Chapter 3

The real boiling point came the following Wednesday.

At ten in the morning, the company suddenly called an all-hands meeting.

About thirty or forty people sat in the conference room. All the department managers were present.

The projector screen displayed a slide: "Q2 Strategic Adjustment and Layoff Plan."

I sat in the back corner, flipping through the meeting materials.

The speaker was Vice President Harrison Vance, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses who spoke in a slow, deliberate cadence.

"...To align with the group's overall cost-cutting directives, we will implement stack ranking across all departments in Q2.”

“The specific list of low-performing employees will be evaluated and submitted by each department manager to HR by next Friday."

Whispers broke out across the conference room.

Stack ranking.

Everyone in the corporate world knew how lethal those words were.

My heart sank. I instinctively looked at Victoria, who was sitting in the front row.

She was looking down, taking notes, her expression unreadable.

After the meeting ended, people walked out in small groups.

Just as I stood up, I heard Victoria call my name from the front.

"Chloe, stay behind for a second."

The room gradually emptied until only the two of us were left.

She sat in her chair without moving, crossing her legs, spinning a pen in her hand.

"Sit."

I pulled out a chair and sat down.

"You heard what was said in the meeting." She spoke slowly, but every word carried an unyielding weight. "Our department of four has to submit one name for the layoff list."

My stomach dropped.

"Victoria, my performance recently—"

"I've seen your work," she interrupted, tapping the pen lightly against the table.

"But Chloe, performance isn't just about how much grunt work you do. Attitude, cooperation, and team integration are all part of the evaluation."

She paused, her eyes sweeping over my face, a slight smirk playing on her lips.

"I'm not targeting you over the dinner incident, but your reaction back then really made everyone feel... you're not a team player."

My fingers clenched against my knees.

"Not a team player."

The ultimate corporate weapon.

Throw that label on someone, and it justifies anything.

"Victoria, I—"

"Don't bother defending yourself." She stood up, smoothing her hair, looking down at me. "I'll give you a chance.”

“Before next Friday, I want you to redo the entire Q1 Comprehensive Administrative Report. If the quality is up to standard, I might reconsider the list."

The Q1 Comprehensive Administrative Report.

That was a summary analysis of the entire department's quarterly operations, covering procurement, logistics, HR coordination, and budget execution.

Normally, Victoria was supposed to write this report herself.

She was dumping her own workload onto me and packaging it as a "chance."

If I did it, she got to relax and take all the credit.

If I didn't, my name would be on the layoff list.

I sat in the empty conference room, watching her walk out. The hem of her beige trench coat fluttered at the door before she disappeared.

In the silent room, only the low hum of the projector fan remained.

I closed my eyes and took three deep breaths.

Her condescending smirk echoed in my mind, as if she were looking at someone who was already packing her bags.

My phone lit up.

Aiden: Lunch? The sushi place downstairs just launched a new sashimi combo.

I held the phone, hesitating for a long time. In the end, I decided not to tell him.

I replied: A bit busy at noon. Grab lunch without me.

He quickly replied: Okay. Go home early tonight. I've got some leftover beef stew in the fridge. I'll heat it up and wait for you.

I flipped my phone face down on the table, staring up at the ceiling, blinking back tears.

Don't cry.

She isn't worth it.