Chapter 3 Breaking Free

The next day, Emily went straight to Richard's office.

As she pushed open the door, Richard's perpetually stern face forced itself into a semblance of warmth.

"Emily, come in. Please, sit down," he gestured to the couch.

Emily sat without saying a word.

Richard personally poured her a cup of coffee, then settled into the seat across from her. His voice took on a patronizing tone. "You young people are so impulsive. Yes, William acted inappropriately, but that's no reason to quit your job. If you have problems, you can always come to me."

Emily suppressed a cold laugh.

Come to him? William's behavior was enabled by executives like Richard. William specifically targeted women without connections, and the management couldn't care less. If her sales numbers hadn't been so impressive, would Richard even bother talking to her today?

Seeing her silence, Richard continued his performance. "I've already given William a serious reprimand. You're young; don't let a small incident derail your career. I've noticed your hard work. If you agree to come back, we'll pretend your resignation never happened. What do you say?"

Emily's face remained impassive as she replied calmly, "Thank you, Mr. Coleman, but I've made my decision."

If he truly valued her, he would have taken action yesterday instead of playing the good guy after she'd already resigned. Besides, in her previous life, when William botched an order and blamed her, Richard didn't help her. They were all cut from the same cloth.

Looking at his sanctimonious expression, Emily found it almost comical.

Richard's brow furrowed as he stared at her intently. "Really? There's no room for negotiation?"

"None," Emily's answer was short and decisive.

"You should think carefully about this! Finding another platform like Greenfield Marketing will be nearly impossible!"

"Thank you for the warning. I've thought it through thoroughly."

"Never mind." Richard sighed. "We all make our own choices. I won't force you. I'll have accounting process your salary, commissions, and quarterly bonuses as compensation from the company."

"Thank you, Mr. Coleman."

Emily felt the tension in her shoulders finally release. This meeting had gone exactly as she'd hoped.

As soon as Emily left, Richard's face darkened with contempt.

"Presumptuous little girl," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.

His earlier kindness had been pure theater. He was certain she would come back.

How hard was it to find a job these days? Especially with her non-compete clause. After striking out in the job market, she'd beg for her former position. Then he'd teach her a proper lesson.

In the main lobby, Emily ran directly into William and Natalie Fox.

They had just returned from outside, looking intimate and smug. Natalie, notorious for sleeping her way to sales contracts, shot Emily a contemptuous glance the moment she spotted her.

"Well, if it isn't our team leader Emily," she said mockingly.

William crossed his arms and sneered. "What team leader? She's unemployed now."

Natalie dramatically covered her mouth. "Emily quit? The company's lost such a valuable asset!"

"What asset?" William scoffed. "Without this company's platform, she's nothing!"

Emily grew tired of their back-and-forth routine.

She cut them off. "Enough already. Anyone would think your affair was something to brag about, the way you're announcing it in the lobby."

"Instead of wasting time, maybe you should figure out how to stay in the shadows where you belong. After all, cockroaches scatter when the lights come on."

Natalie's face instantly flushed. "Emily, what are you implying?"

Emily met her gaze unflinchingly, deliberately raising her voice so colleagues nearby could hear.

"Your sordid little arrangement is common knowledge around here. Why pretend otherwise? By the way, Natalie, you must be thrilled I'm leaving. Are you taking over my position as team leader now?"

All eyes in the lobby suddenly turned toward them.

Natalie panicked and instinctively stepped away from William.

William cleared his throat awkwardly, attempting to change the subject. "Emily, even though you're leaving, you're always welcome here. Feel free to visit anytime."

"No thanks," Emily raised her chin slightly. "There are things in this company that I find revolting."

"Emily!" William finally lost his temper, his teeth clenched in anger. "Watch your mouth! If you keep this attitude, you won't last in this industry!"

Emily shrugged indifferently and turned to leave.

"Sorry, but something about you just makes me want to swear. And frankly, I never want to see you again."

With that, she walked out of Greenfield Tower without looking back.

Sitting on the subway, she truly appreciated the city's scenery for the first time. Before, she'd only known Port Brighton through the nighttime lights after working late. She now realized how beautiful the city looked in daylight.

William was furious after Emily's departure!

He stormed back to his office, but before he could settle in, Richard summoned him and launched into a tirade.

"How dare you! Is this company your personal dating pool? You dare harass our top sales performer!"

"That's not—that's not what happened, Mr. Coleman."

"Control yourself! If I hear about any more of your office affairs, our long-standing relationship won't save you!"

"Understood."

After the scolding, Richard's tone softened. "You were in the wrong this time. I've instructed accounting to pay Emily her salary, commissions and quarterly bonuses. That money will come out of your year-end bonus—consider it a lesson."

William winced at the financial hit but didn't dare object.

"Yes, Mr. Coleman."

Back home, Emily's phone pinged with a bank notification.

Yesterday, she had finally activated all mobile features on the bank account her parents had controlled.

Her heart skipped when she saw the figure on the screen.

[Your savings account ending in xxxx has received a deposit of $320,000.00.]

Her salary, plus six months of commissions and performance bonuses—$320,000!

In her twenty-some years, she'd never had this much money at her disposal!

Emily jumped off the couch in excitement, feeling an unprecedented sense of security and joy.

Life was finally looking up!

Just then, she remembered she still had some photos saved on her phone.

During a late-night work session, she had accidentally captured intimate photos of William and Natalie in the office.

With a cold smile, she quickly retrieved the photos from deep in her gallery and, without hesitation, sent them to William's notoriously fierce wife.

Previously, she'd believed in avoiding unnecessary trouble.

But now, she was no longer the Emily who let others walk all over her.

She should never leave a grudge unsettled! William was in for quite a show.

As she imagined William's impending domestic chaos, an unknown number called her phone.

The moment Emily answered, her mother's furious voice blasted through the speaker.

"Emily! Where the hell have you been? Think you're so independent now, how dare you block my number?"