Chapter 4

Taking a shaky breath, I sat back down in my chair, my palms soaked in cold sweat.

If there were another way, I wouldn't have chosen total scorched earth. But I had dedicated eight full years to this company. Why should I be coerced into a "voluntary resignation" without receiving a single penny of severance?

More than anyone, I knew that backing down wouldn't awaken their conscience. It would only prove that I was weak enough to be stepped on.

At five thirty sharp, the end-of-day chime sounded.

I didn't stay late like I usually did. Instead, I took detailed screenshots of every progress log on my screen and BCC'd every critical email to my private external account, ensuring no one could fabricate an excuse of poor performance.

Chloe stood nearby, glaring at me like she wanted to tear me apart with her bare hands.

I ignored her completely, grabbed my purse, and clocked out right on the dot under everyone's watchful eyes.

Back home, when my husband Mark heard everything that happened, his brow furrowed into deep knots.

"Maybe... you should just quit," he murmured, his face tight with concern. "Vance is an absolute Scrooge. To save on maternity benefits, he'll find a thousand dirty ways to make your life hell. You're pregnant right now. What if the stress harms you or the baby?"

I looked at him, my voice unwavering: "He wants to save money by picking on me because he thinks I'm an easy target? Not a chance."

"I want to see just how shameless he can truly be."

The next morning, I arrived at the office ten minutes early.

Yet when I pressed my keycard against the reader, the scanner emitted a harsh, grating beep.

A red light flashed.

My access card had been deactivated.

Just then, my coworker Joey stepped out of the elevator and scanned his badge to open the glass door. I moved forward to follow him inside, but Joey flinched as if shocked by an electric wire, jumping back and pulling the heavy glass door firmly shut.

"Eve... I'm so sorry..."

His face was ghostly pale, refusing to meet my eyes.

Seeing his panicked hesitation, I understood everything in an instant.

"Vance told you not to let me in?"

Joey gritted his teeth and lowered his voice to a whisper: "In the middle of the night, Chloe created a new WhatsApp group with everyone except you. She announced you'd been suspended, and anyone caught helping you or letting you inside would be fired on the spot."

His voice trembled: "Eve, my rent is due next month. I really can't risk it..."

"I understand."

I didn't push him: "Joey, just forward me a screenshot of that announcement from the group. I won't reveal where it came from."

He hesitated for a second, pulled out his phone, sent the screenshot over, and practically sprinted inside like a fugitive.

Standing outside the locked glass doors, I drew a slow breath, forcing my heart to stay steady.

First, I pulled up my phone and dropped a message into the main company WhatsApp group:

[My keycard is deactivated, and I cannot access the office. Could someone please open the door for me?]

Coworkers who used to reply within seconds now went completely, utterly silent.

I let out a cold smirk, screenshotting both the dead silence in the main group and the leak Joey had sent me.

Then, I took the elevator down, borrowed a sturdy plastic chair from the building management front desk, and carried it back up, setting it right outside our office entrance.

I sat down calmly, framed my shot, and snapped a clear photo of myself sitting outside the locked corporate doors, the card reader glowing red behind me.

Refusing to work? No. The company was physically locking me out.

At nine o'clock sharp, the elevator bell dinged.

Vance and Chloe stepped out, laughing and chatting casually.

"Mr. Vance, about that vendor contract today—"

Chloe's voice died in her throat.

The moment they looked up, their eyes locked right onto me.