Chapter 3

I didn't even look up. "Marcus, according to company policy, a junior perfumer is only allowed to manage five basic accounts."

Marcus's face turned a brilliant shade of purple.

"The rules are there for structure, but you have to be flexible! Why are you so incredibly stubborn?!"

I ignored him and continued drafting an email to headquarters. Seeing that I wasn’t taking the bait, Marcus’s voice grew louder, drawing everyone's attention.

"Chloe, is this your attitude toward work? Do not bring your personal petty drama into this office!"

I unlocked my phone, pulled up his WhatsApp message, and pointed directly at the words "'reliable cog.'"

Marcus choked on his words, glared at me, and slammed his office door shut.

Less than thirty seconds later, my phone rang. It was Mr. Vance, an executive from headquarters.

It seemed Marcus knew he couldn’t bully me on his own, so he had gone running to upper management to apply pressure.

"Chloe, I’ve heard about the situation," Mr. Vance’s voice was smooth and patronizing. "I know you feel slighted."

I gripped my phone tightly.

For years, I believed that hard work was all that mattered.

When I first joined AromaLux, the very first perfume I created became a global sensation, single-handedly launching the company’s IPO.

Back then, Marcus was so thrilled he wired me a $50,000 bonus on the spot and told the entire company:

"We need real talent like Chloe. Everyone needs to learn from her!"

But as the company grew and hired more people, Marcus became obsessed with "corporate culture."

He started favoring those who flattered him, while making life miserable for those who actually did the heavy lifting.

If I hadn't been keeping their profit margins afloat, this branch would have gone under years ago.

Before I could speak, Mr. Vance continued in a grave tone, "But the company's rules cannot be broken. While your revenue is impressive, you did exceed the cost limit. Therefore, we have decided that for every project you close moving forward, you will receive a 0.1% commission."

I almost laughed out loud.

My original contract gave me a 1% commission. Under the guise of "helping me," they were slashing my earnings by ninety percent.

And they expected me to thank them for their generosity. What a textbook corporate play.

"Chloe, we still have high expectations for you," Mr. Vance added smoothly. "We want to see you create brilliant revenue while staying within the rules. Do that, and the Senior Perfumer position will be yours again."

The moment I hung up, I drafted my formal resignation letter.

But before I could send it, Marcus suddenly called an emergency all-hands meeting in the conference room.

With headquarters backing him up, Marcus walked in looking like a king.

"Everyone has been working incredibly hard lately, so we’re holding an impromptu award ceremony!"

The room erupted into cheers. I sat silently in the back, watching his ridiculous performance.

"In third place, Jason! You brought in $100,000 in revenue, and you only used a third of your $10,000 budget! The company is awarding you a $2,000 bonus!"

I let out a silent, mocking smile. Jason used cheap, synthetic chemicals that caused severe allergic reactions in customers. The company was currently fighting three different lawsuits because of his "budget-friendly" formulations.

Throughout the meeting, people kept glancing at me. Some looked sympathetic, but most eyes were filled with mockery.

Amber shot me a worried look from across the table. I gave her a reassuring, silent nod.

"And in first place..." Marcus paused for dramatic effect, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Amber. "...Amber! She just secured a massive investment contract from Mr. Pendelton himself! The company is awarding her a $10,000 bonus!"

Marcus smirked at me, expecting to see me fly into a rage over losing my biggest client.

Instead, I remained completely expressionless.

Amber stood up awkwardly to accept the envelope of cash. When she looked at me, her eyes were filled with guilt and fear.

She let out a forced chuckle and stammered, "I... I couldn't have done it without Chloe's guidance."

Dissatisfied with her giving me credit, Marcus cut in, "Amber, don't be too modest. Your talent speaks for itself. In this company, we don't care about seniority—only results."

This time, I couldn't help but chuckle. Marcus's double standards were truly a work of art.

A few colleagues seized the opportunity to throw salt on the wound.

"Exactly! Amber earned this fair and square. No need to be humble!"

"Some people think they can walk around like they own the place just because they have a few big clients. Let's see how she acts now."

"She’s been here for ten years, and now she can’t even keep her own clients. If I were her, I'd have packed my bags and left a long time ago."

Just as the mocking reached its peak, the receptionist knocked and stepped into the room.

"Marcus, Mr. Pendelton is here in person. He wants to discuss a $10 million contract, and he specifically asked for Chloe."

The joyful atmosphere instantly froze. The smiles on everyone's faces vanished.