Chapter 2

After leaving HR's office, I went to the restroom to wash my face.

In the mirror, I wore perfectly applied makeup, my shirt buttoned all the way to the top, every strand of hair carefully styled.

For seven years, I hadn't dared to relax for a moment in order to meet my performance targets.

When I had colds or fevers, I didn't dare take time off. When I had family matters, I found others to help.

On the company's perfect attendance chart, I'd been in first place for seven consecutive years.

Just because of one wedding leave request, the company had demoted me and cut my pay, and seven years of effort had gone down the drain.

I pulled out my lipstick, habitually preparing to touch up my makeup.

From inside a bathroom stall, I suddenly heard the new hire on the phone.

"Mom, I got promoted."

"You won't believe this—my supervisor's been the top salesperson for six years, but just because she requested wedding leave, my boss specifically called me into his office. Said something about how requesting leave to get married shows irresponsibility to the company, that they can't tolerate employees like that, so they're promoting me to teach my supervisor a lesson. It's hilarious."

"Can you believe she's stayed at this company for seven years? If it were me, I'd have left long ago. There's bullying, and then there's this."

Yes, even a new hire who'd only been at the company three months knew this was wrong.

But my boss had done it anyway.

I snorted, didn't disturb the person inside, and walked toward my desk.

Passing by Paul's office, I heard John reporting to the boss inside.

"Paul, I've handled things with Chloe. She won't cause any trouble."

"Your method was brilliant. Taking advantage of her wedding leave request to directly strip her of her position. After all, she's just a woman. She should be grateful the company gave her a job opportunity. How dare she request wedding leave? Long hair, short brain."

"Exactly," from behind his desk, Paul leisurely lit a cigarette. "John, you did well with this. Seven days of wedding leave? She dares to even think it? Really thinks she's some big shot."

"We can't set this precedent. If everyone starts using marriage as an excuse to ask me for leave, how can I run this company?"

"But..." John suddenly lowered his voice. "What if Chloe quits?"

"She wouldn't dare!"

Paul slammed his hand on the desk.

"If I hadn't recruited her into the company and given her such a great platform, how could a woman have climbed to her current position?"

"Besides, if she hadn't gotten married, I might worry. But once she's married, with car loans, mortgages, baby formula costs... she'll only become more dependent on the company. Quit? Impossible."

"When she comes back from wedding leave, find an excuse to cut her salary again."

"I can handle her."

Paul blew a smoke ring, and I could feel his smugness even through the door crack.

John gave a thumbs up and readily agreed:

"Alright, when she comes back, I'll have her do grunt work for the new hire."

These words, along with the new hire's words, pierced my heart like knives.

Seven years. I'd been at this company for seven years.

I'd developed the first state-level market.

I'd established the first complete production chain.

In terms of performance and ability, I was second to none.

I'd thought at least the boss would respect me.

But the result...

I laughed self-mockingly and returned to my desk.

I pulled out my phone and found my fiancé's Twitter:

"Change of plans. Don't send a wedding invitation to my boss this weekend."

"Yeah, I'm planning to just quit."