Chapter 2
Several coworkers nearby began whispering anxiously among themselves.
"How could anyone finish that today..."
"Yeah, this is obvious targeted harassment."
Chloe's expression hardened instantly. She slammed her hand down onto a partition, barking at them:
"What are you all muttering about? If any of you think this is unfair and you're so capable, why don't you come over and do the work for her right now? Any volunteers?"
The entire open floor fell dead silent.
The colleagues who had just been whispering immediately dropped their heads, avoiding her gaze like the plague, terrified of painting targets on their own backs.
I drew in a sharp breath and clenched my fists tightly.
"Fine. I'll do it."
I looked Chloe straight in the eye, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.
Vance had shown zero mercy. My departure was already written in stone.
But even if I left, I was going to leave with every single dime of severance I legally deserved. To get it, I couldn't afford to give them any excuse to fire me for insubordination right now.
Chloe scoffed, her gaze dripping with disdain: "Great. Take your time auditing, Eve. I'll come collect them before five thirty."
She clicked her high heels and strutted away, practically glowing with triumph.
I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat, pulled the first heavy binder toward me, and flipped open the cover.
Our office was lean. The finance department only had three people. The new intern knew next to nothing, and Zach, our other senior accountant, was on a regional business trip and wouldn't be back for two weeks.
The mountain of work in front of me rested solely on my shoulders.
Just as I resigned myself to working late into the night, my fingers flying frantically across the keyboard, the sharp click of high heels echoed behind me once more.
Chloe was back.
This time, she held a single sheet of printed paper and slapped it right in front of my face.
"Sign this."
I glanced down. Across the top ran five bold, dark words:
LIABILITY & RISK WAIVER.
The contents were completely outrageous. It demanded that I declare any medical emergencies or physical harm during work hours were solely my own responsibility, and if any complications caused the company financial damage, I would have to compensate them out of my own pocket.
Furious, I pushed the paper back toward her.
"I'm not signing this."
Chloe arched an eyebrow: "Why not? The company is doing this for your own safety. Or are you just trying to set up a frivolous lawsuit against us?"
"This waiver isn't just unreasonable; it's completely void under the law," I told her with a cold glare.
"Clauses attempting to exempt an employer from statutory liability have zero legal standing. Does Mr. Vance not even possess basic common sense?"
I didn't lower my voice. Every word carried clearly across the quiet office floor.
Nearby, Leonard couldn't hold back anymore. He muttered quietly: "This really is crossing the line. She's pregnant. Nobody asks an employee to sign something like that."
Chloe's face flushed with irritation.
Instinctively, she glanced back toward Vance's closed office door, then checked a new message on her phone.
When she looked up again, her smug arrogance had surged back, and she deliberately raised her voice:
"Eve, I'm only saying this for your own good! Staying home is so much more comfortable than working here. Besides, everyone knows our revenue has taken a hit lately, and Mr. Vance is already finalizing layoffs."
"On top of that, Eve, if you refuse to sign the waiver, fail to finish the audit, and end up having a miscarriage from stress, don't you dare blame the company!"
She paused, projecting her voice so that everyone on the floor could hear every syllable:
"If you just go home and care for your baby now, everyone's stress levels will drop. In fact, if you step aside, maybe none of the other team members will have to be laid off!"
The moment those words dropped, the air in the office shifted instantly.
Countless complicated, heavy stares turned toward me all at once.