Chapter 3

I stared toward Vance's corner office in disbelief.

Behind the frosted glass door, I could still faintly see his shadowy figure sitting comfortably inside.

Seeing that I hadn't replied, Chloe sneered again, her tone dripping with venom: "Eve, you can't be this selfish. You're a senior team member. If you go through regular severance, the payout you take away alone could cover payroll for multiple coworkers for months!”

“ Are you really going to smash everyone else's rice bowls just for your personal payout? For the sake of your teammates, you should seriously consider stepping down voluntarily."

I trembled with rage, digging my nails into my palms to force myself to stay calm.

What a vicious way to turn the crowd against me.

To dodge my maternity benefits and statutory severance, Vance was deliberately inciting mob mentality—pitting my coworkers against me to force my hand.

Sure enough, the looks in my coworkers' eyes changed.

Mia, the intern beside me, had rimmed red eyes as she whispered tearfully: "Eve... my dad is still in the hospital. You know this... I really can't lose this job..."

Another male coworker who had just become a father hung his head, his voice cracking with desperation:

"My baby was just born, and I've got rent and a car note hanging over my head. If I get cut right now, my whole family will end up on the street."

"Yeah... finding another job right now is basically impossible..."

"Eve, please, just help us out..."

One by one, they piled on their personal hardships, their eyes toward me gradually hardening with resentment.

Chloe's smug grin widened. She crossed her arms, looking down at me like she had already won.

I drew in a long, steady breath and slammed my hands onto the desk, standing up.

"I am willing to leave."

I swept my gaze across the entire floor, my voice loud, crisp, and unwavering: "But I will only leave if I am formally terminated, and the company pays me every single cent of severance required by law!"

Chloe's face twisted, and she opened her mouth to interrupt, but I cut her off instantly.

I stared straight at the coworkers who were keeping their heads down, asking in a clear, cold voice: "Do you really think that if I voluntarily surrender my legal rights and walk away today, you will be safe tomorrow?"

Everyone froze, looking up at me in shock.

"Today, the company can use pregnancy to squeeze me out without paying a single dime. Tomorrow, they will use age, illness, or slight performance dips to pull the exact same playbook on you!”

“ If I back down today, every single one of you in this room will end up walking down the exact same road. You think you're begging for survival, but all you're doing is signing away your own future protections!"

My coworkers exchanged rattled glances, a sudden flash of dread washing over their faces.

I turned back to Chloe, deliberately raising my voice so Vance behind his frosted glass couldn't miss a single word: "As long as I am on the payroll, I will complete my assigned duties.”

“But if anyone maliciously dumps impossible workloads on me or creates a hostile environment, I am not a pushover. Not only will I refuse to play along, but I will also take all the evidence straight to the Department of Labor and file for immediate arbitration!"

"We can take this all the way to court. Let's see who ends up humiliated, and who ends up paying the price!"

The second my words landed,

A loud, violent crash of a shattered coffee mug echoed from inside Vance's private office.