Chapter 1

I won a five-million-dollar lottery on my business trip.

But my boss demanded I hand over every single penny to the company. Otherwise, he threatened to sue me for embezzling corporate funds.

To make things worse, my apprentice stabbed me in the back. She started spreading rumors that I was selling my body to our clients.

"Charlotte, don’t be so greedy," she sneered. "Hand the money over, and I won't report your little 'dirty secrets' to headquarters."

I didn’t want to waste my breath on them. But the dirty rumors eventually reached the ears of the Chairman of our parent company.

I looked at my phone and sighed as I read the text message from him:

*【I gave you that trashy subsidiary branch just to practice your business skills, and you actually took them seriously?】*

*Smack!*

An official company policy update, printed on formal letterhead, was slammed hard onto the conference table right in front of me.

Richard Miller, the general manager of our branch, had a fat face that was now flushed a deep, ugly red. He was practically shaking with sheer greed and excitement.

He pointed at the bold text on the paper, spitting as he yelled right in my face.

"Charlotte Vance! Read it and weep! This is the new policy the company just issued: 'Supplementary Regulations on the Management of Incidental Income During Business Trips'!"

I pulled a tissue from my bag and slowly, calmly, wiped the splattered saliva off the back of my hand.

I didn't even look up at him.

"Mr. Miller, you just printed this out, didn't you? The ink is still wet."

Exposed, Richard didn't even look embarrassed. Instead, he slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage.

"Does it matter when it was printed? What matters is company policy! You bought a lottery ticket during your business trip and won five million dollars. That counts as derivative income generated while using company time and resources!"

The conference room was packed.

Everyone’s eyes were locked on me. Some were jealous, some were gloating, but most were just enjoying the drama.

Only half an hour ago, word had somehow gotten out to Richard that the lottery ticket I casually bought on my trip had hit the jackpot.

Before I could even sit down at my desk, Richard had called this emergency all-hands meeting.

He had only one goal: to rob me.

"According to company policy, this five million dollars must be fully turned over to the company's financial department! It will be used as our team-building fund and corporate reserve!"

Richard’s small, beady eyes narrowed into thin slits, gleaming with malice.

"Of course, the company won’t treat you unfairly. Since you had good luck this time, we have decided to award you a fifty-dollar 'Luck Bonus' and a certificate of appreciation."

Fifty dollars?

In exchange for five million?

I almost laughed out loud.

The sheer audacity was mind-blowing.

I leaned back in my chair, crossed my arms, and watched him put on his little show.

"And what if I say no, Richard?"

The air in the room instantly froze.

The fat on Richard’s face twitched. He clearly didn't expect me—the quiet, hard-working corporate slave—to publicly defy him.

He sneered, loosening his tight tie.

"Say no? Charlotte, you better think carefully. You are currently the backbone of our sales team with a bright future ahead. Are you really going to ruin your career over a little cash? Can you even handle the consequences?"

A threat. A blatant threat.

I raised an eyebrow, my voice remaining completely calm.

"What consequences? Firing me?"

"Firing you would be letting you off easy!"

Richard stood up abruptly, leaning his hands on the table and towering over me to intimidate me.

"If you dare to keep this company property for yourself, I will have our legal team sue you! We’ll charge you with corporate theft! Not only will you lose the money, but you’ll also spend the next few years rotting in a federal prison!"

A collective gasp echoed through the room.

A few colleagues who usually got along with me quickly lowered their heads, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.

Only my apprentice, Chloe Brooks, sat right next to Richard. She was looking at him with pure adoration, her pen flying across her notepad as she took notes.

Seeing that I remained silent, Richard assumed I was terrified.

His tone softened a bit, though the greed in his eyes didn't fade at all.

"Charlotte, you need to learn to be content. You're just a girl from out of town trying to make it in this big city. It’s not easy. Five million dollars is too much for a girl like you to handle. It's a curse. Give it to the company. We'll share it, and you'll get the credit. Isn't that a win-win?"

The good cop, bad cop routine. He was really playing all his cards.

I stood up, smoothing out the hem of my blazer.

"Richard, being legally illiterate isn't your fault, but coming out here to show off your stupidity is just embarrassing."

"I bought that lottery ticket with my own money, during my personal time. It has absolutely nothing to do with this company. Forget five million—even if it were five dollars, it would still be mine."

With that, I grabbed my phone from the table and turned to leave.

"I am not giving you a single cent."

Behind me, Richard’s furious roar echoed through the hall.

"Charlotte Vance! Don't you dare walk out that door! If you leave, don't bother coming to work tomorrow! And don't think I don't know what kind of dirty work you did on your business trip! Why do you think those clients only want to work with you? Do you think we're stupid?!"

I paused.

Spreading dirty sexual rumors about me now?

Perfect.

Since you want to play dirty, I’ll play along.

I just hope you can still laugh when this is over.