Chapter 3

Jake seemed determined to humiliate me. He turned to Sarah.

"Just do what Chloe says. If there's any problem, I'll take full responsibility."

With that, he took Chloe's hand and walked past me, leaving the office.

Behind Jake, where he couldn't see, the corner of my mouth turned up slightly. You said it yourself, Jake.

I turned back to Sarah, smiling helplessly.

"Jake said it himself. Just do what he says and transfer the money. Don't want to hold up company progress, right?"

Sarah still looked hesitant.

"Maya, but that account is so suspicious! And how could the Food Safety Administration have an overseas account?"

I shrugged and sighed.

"You heard me try to persuade him just now. I can't do anything more. If you don't do it, Chloe will probably think we're deliberately ganging up on her. And Jake listens to Chloe completely now."

Sarah was silent for a couple of seconds.

"Fine. I'm just an employee. The boss has spoken, so what can I do?"

Back at my desk, I looked at the photo of my mom, then at Jake's office, my hands clenching into fists.

Just then, someone tapped my shoulder.

"Maya, are you still mad at Jake? It's all my fault. I just really wanted to go to Ibiza, and Jake felt sorry for me, so he took me."

I didn't want to see Chloe right now, so I started to get up to leave. But as soon as I stood, Chloe suddenly stumbled backward and fell.

I frowned. I hadn't even touched her.

The next second, Jake rushed over and shoved me hard. My waist slammed into the desk, making me gasp in pain.

Jake quickly helped Chloe up, pulling her into his arms, and looked at her with concern.

"Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe's eyes were red, her expression utterly pathetic.

"Jake, Maya's still angry because you used her bonus to take me on vacation. It's all my fault, I was too impulsive, I shouldn't have gone."

Jake shot me a warning look.

"Let's be clear, Maya. You missed three days last month. Your bonus was forfeited. Chloe, on the other hand, just landed a nine-figure deal. Rewarding performance is my job."

I was shaking with rage. I slapped Jake across the face.

"Jake, for an entire year, I haven't taken a single day off! The reason I took three days off last month was because I drank so much to secure your deal that I got stomach bleeding and was in the ER for a day and a night!"

I then turned to Chloe.

"That deal? I was the one who negotiated it! You just took advantage of me being in the hospital to sign it yourself. I didn't even bother to call you out on it. How dare you have the nerve to try and steal my bonus?"

Other colleagues looked over, whispering and pointing at Jake and Chloe.

Jake, his pride wounded by my outburst, exploded in anger.

"Maya, you're already lazy, skipping work, and now you're making up excuses? It's obvious you stood the client up. If Chloe hadn't stepped in to sign that deal, it would have collapsed entirely. Could you have shouldered the losses for the company? Instead of thanking her, you have the audacity to twist the truth. How did I ever end up with such an unreasonable girlfriend?"

Jake's twisted words made my chest ache. I truly hated myself for being so blind, for ever falling for such a despicable bastard like Jake.

"Jake, we're over."

Then I picked up the resignation letter I had already prepared from my desk and threw it in Jake's face.

"I quit. And I demand you return my bonus, or I'll see you in court."