I was in the bathroom stall when I heard the new hire at the sink outside, loudly sharing good news with his family. "I passed my probation! They're starting me at $12,000 a month!" I sat there in silence. I've been at this company for six years. Year 1: Starting salary $6,000. No raise. Year 2: Salary $6,000. Year-end raise of 5%, adding a whopping $300. Year 3, 4, 5: Salary stagnant at $6,300. Year 6: HR just told me I'm getting another 5% raise next year. Total: $6,615. I currently manage the execution of five major projects. I was so overwhelmed they hired three juniors for me to train. The newest one just passed probation. His starting salary is $12,000. Almost double what I make after six years of blood, sweat, and tears. I walked out of the bathroom, went straight to the HR office, and resigned. The HR Manager, Linda, was shocked. "Why?" "The pay sucks, and I'm done." 1 Linda stared at me for a full thirty seconds, stunned. "Chloe, don't be impulsive." "I'm not being impulsive," I said. "I should have said this six years ago." Since graduating, I've dedicated six full years to this company. In that time, I went from a lowly intern to managing the execution of five key accounts. Operations, client relations—nothing happens without me. To help me handle the load, the boss hired three interns at the beginning of the year specifically to assist me. And my reward for years of loyalty? My base salary went from $6,000 to $6,615. Meanwhile, the male intern who just passed probation starts at $12,000. "Linda, I don't want to waste words. Please process my resignation as soon as possible." Linda’s expression turned sour. "But Chloe, you're handling five key projects right now. Quitting like this isn't very professional, is it?" "Professional?" I laughed. When I joined, this company wasn't even a real office. The boss and employees—less than ten of us—crammed into a tiny 200-square-foot room. No AC in the summer, no heat in the winter, unpaid overtime every single day. I endured it all. Relying on the sheer adrenaline of a fresh grad, I helped build this place from a failing startup to a company that rents four floors of a downtown office building. And today I find out the intern makes double my salary. "Linda, do you know how much I make a month?" "$6,615." "For that money, I average three hours of overtime a day. I'm revising proposals at midnight. Even when I went home for Thanksgiving, one call from the boss had me working on the train." "The male intern who just got hired? He's been here three months. Clocks in on the dot, leaves on the dot. Last week he messed up a meeting time, and five department heads came to me to complain." "Yet his base salary is $12,000." "And you want to talk to me about being professional?" Linda fell silent. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Well, who told you to be a woman?" "Excuse me?" I stared at her, thinking I misheard. Linda pressed her lips together and sighed. "I thought you understood how the world works." "You're a woman, twenty-eight years old. You're going to get married and have kids soon. Wedding leave, maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks... that adds up to almost a year off." "Plus, everyone knows that after women get married, their focus shifts. Their productivity drops." "The boss is worried you won't be able to balance work and family. You have to consider the company's costs." Her words were like knives, stabbing deep into my chest. I didn't even have time to process the absurdity before I instinctively asked: "What about you? You're five years older than me. Your second kid is in kindergarten." "How much do you make?" Linda smirked, replying casually: "$8,000. But the CEO, Mr. Wang, is my cousin." One sentence destroyed my entire argument. I thought of the countless all-nighters I pulled for this company over the last three years. The endless cups of instant noodles I ate at my desk to meet deadlines. The training courses I paid for out of my own pocket to improve my skills. I worked so hard, suffered so much, and in the end, it all amounted to nothing against the boss's one sentence: You are a woman. Because I'm a woman, everything I did for the company means less than a male intern who can't even schedule a meeting. Because I don't have connections, I don't deserve a fair wage, even though the company would collapse without me. All because of what's between my legs. I suddenly laughed. "Okay," I stood up. "I understand." Linda blinked. "Understand what?" I didn't reply. I opened the door and walked out. I understood that this company has been rotten from the inside for six years. 2 I opened my desk drawer and pulled out a new voice recorder pen I bought recently. Originally for meeting minutes, it was now my only weapon. I slipped it into my shirt pocket. A cup of coffee was placed in front of me. It was Ryan, my boyfriend of three years. He's half a level above me. "Linda said you're resigning?" I didn't look up. "Yeah." "Because of the salary?" My hand paused. I looked at him. "You knew?" He hesitated. "I knew." "How much do you make a month?" Because we weren't married, I never asked. But now, I was curious. Ryan's eyes darted away. "$30,000. But I'm a Project Manager. You're just in Operations. We're different levels, of course it's different." I stared at him. "You were promoted to PM at the beginning of the year, but your salary hasn't changed in two years." "I started managing key accounts two years ago. My raise was 5%. I make less than a third of what you do." "For six years, I've known every detail of every project. Every department waits for my signal to move." "Without me, this company would be paralyzed by the afternoon. Not a single product would ship." "Ryan, in this company, I am more important than you." Ryan frowned. "So what? Ability doesn't equal salary. Mr. Wang sets the wages. If you have a problem, go talk to him." I stood up. "You're right. I am going to talk to him." I owed my six years an explanation. I walked toward the elevator. Ryan, startled, chased after me. "Chloe, don't be impulsive!" I didn't stop. I pressed the button. From the bullpen to the 5th floor, my mind replayed the last few years. Fresh out of college. I met Mr. Wang at a job fair. He was 37 then, just starting out. "Chloe, don't look at our size now. We have dreams. We work hard. If you come, I promise you won't be mistreated!" I believed him. Year 1. A residential apartment. Hot in summer, freezing in winter. As the only girl, Mr. Wang was considerate. He gave me an extra $500 a month as a "hardship allowance." "Chloe, a top-tier grad like you deserves better. Sorry for the conditions." Back then, everyone else made $4,000. I started at $6,000. Year 2. Things looked up. We moved to an office building. I got my first office. Mr. Wang was thrilled and gave me a 5% raise. A whole $300. That same year, Ryan joined as my subordinate. Starting salary: $8,000. Year 3. I worked myself to the bone, revising proposals sixteen times in two weeks, and finally landed the Apex Group account. The company made a fortune and finally took off. My reward? A cheap plaque and the responsibility of managing all key accounts. Mr. Wang patted my shoulder earnestly: "Chloe, I knew I picked the right person. The company relies on you." That year, I was 25. Salary: $6,300. Year 4, Year 5. I brought in more projects. The company leased four floors. But I lost my office. Ryan was promoted to Manager, and he needed the space. Mr. Wang had developed a beer belly by then. His eyes were always yellow and muddy from drinking. "Chloe, don't blame me. This promotion is because your talents are needed with clients, not sitting in an office." He smoked a cigar, acting like he was doing me a favor. "Ryan joined later and hasn't sold much, but he's a man. It's easier for him to drink with clients. And sometimes the staff needs a strong hand—a man just commands more authority, right?" I was naive then. I thought, he's right, I hate office politics. As long as the boss values me, who cares about a title? But now, hearing Ryan say "We're different levels" so self-righteously... I felt like a clown. The elevator dinged at the 5th floor. I took a deep breath, walked to the CEO's office, and knocked. 3 "Come in." Mr. Wang was smoking. Seeing me, he snubbed out the cigarette. "Linda told me about you resigning." He poured me a glass of water personally. "I understand you're unhappy with the pay. But you're a veteran here. The company invested so much in you. Leaving like this isn't very professional, is it?" That word again. I held the water cup, looking at him calmly. "Mr. Wang, I've been here six years. My salary is $6,615. The intern has been here three months. His salary is $12,000." Mr. Wang's face stiffened, then he put on a fatherly expression. "Yes, the salary oversight is my fault. How about this? I'll give you another raise. 5%. How does that sound?" $6,615 plus 5% is roughly $6,945. Not even $7,000. Still $5,000 less than the intern. I didn't back down. "Mr. Wang, I followed you for six years. In the hardest times, we didn't even have a water cooler. We brought our own toilet paper." "Back then, you paid me $2,000 more than everyone else." "Now the company is thriving. The smallest project I manage is worth $5 million. Yet you won't even pay me the same as an intern. Why?" I stared at him, waiting for the answer that would kill my hope completely. Mr. Wang twitched his mouth, reaching for his cigarettes. "Chloe, I didn't want to say this, but since you insist: It's because you're a woman!" "A woman?" "Yes. A woman." The fat on his face shook. "I've looked into it. In Fortune 500 companies, do you know the percentage of female executives? 21%! Some don't have any. What does that tell you? Women are naturally inferior to men." "But my performance is the best in the company," I retorted. Mr. Wang scoffed. "So what? Aren't you about to marry Ryan?" I froze. "So?" "So you have no value anymore." He analyzed it for me seriously. "Once you marry Ryan, you'll have to be a good wife. Once you have kids, you'll have to be a good mother." "How will you balance work and family? You'll take wedding leave, maternity leave, parental leave. Who pays for the company's loss?" "Plus, everyone knows women get 'mommy brain' after marriage. You're 28. Soon you'll be 30, then menopause. There are tons of young people out there. Why should I hire you?" My eyes were dead. I spoke calmly. "My performance is good." "For a woman to have such good numbers, who knows who she slept with," Mr. Wang muttered. "My capability is strong." "How strong can it be? The manager is still your boyfriend, Ryan," he sneered. "I've been here six years. I have the most seniority." "That's why I didn't fire you. I gave you a raise. 5% is not a little." I went silent, staring at the water cup. Mr. Wang patted my shoulder. "Alright, don't be mad. I'll round it up to $7,000. Forget about resigning. Work hard, and the company won't treat you badly." "By the way, the signing ceremony with Apex Group is tomorrow, right? Prepare well. It's our biggest project this year. Don't disappoint me." Apex Group was a partner I had cultivated for three years. They were famous for their culture of "Respecting Women in the Workplace." And coincidentally, their newly appointed CEO, Ms. Shen, was a successful woman who had suffered workplace discrimination herself. I looked up at the smiling Mr. Wang and stood. "Rest assured, Mr. Wang. I won't disappoint you." I turned and left. In my pocket, the recording pen and the mini-camera were still glowing with a faint red light. 4 That night, I had insomnia. I wasn't sure if I could get justice tomorrow. I only knew that someone had to do something. And I was willing to be that person. At 8:00 AM, I arrived at the office as usual. Linda knew about my talk with Mr. Wang. She looked at me with pity. At 10:00 AM, Ryan asked me to lunch to celebrate not getting fired. "Thank god Mr. Wang is a good person and didn't hold your tantrum against you. If my mom knew you were unemployed, she'd never let us get married." I picked up my tray and left without giving him a glance. At 3:00 PM, Mr. Wang arrived. He walked into the bullpen, announcing proudly: "To celebrate landing the Apex Group project, I had Linda prepare a big bonus for everyone!" "Boss is the best!" "Thank you Mr. Wang!" Linda handed out the red envelopes. The male assistant who had been here three years gasped: "$5,000! Boss is too generous!" "I got $5,000 too! Working for Mr. Wang pays off!" A male colleague seven years my senior laughed until his eyes disappeared. Next to me, Vivi opened hers and muttered, "Why only $3,000?" "Me too." The ones getting $3,000 were all women. "Whatever, $3,000 is better than nothing." "But I do just as much work as the guys. Why?" Yeah, why? I opened my envelope. Five crisp bills. $500. "Chloe, don't mind. I just gave you a raise yesterday. If I give you too much bonus, others might talk." Mr. Wang explained with a smile, watching my reaction closely. He was trying to "tame" me. I didn't argue. I accepted the envelope calmly. "Thank you, Mr. Wang." At 7:00 PM, the Apex Group cars arrived. Ms. Shen led her delegation into the hall. Mr. Wang and Ryan greeted them eagerly. At 7:30 PM, the ceremony began. Mr. Wang took the stage: "We are grateful to Apex Group for this opportunity. Since our first collaboration, we have upheld the values of openness, fairness, and justice..." He spoke eloquently. In the VIP seat, Ms. Shen looked satisfied. She took the mic: "We trust your capabilities. However, more than capability, we care about whether your values of fairness and justice extend to your employees, especially regarding gender equality." Mr. Wang stiffened for a second, then laughed. "Of course, of course." Before he could finish, the big screen on stage went black. A few seconds later, the conversation between Mr. Wang and me echoed through the hall. "You women are naturally inferior to men..."
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