Chapter 3 For the First Time, I Started Settling the Score
663 Words
On the third day of my suspension, my desk was moved to the storage room at the end of the hallway.
Cardboard boxes were piled in the corner, and the air conditioner buzzed noisily. I sat on a folding chair, scrolling through the calendar on my phone.
The door was pushed open, and Bella walked in.
She had a newly printed Business Supervisor badge hanging around her neck and held an itinerary in her hand. "Eric is going to see magnate Conrad next week. He asked me to ask you, what are the taboos he needs to avoid when meeting him?"
Conrad rarely saw anyone. The reason he was on the interview list was that I had previously used my Guild Black Gold Member identity to do an internal sponsorship for the workshop. But they knew nothing about this.
I looked up at Bella's smug face.
"He likes vintage cigars," I said flatly. "He hates lateness and last-minute changes the most. Also, he only meets sponsored project representatives at the Top Guild."
I only stated the superficial rules.
"Is that it?" Bella frowned, then sneered softly. "I thought you were hiding some exclusive secrets. Fine, you just keep staying here."
She turned and left in her high heels.
Late that night, just after I had taken a shower, my phone rang.
Eric's name flashed on the screen. I answered the call.
It was a bit noisy on the other end, mixed with the sound of car horns. Eric's voice carried obvious drunkenness and irritability.
"That client in Dubai bailed," he started off questioning. "I went exactly as it was written in your memo, but they didn't even give me a chance to present the proposal."
I said nothing. The client recognized my relationship; sending someone they didn't know was bound to result in a slammed door.
"Whatever, if the deal is lost, it's lost." Eric took a heavy breath. "Write up a document right now with Conrad's personal preferences and the meeting process and send it to me. There can be no mistakes with this financing."
He hit a wall outside, but called without a single word of apology. He naturally assumed I would still stay up late to organize the materials for him.
What he wanted was never me, just the resources I held.
"I have already been suspended by you, Eric," I said.
There were two seconds of silence on the other end before he clicked his tongue impatiently. "Don't throw a temper tantrum with me at a time like this. The company must secure this investment now. Once we get through this crisis, I will restore your permissions."
I hung up the phone directly.
After drying my hair, I walked over to the desk, opened my laptop, and logged into my private online banking system.
The screen displayed the billing statement of my unlimited Black Gold credit card. For the past five months, every transaction had flowed into Eric's workshop—the balance payments to material suppliers, exorbitant utility bills, the executives' entertainment expenses.
To protect his ridiculous ego, I had acted like a dutiful nanny, quietly underwriting everything for him.
Looking at those massive numbers on the screen, I moved my mouse to the "Account Management" page.
"Unbind this credit card and cancel all automatic deduction agreements."
A warning box popped up on the system: [After confirming this operation, all bound third-party recurring deductions will immediately become invalid. Do you wish to continue?]
My fingertip hovered over the mouse. Without a trace of hesitation, I clicked confirm heavily.
With a soft "beep," the progress bar on the screen instantly filled. The bottomless pit of the last five months was personally sealed shut by me at this very moment.
I closed the laptop, picked up the red wine on the table, and took a sip.
Since they thought I was embezzling the company's money, I would let them see just how many days this workshop could survive without my money.
- Writer
