Chapter 1

I closed an $18 million deal, and the bonus was $200K.

But when it came time to hand out bonuses, the company gave mine to Chloe Vance, a new hire.

The reason: I had violated the no-office-romance policy.

Yet back when Malcolm and I started dating, the company never stopped us.

I went to the manager, who gave me a light, dismissive glance.

"Effie, aren't you and Malcolm getting engaged soon? A woman should put family first, after all. From now on, all your projects go to Chloe."

HR then sent out a notice that Chloe would be taking over as project manager.

I stared at my phone screen, my fingertips ice cold.

I wrote the sales plan. I ran the product training.

Three whole months, countless all-nighters, and I'm the one who landed this deal.

Chloe didn't even know who the client contact was, yet she walked off with my $200K bonus for nothing.

I wouldn't accept it. I went back again and again.

I even filed for labor arbitration.

My boyfriend, Malcolm, not only refused to back me, he did everything he could to stop me.

"It's just $200K. Chloe's more capable than you, she handles things more shrewdly than you, the bonus should go to her. Can you please stop being so extreme and narrow-minded?"

"Besides, the reason from up top is perfectly reasonable. After you're married, you're supposed to put family first. If you insist on being this selfish, then let's just break up!"

I laughed out of pure anger.

Had he forgotten? If I hadn't pulled in clients and chased down deals for him, he'd have been fired three years ago. The one who should be putting family first isn't me. "Fine. Let's break up."

Now let's see what excuse the company uses to dock my $200K bonus.

01

The bonus-cancellation notice hit the group chat, and the whole company was stunned.

That line—Effie Henson violated the company's no-office-romance policy; her $200K project bonus is canceled. The bonus passes automatically to the project's second lead, Chloe Vance—sat there in the company-wide group chat like a joke.

The office went silent for two seconds.

Some people quietly looked up at me. Others didn't bother lowering their voices.

"Since when does the company have that rule?"

"Wasn't she the one who closed that deal single-handedly? A $200K bonus, just canceled, like that?"

"Chloe Vance, that new girl who's only been here two months? Lucky her, $200K for free."

My fingers froze on the screen. I didn't even have the nerve to open the notice and read the details.

That $18 million deal—I sat on it for three months.

The sales plan was revised eighteen times. Product training ran seven full rounds.

Even the cleaning lady at the client's office knew me by then.

And in the end, it all came down to one laughable rule.

A $200K bonus, handed to a newcomer who didn't even know which way the client's front door faced.

I looked up, toward Malcolm, my boyfriend, three desks away.

He was holding a coffee, turned toward Chloe, saying something.

Relaxed, his eyes glowing with a kind of proud, reflected glory.

When his gaze met mine, he went calm again, as if watching a show that had nothing to do with him.

He was the B-Team project manager, and Chloe was his junior from school.

When Chloe came in as an intern, he steered her to our team, said she was his best junior, told me to mentor her well.

I taught her carefully for two months. I never expected she'd end up snatching my bonus.

Celia, one of my teammates, came over, indignant on my behalf.

"Effie, this rule is aimed straight at you. Malcolm took a $50K bonus just last month—why wasn't this rule mentioned then?"

I knew that project. A loyal client of mine had referred it to him. I'd followed it start to finish and closed it in under a month.

"Effie, go to the manager. That's a $200K bonus. You slaved away for three months—why should Chloe get it for free?"

I shut off my phone screen and set it face down.

I turned to her and asked, "Do you know where I can download the original company policy manual?"

Celia's fighting spirit flared up.

"You can download the company policies from the intranet portal. I'll get it for you."

She printed it out, and I went through it line by line.

There was no explicit ban on office romances—just a vague note that "employees should avoid letting personal relationships affect the fairness of their work."

And nothing at all about canceling a bonus over it.

I stood up, holding the printed pages.

Chloe walked over.

Part showing off, part sympathy—but the hint of schadenfreude she couldn't quite hide.

"Effie, that $200K bonus is all your hard work. I don't deserve it. I really should give it back to you."

I set down what I was holding and looked up at her.

I thought back to when she first arrived—proper, careful, trailing behind me.

"Sure. Transfer it now, then."

The guilt she'd put on froze on her face.

Two seconds later, the deference was gone completely.

"Effie, you're such a joker. I earned that bonus on my own merit."

"What merit, exactly?"

I took a step forward, closing in on her.

"Do you know who the client contact is? Have you written a single proposal? Have you done any training? Do you even know which way the client's front door faces?"

My tone was unhurried, but every word was like a scalpel, peeling away her disguise with precision.

She backed up two steps, her heel knocking against the chair beside her with a sharp crack.

The colleagues around us turned to look, and Malcolm looked over too, his brows creasing.

He got up and came over.

Chloe's arrogant expression was instantly replaced by wounded innocence.

"Effie, it's all company policy. Please don't make this hard on me…"

When Malcolm reached us, all he caught was that last line—don't make this hard on me.

He casually slipped a hand around Chloe's waist, his eyes on me full of reproach.

"Effie, the bonus was the company's decision. It has nothing to do with Chloe. Don't take it out on her."

He hadn't come over because I, his actual girlfriend, had been wronged.

He'd come to back up his little junior.

The stares around us shifted from scrutiny to entertainment, and even the typing stopped.

I picked up the pages and pushed past him.

"You're right. It's a company matter. I'll take it to the company."

He grabbed my hand, his brows knotting tighter.

"Effie, the company already sent the notice. It's an irreversible fact. Stop the pointless struggling. This bonus is Chloe's for sure."

I pulled my hand free, my feet never slowing.

"For sure or not—that depends on whether she's got the luck for it."