1 At the end of the year, I spent $150 taking a potential business partner out to dinner. When I took the receipt to reimburse it, my boyfriend's childhood friend, Mia, transferred me exactly $8. I asked her if she had made a mistake. Mia instead pointed a finger at me and started screaming. "Have you no shame?! Two people can get full on eight bucks! You just want to scam the company!" I tried explaining to Mia that this project was worth ten million dollars. I couldn't take the client to a cheap fast-food joint; otherwise, the negotiation would fail before it even started. But Mia refused to listen. I called my boyfriend, Arthur, down to vouch for me. Arthur glared at me coldly. "Business is about capability. What does a single meal have to do with it? You've been using 'business dinners' as an excuse to scam the company for years. Don't push your luck." The next day, I took a major client out to eat from a street vendor. When the hundred-million-dollar deal fell through, my boyfriend lost his mind. ... "Venmo transfer received: $8.00." Hearing the payment notification on my phone, I looked at Mia. "Mia, did you make a mistake? I spent $150 taking Mr. Davis out to dinner yesterday. Here's the receipt." Mia glanced at me, her face full of impatience: "It was just the two of you eating, right?" I nodded. Mia scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm: "Then there's no mistake. Two people can get full on eight bucks. How on earth did you spend $150? You just want to scam the company." I was speechless, fighting to suppress my anger. "Mia, the project I was discussing with Mr. Davis yesterday is worth over ten million dollars. I can't even start a negotiation over an eight-dollar meal." Mia rolled her eyes dismissively. "Excuses, excuses. If you want to steal from the company, just say so. Don't use business as an excuse. Be grateful I even gave you the eight bucks." With that, she threw the receipt right in my face and yelled. "Get out! Stop bothering me while I'm working." I exploded with anger. I pulled out my phone and called my boyfriend, Arthur. Seeing me call Arthur, Mia let out a cold laugh. "Have some shame. Do you really think just because you're Arthur's girlfriend you can steal from the company?" I couldn't be bothered talking to Mia anymore. Arthur was the CEO; he would understand. A few minutes later, Arthur walked into the finance office looking irritated. When he saw me, he immediately started scolding me in a displeased tone. "Chloe, can you stop causing trouble over nothing? Mia is very busy. Why do you have to create problems for her? Why are you always so difficult?" Hearing this, I froze. I never expected Arthur to say something like that. I held up the receipt and the transfer notification for Arthur to see. "How am I causing trouble? I spent $150 taking Mr. Davis to dinner, and she only reimbursed me $8. Not even a fraction of it." Arthur glanced at Mia. Mia's eyes instantly filled with tears, and she started sobbing: "Arthur, I don't know how I offended Chloe. She's slandering me in front of the whole company. I was just trying to protect the company's interests! If I'm wrong for doing that, then I should just quit!" Arthur immediately pulled Mia into a comforting hug, speaking to her softly. "Mia, you didn't do anything wrong. Don't be sad." Arthur then grabbed my phone and threw it at my face. My cheek instantly swelled up, burning with pain. Then, he ripped the receipt to shreds and threw the pieces at me. "Chloe, do you really have to be this petty over such a small amount of money? Two people can eat for eight dollars, but you insisted on spending $150. Scamming the company is bad enough, but threatening Mia? Do you have no shame?!" "Stop using business as an excuse. If Mr. Davis chooses to work with us, it's because of our company's capabilities, not some dinner. Stop flattering yourself." Clutching my throbbing face, my heart felt like it was going to explode. I forced down my fury and demanded: "Two people for eight dollars means four dollars per person. Is the company's new entertainment allowance four dollars per person?!" 2 Arthur frowned, seemingly realizing something wasn't quite right. Just as he was about to speak, Mia cut in: "What's wrong with four dollars a person? Don't you usually spend like ten bucks ordering takeout? Why are you suddenly trying to scam the company? Besides, if a single meal could secure a contract, we should just open a restaurant instead." Arthur nodded in profound agreement. "Mia is right. We won't hold you accountable for the past, but from now on, the standard allowance is four dollars per person. Don't even think about scamming another cent from this company." My heart turned completely to ice. I smiled coldly and nodded. "Fine. In that case, from now on I will strictly follow company policy. I guarantee I won't spend a single cent extra." Arthur nodded in satisfaction. "Chloe, even though you are my girlfriend, you have to separate personal and professional matters. Mia works hard; stop finding reasons to cause trouble for her all day." I gave a curt reply, indicating I understood. Mia shot me a triumphant, condescending look. I turned and left. That afternoon, Arthur suddenly called me. He said the Sterling Group was considering investing $15 million into one of our projects. Since I had dealt with the Sterling Group before, he wanted me to arrange a dinner and secure the investment at all costs. I agreed. After thinking for a moment, I asked: "How many people total for this dinner?" Arthur paused for a second. "Mr. Sterling, you, and me. Three people total." I said "Got it" and hung up. Three people. Twelve dollars. What should we eat? I thought of the food trucks down the street next to our office. They had food and drinks. Twelve bucks wouldn't be enough to get full, but we could scrape by. That evening, I took Arthur and Mr. Sterling to a street-side barbecue stand. I asked the owner for two cheap plastic stools and gestured for them to sit down. "Mr. Sterling, please, have a seat. What would you like to drink? Is cheap beer okay?" Mr. Sterling stood frozen in place, a look of pure disgust on his face. Arthur frantically pulled my arm. "Chloe, what is the meaning of this? Didn't I tell you to arrange a dinner? How did you arrange this?" I looked at him with innocent eyes. The stall owner happened to bring over three small plates of appetizers, saying they were on the house. I immediately thanked him happily before casually answering Arthur. "Arthur, the allowance is four dollars per person, right? For three people, that's twelve dollars. This is the best deal in town! The owner even gave us free appetizers!" Mr. Sterling let out a cold laugh. "A fifteen-million-dollar project, and you think it only warrants a street vendor?" Arthur hastily tried to explain that wasn't the case. I cut him off: "Mr. Sterling, our boss didn't mean that. He believes that negotiating a project relies on the strength of both companies, not a meal. As long as we get full, it's fine. Or are you trying to take advantage of our company for a free meal, Mr. Sterling?" Arthur shoved me. "Chloe, stop talking nonsense!" Mr. Sterling, his face dark, delivered his final verdict. "You guys are something else. Don't worry, I won't take advantage of your company for a single cent. And our partnership is hereby canceled." With that, Mr. Sterling turned and stormed off. Arthur desperately tried to explain, but Mr. Sterling got into his car and drove away. Arthur turned to me, furious, and kicked over the folding table. "Chloe, did you do this on purpose?! Do you know how important this partnership is to the company?!" I widened my eyes, the picture of innocence. "But Arthur, I was just following company rules! Didn't you and Mia say the allowance was four dollars per person? Spending more is scamming the company! Last time, I had to pay the $142 difference out of my own pocket. I learned my lesson this time." Arthur pointed at me, speechless with rage. He turned on his heel and stormed off. The next morning, as soon as I arrived at the company, I ran into Mia. She glanced at me, speaking with a superior tone: "Chloe, you ruined such a massive project! How do you even have the face to show up here?" 3 I was unbothered. "How did I ruin it? I was clearly just following company regulations. Besides, weren't you the one who said the allowance was four dollars?" Arthur walked out of his office. Mia instantly put on a pitiful face and ran to hide behind him. "Arthur! I just said a few words to Chloe, and she's trying to blame the whole thing on me!" Arthur hugged Mia protectively, then threw a termination notice right in my face. "Chloe, you're fired. You don't need to come back. Mia will be taking over your position as General Manager." I let out a laugh. "Fine. But according to my employment contract, you owe me three times my salary as severance." Arthur agreed immediately, looking down at me arrogantly. "Chloe, did you really think I wouldn't dare fire you?" I was actually quite surprised. After all, the majority of the company's active projects were in my hands. Mia clung to Arthur's arm, looking incredibly smug. "I happened to meet the General Manager of the Vance Corporation. Their multi-billion-dollar Westside project is going to bring our company on board! That one project is worth more than the hundreds of little deals you ever negotiated!" Ah. So he thought I was useless and decided to toss me out. I thought about it for a second. The Vance Corporation... if my memory served me right, that was my grandfather's company. A few days ago, my grandfather had actually asked me to come work for him, with the intention of having me inherit the company eventually. After Arthur transferred the severance pay to my account, he couldn't wait to kick me out. "Chloe, as of today, we are broken up. You have absolutely nothing to do with me anymore." I replied calmly, "Okay." Arthur didn't seem too happy that I wasn't crying and begging him to stay. After leaving the company, I called my grandfather. "Grandpa, I got fired. I want to come work for your company." My grandfather was so thrilled he couldn't stop laughing. "Wonderful! The Vice President position happens to be open. Come straight over." The next day, I packed my things and headed directly to the Vance Corporation headquarters. But right at the entrance, I ran into Arthur and Mia. Arthur looked annoyed the moment he saw me. "Chloe, have you no shame? You stalked us all the way to the Vance Corporation?" Mia also gave me a smug, triumphant look. "Chloe, Arthur already broke up with you. Stop acting so desperate." I couldn't be bothered with them and tried to walk straight in, but I was blocked. "Chloe, are you here to cause a scene and sabotage our deal today?" I was completely exasperated. "I'm here for my first day of work." Arthur and Mia burst out laughing. "Chloe, someone like you? Working at the Vance Corporation? Impossible." Mia checked the time and pulled Arthur toward the entrance. "Arthur, let's go inside. I heard the person we're meeting with today is the Vice President of the Vance Corporation—the future heir to the entire conglomerate!" Arthur nodded. Before walking in, he instructed the security guards: "That woman is a disgruntled ex-employee of our company. She's here to cause trouble and ruin our meeting. Make sure you don't let her in." The guards nodded and blocked my path. I tried to explain, but they wouldn't listen. I laughed in sheer frustration and went to the coffee shop next door. Let's see how you negotiate when I'm not even there. Inside the office, an hour passed. Arthur still hadn't seen the project lead. He asked the manager nervously: "Manager Xu, is the Vice President still not here?" The General Manager checked the time. "The Vice President called me a while ago saying she had arrived. Why isn't she here yet? Let me call and ask." When I answered the phone, he asked where I was. "Oh, I'm being blocked and they won't let me into the building. I'm at the coffee shop next door. Come meet me here." Ten minutes later, Arthur and Mia appeared before me, sweating profusely. 4 I was leisurely sipping my coffee. Seeing their panicked expressions, I said provocatively: "What a coincidence." Arthur's face was dark. Seeing me, his eyes filled with impatience. "We are here to meet the Vice President! What are you doing here? Do you have no dignity left?!" Arthur glanced around the coffee shop. Seeing that I was the only person there, he frowned deeply. "Where is the Vice President? Did she lie to me or something?" Mia grabbed Arthur's arm, looked at me, and said sarcastically: "The Vice President said she was waiting for us at the coffee shop, and Chloe just happens to be at the coffee shop too. Could it be..." I glanced at Mia. At least she wasn't completely stupid. But the very next second, Mia said: "Chloe, even if you hate me, you can't just chase away the Vice President to ruin our deal!" I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt and massaged my temples. Manager Xu and his team, who were standing behind Arthur, finally realized what was happening after looking at the photo the Chairman had sent them. He shoved Arthur aside, rushed up to me, bowed, and shook my hand. "Vice President Vance! I am so sorry! The security guards didn't recognize you. I will severely reprimand them later!" I stood up and introduced myself. "Hello, Manager Xu. I'm new here; I hope we can work well together." The manager and his team nodded fervently. Arthur stood frozen in place. Mia stared at me in absolute shock. Arthur's hand trembled as he stammered: "Is... is there a mistake? How could she be the Vice President?" Manager Xu glared at him. They had clearly seen that Arthur and I didn't get along, so naturally, they weren't going to be polite to him now. "The Chairman personally sent me her photo. How could I be mistaken? But more importantly, how dare you speak to the Vice President like that earlier?!" Arthur's face looked incredibly ugly, but the shock only lasted a few seconds. Then, an expression of extreme excitement overtook his face, and he grabbed my arm. "Chloe! Why didn't you ever tell me you had connections to the Vance Corporation?! And that you could be the Vice President?!" Mia's eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment. She offered a strained, fake smile and reached for my arm too. "Exactly, Chloe. Since you had this kind of connection, why didn't you say anything before? If you had, our company would have gone public ages ago! Why would we have to beg for a meager fifteen-million-dollar project?" Hearing this, I couldn't help but laugh out of anger. Mia was actually blaming me for not using the Vance Corporation to pull strings for their company! They clearly had no idea how insignificant their company was. They couldn't even handle the smallest project the Vance Corporation offered! Furthermore, many of the projects I had previously secured for them were only possible because of my own personal network. Otherwise, why would anyone look twice at a tiny company like Arthur's? Arthur also looked at me with a resentful expression. "Mia is right. Chloe, since you have this connection with the Vance Corporation, why did you never think about helping our company? If the company went public sooner, I could have married you sooner! But it's not too late. Give this project to our company, and from now on, if there are any good projects, make sure our company gets them first. I won't hold the past against you." With that, Arthur practically shoved the contract into my hands, urging me to sign it quickly. I was speechless. I genuinely didn't know where Arthur got the sheer audacity to say something like that out loud. Seeing me just smile without moving, Arthur grew impatient. "Chloe, hurry up and sign it! I still have to take Mia to lunch! Her stomach is sensitive; she can't go hungry." I threw the contract right back in Arthur's face and looked at them coldly. "If that's the case, go eat. We won't be collaborating on this project anyway." Arthur just thought I was throwing a tantrum. "Chloe, stop being so unreasonable! Mia wasn't feeling well, which is why I accompanied her. Fine, if you must, you can come eat with us later. Is that enough? Now hurry up and sign the contract!" 5 I was completely exasperated, wondering if Arthur was literally incapable of understanding human language. Thankfully, Manager Xu saw my stance and stepped in front of me to make things clear to Arthur. "Mr. Sterling, I have reviewed your company's profile. Your company does not meet the requirements to partner with the Vance Corporation. Therefore, this collaboration is canceled." Mia started to panic. "Manager Xu, how can that be? Secretary Jiang told me previously that our company was perfect for this project." I frowned, not entirely familiar with this "Secretary Jiang." Manager Xu quickly turned to me to explain. "Secretary Jiang is the CEO's secretary, and also his girlfriend." The CEO... currently, the CEO of the company was my cousin. I pulled out my phone and sent him a text. My cousin replied quickly, telling me to handle it however I saw fit. I put my phone away and laughed. "Manager Xu, tell me. Who decides who gets the company's projects? The secretary, or me, the Vice President in charge of projects?" Manager Xu shot Arthur a cold glare. "Naturally, you have the final say, Vice President Vance." I shot Mia a provocative look. "I'm deeply sorry, but your company's qualifications are pure garbage. You don't even meet the minimum threshold to work with the Vance Corporation. For the sake of the Vance Corporation's interests, I must remain strictly professional. Your project is canceled." Seeing how serious I was, Arthur finally panicked and quickly grabbed my arm. "Chloe, let's talk this out! Can you stop messing around? This project is incredibly important to our company!" I rolled my eyes at him dismissively. "Important to your company? What the hell does that have to do with me? It's not my company. I am now the director for the Vance Corporation. I have to prioritize the Vance Corporation's interests. Understand?" With that, I shoved the stunned Arthur and Mia aside and walked out of the coffee shop. As I walked toward the Vance Corporation building, Arthur ran after me, trying to stop me. I glanced at the security guards and said with a smile: "This man is trying to cause trouble at our company. Stop him, chase him away, or just call the police." Watching an infuriated Arthur being blocked outside the doors, I felt incredibly satisfied. The next morning, I woke up and was heading to work when, right outside my apartment, I was blocked. I looked at Arthur and massaged my throbbing temples. "Move." Ignoring me, Arthur held up a cheap bouquet of plastic flowers, blocking my path. "Chloe, I thought about it all night. I realize my mistakes. I neglected you too much before. You're my girlfriend, but I didn't take good care of you. I know you're angry with me because of Mia, but I swear, I have only ever treated her like a little sister! You are the person I love most! If you want to come back, you can return to the company anytime. I would welcome you with open arms." Hearing this, I burst out laughing. I threw Arthur's flowers onto the ground and looked at him coldly. "Arthur, who the hell do you think you are? Your pathetic little company can't even get a foot in the door at the Vance Corporation! Furthermore, we are broken up. If you keep harassing me, I will call the police and file a restraining order." Arthur's face turned ugly. "Chloe, stop messing around. We were together for so long! Aside from me, who else would even want you? You desperately chased me to be my girlfriend. I was just being a little nice to Mia! Can't you just be understanding and stop being so petty? As long as you give this project to our company, you can still be my girlfriend." I rolled my eyes at him. I truly had no idea who gave him the monumental confidence to think I couldn't live without him. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911 right in front of him. Seeing me calling the police, Arthur looked embarrassed and ran off. "Chloe, don't regret this! When the day comes that you're begging me to marry you, I won't want you!" Watching Arthur leave, I sighed, unable to comprehend how I ever fell for a guy like him. Arthur and I were together for five years. I was the one who pursued him. During my junior year of college, during the final exams, my physical health wasn't great. During the 800-meter run for PE class, the combination of low blood sugar and the blazing sun made my vision go black, and I collapsed. When I woke up, the first person I saw was Arthur. He was wearing a faded, much-washed dress shirt, shyly holding out a piece of chocolate to me.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "391802", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel