand paused.

"Charlotte, you're a veteran employee. Can't we leave each other some dignity?"

"I don't need dignity." I stared at her. "I need a reasonable explanation."

She finally looked up.

"What explanation do you want?"

"Is there a problem with my work performance?"

"No."

"Have I caused the company any losses?"

"No."

"Then why fire me?"

Miranda sighed.

"Charlotte, you're a smart person. I don't want to be too blunt."

"I'm not afraid of blunt."

She looked at me with a complicated expression.

"Fine, I'll be direct. You're pregnant, right?"

"Yes."

"Pregnancy leave plus maternity leave plus nursing leave—that's at least a year. Can you work normally during that time?"

"I can—"

"You can what? Work remotely? Part-time?" She smiled—not kindly. "Charlotte, clients aren't stupid."

"Stellar Group pays us $18 million a year. Why would they wait for you to have your baby before discussing business?"

"Then let me finish the handover before I leave—"

"There's no time." She cut me off. "Next week is the renewal window."

"And..." She paused.

"And what?"

"And Francis Reed at Stellar already knows you're leaving."

I froze.

"What?"

"I spoke with him on the phone this morning." Miranda's expression was calm. "I told him you were resigning for family reasons and that Jessica would handle coordination going forward. He said okay."

My head was buzzing.

She'd notified the client before my termination meeting. This wasn't negotiation—it was notification.

"So," Miranda stood up, walked around her desk to face me, "you sign, and we part on good terms."

"If you don't sign..." Her voice lowered. "Charlotte, after six years, you should know my style."

"If you don't sign, I have a hundred ways to make you sign."

She patted my shoulder.

"Don't burn your bridges."

I stood motionless.

She walked past me and opened the door.

"Oh, right." She turned back. "Finish the handover before end of day. Don't come in tomorrow. I'll have reception mail your things home."

The door closed.

I stood alone in the office.

Outside the window was the city's business district—towering buildings, flowing traffic.

I'd worked here for six years, from a fresh graduate assistant to Marketing Department Manager.

I'd secured the Stellar Group partnership single-handedly.

Now they were kicking me out, not even giving me 24 hours.

My phone rang.

I pulled it out. Francis Reed—Stellar Group's Marketing Director, and my college classmate.

He'd introduced me to this project, because he was my contact.

I answered.

"Charlotte, what's going on?" Francis sounded urgent. "Your Miranda called and said you're leaving?"

"I didn't agree to it," I said.

"What do you mean you didn't agree?"

"Francis, I'll explain everything. But right now I just need to ask you one thing."

"What?"

"Can you delay next week's renewal a bit?"

Silence on the other end for two seconds.

"Charlotte, what are you planning?"

"What am I planning?" I looked at the 【Stellar Group Renewal Proposal】 on Miranda's desk.

Three months of my hard work, with the cover now bearing Jessica's name instead of mine.

"Francis," I said, "I want certain people to know—they can't swallow this $18 million."

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