Chapter 3

"Profit share?" Carter laughed. "Profit sharing only happens after a project is fully completed. You're quitting voluntarily. There is no profit share. I haven't even sued you for damages yet!"

"What about the projects we wrapped up last year?" I demanded.

He continued to sneer. "Those tiny projects barely made any money. I was being nice by not charging you for the overhead losses."

He was flat-out robbing me.

"What about my performance bonuses?" I pressed.

"None," he said, waving his hands dismissively.

With every "none" he uttered, my team members in the room started whispering nervously.

I looked at the people who had pulled all-nighters with me to build the pitch decks. Even during the holiday, they had worked tirelessly because I had promised them a massive bonus.

Now, if even I was getting nothing, what would happen to them?

My heart sank. I asked, "What about the team's project bonuses?"

Carter glanced at my team.

"Anyone who stays and works with me will get their bonuses. Anyone who wants to leave with Chloe is free to go. But you won't get a single penny of your bonus. You can pack your bags and get the hell out!"

Ashley stepped forward right on cue. "I know Chloe trained you guys, and you might feel lost now that she's leaving.

But if you stay and work under me, I promise I'll treat you well. We've worked together for so long. I won't shortchange your year-end bonuses."

Several team members hesitated. I could understand why.

Even though Ashley was a spoiled nightmare to work with, they had spent a whole year grinding. Nobody wanted to throw away their hard-earned money.

"How much are we talking about? Our overtime pay won't be ten bucks like Chloe's, right?" one of them asked.

"Of course not," Ashley said, throwing me a triumphant look. "As long as you aren't as foolish as some people—quitting over petty pocket change when the company is about to make millions—you will be taken care of."

I ignored her. I drafted my resignation letter, signed it, and turned to leave.

But Ashley blocked my way. "Chloe, you can leave, but you have to leave your contacts behind. You can't take the clients' details with you. And you must leave the client Snapchat groups immediately!"

I nodded, too exhausted to argue.

If they truly believed that having a phone number was enough to manage a client relationship, they were stupider than I thought.

I quickly typed a message in the main client group chat: "I have officially resigned. Ashley will be taking over this account."

Ashley checked my phone thoroughly. "Alright. You can go now, Chloe."

The moment I stepped out of the office building, my phone started blowing up with notifications.

"Chloe, why did you leave so suddenly? A startup doesn't deserve you. Come work for me, I'll start you at a $250k base."

Even Mr. Vance, the client of the $50 million deal, messaged me. He asked me to join his firm and expressed deep concern about the project I had just handed over.

I politely declined their job offers but assured them they didn't need to worry about the transition.

I told Mr. Vance that I would personally monitor the project's quality from the outside as an independent auditor. If Carter's company did a good job, great. If they messed up, he could withhold payments or sue them for breach of contract.

I also mentioned that I was planning to start my own agency soon. If they still wanted to work with me, they could find me there.

Did Ashley really think she could just push me out and start printing money?

Once I handled the clients, I went straight to my lawyer. I filed a formal complaint with the IRS regarding Carter's company for tax evasion and wage theft.

You want to steal my money? In your dreams.