Chapter 1
733 Words
The day after I resigned, the duty roster for the 4th of July holiday week was posted in the company chat.
I was scheduled from July 1 through July 7, from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day, without a single day off.
The colleague in charge of admin tagged me in the group chat.
Admin: Sienna volunteered to give up her vacation and oversee the Evercrest Mall event for Ms. Collins. Thanks for stepping up. You'll get half a day off after the holiday.
A row of clapping emojis appeared in the chat.
Some people praised me for putting the company first. Others joked in the chat.
A: Ms. Collins takes the team to Westbridge City for a retreat while the boss's fiancée stays behind to cover for her. Mr. Whitmore sure treats them both equally.
Sienna: I've submitted my resignation. My employment ends in 3 days, so any shifts scheduled after that have nothing to do with me.
The chat went silent.
An administrator texted me privately.
Admin: Mr. Whitmore hasn't approved it. Your resignation isn't valid yet.
I sent back a screenshot of my contract.
Under its terms, employees still in their probationary period could leave with 3 days' notice. No approval was required.
2 months after I joined the company, I was still on probation.
Ethan had kept delaying my confirmation as a permanent employee, yet only 1 week ago, he had bypassed normal procedure to promote Avery after just 20 days on the job.
At the time, he'd said, "You're my fiancée. We have to be extra cautious."
Now, that caution saved me a great deal of trouble.
Ethan called almost immediately.
"Did you see the duty roster? Avery just landed the Evercrest Development Project, and she needs to take the team out of town to unwind. You know the site, so cover for her for a few days during the holiday week."
His voice was calm, as though he hadn't seen the ring and resignation letter on his desk.
"I resigned."
"Don't quit just because you're angry."
"Avery became a manager after 20 days. I've been here 2 months. Why can't I even get off probation?"
"She's different."
There it was again.
Avery won a client, and it was because she was talented.
I saved a project that had been losing money for 6 months, and he called it luck.
She stayed up late once to revise some copy, and Ethan gave her a bonus in front of everyone.
I worked through the night for an entire week, and he said it was only right for the boss's fiancée to shoulder more of the workload.
"How is she different?" I asked.
He was silent for a few seconds.
"She doesn't have anyone to support her."
"And I do?"
"You have me."
But every injustice I had suffered at that company had come from him.
That evening, I was taping a box shut when Ethan came home.
"Why are you packing?"
"I'm moving back to my condo."
Panic flickered across his face.
"I should have discussed the holiday coverage with you first. That was my fault. Avery's mother just had surgery, and Avery wanted to spend the holiday with her. That's why I asked you to cover for her."
"Isn't she in Westbridge City on a team retreat?"
His expression froze for a beat. "She'll go back after the retreat."
That morning, Avery had posted photos of a hotel suite in Westbridge City on social media.
Her caption read: He said I've been working too hard and need a proper break.
Ethan's usual black travel mug sat in the corner of one photo.
Ethan probably didn't know Avery had forgotten to hide the post from me.
Ethan reached for the box.
"Enough. I bought your favorite chestnut cake."
"I'm allergic to chestnuts."
His hand stopped in midair.
7 years, and he still had it wrong.
Avery was the one who loved chestnut cake.
I picked up the handle of my suitcase.
"Ethan, I'm not breaking up with you in a fit of anger, and I'm not resigning in one, either. Stop making decisions for me."
As I headed downstairs, I received a company email.
The project lead for the Evercrest Development Project had been changed from Avery to me.
A name appeared as the signature on the liability acknowledgment form.
Sienna Parker.
It wasn't my handwriting.
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