Chapter 2

Back in the open-plan office of the project department, my core team immediately swarmed my desk.

"Chloe! How did it go? Did the expense report go through? Did Vance give you a hard time?"

I walked to my desk, took a moment to catch my breath, and said flatly:

"Every single cent of lodging is rejected. Food per diem too."

"What the hell?" Leo, my lead specialist, blew up instantly.

"Under those conditions, what were we supposed to do? Take a two-hour cab ride from the suburbs every morning?

What if that made us late to the pitch? Does he expect us to pay out of our own pockets to work for him?"

His voice carried across the floor, drawing shocked stares from neighboring cubicles.

I didn't answer right away. I sat down, unlocked my laptop, and began sorting through the mountain of unread emails.

The pounding headache behind my temples grew sharper.

"Richard said rules are rules. At my pay grade, I'm not entitled to a four-star or five-star room, so any extra cost comes out of my own pocket.

He even said my commission will cover it, so I shouldn't try to 'milk the company.'"

"Bullshit!" Leo slammed his fist onto the partition, rattling the entire cubicle wall.

"Is he out of his mind? We bled ourselves dry making him millions, and now we're 'milking' the company?

That's a ten-million-dollar deal! At least three million in gross margin! And he's nickel-and-diming you over this? Does Brad know about this?"

My fingers froze over the keyboard.

Brad?

He was probably busy drafting an email to take credit for the deal, or rehearsing his excuse to Richard about why he gave me verbal approval in the first place.

"I'll speak with Brad myself."

Right on cue, my desk phone rang. It was Brad.

"Chloe, step into my office for a sec."

I stood up, flashed Leo a calming look, and walked down the hall to the VP's office.

When I pushed the door open, Brad was pacing by the window with a coffee mug in hand.

Seeing me, he forced an overly theatrical, practiced grin.

"Chloe! You're back! Fantastic job out there, truly stellar work! The client called me personally just now to sing your praises!"

"Thanks, Brad." I sat down across from him, ignoring the fake warmth.

"So... about your travel expenses." He rubbed his hands together, sinking back into his chair, his tone turning evasive.

"Richard just gave me a heads-up. Look, the company's cash flow is tight right now, and company policy has to be enforced across the board.”

“How about we just stick to the standard per diem? You're a key lead here, Chloe. You need to lead by example and look at the bigger picture."

Looking at his calculated, squirming expression, the very last shred of loyalty in me died out.

When they need someone to charge the front lines, you're their indispensable star player.

When it's time to screw someone over, suddenly you're the "leader who must sacrifice for the greater good."

They always had an excuse for everything.

"I get it, Brad," I nodded smoothly. "We'll follow company policy to the letter."

He let out an audible sigh of relief, slumping into his chair with a patronizing grin.

"That's my girl! Think long-term. Don't worry about the commission on this deal—I'll personally fight to make sure you get the top percentage!”

“I'll put in a good word with Richard too. Taking a minor hit now buys you executive trust and faster promotions. It's an investment!"

I smiled, said nothing, and stood up to leave.

Back at my desk, Leo was staring at me anxiously.

I simply shook my head.

"Unbelievable," Leo muttered under his breath, clenching his teeth. "Another spineless corporate puppet. What a toxic garbage dump."

Right then, a company-wide notification popped up in our all-hands WhatsApp group, tagging everyone.

[MEMORANDUM: Strict Enforcement of Travel & Expense Policy

Effective immediately, all employee business travel must strictly adhere to the limits outlined in the Employee Financial Handbook.

No exceptions will be granted under any circumstances. Accounting will implement zero-tolerance audits; any over-budget expenses will be rejected outright.

All managers must lead by example and respect approval ceilings.

Please govern yourselves accordingly to maintain fiscal discipline!]

The timing was almost comedic.

The group chat stayed dead silent for minutes before people slowly began typing generic "Acknowledged" replies.

I typed "Acknowledged" as well.

Then, I opened the local drive on my laptop and pulled up the PDF copy of our Employee Financial Handbook.

Alongside it, I opened our Project Procurement Guidelines, Employee Conduct Code, and Client Entertainment Protocols...

They wanted rules?

I was someone who could dissect fifty pages of technical terms, legal liability clauses, and milestone payment schedules without missing a beat.

Did they really think they could beat me at their own paper game?