Don't Mess With Finance

David said, "Today, I'm giving you a special privilege. Any reimbursement that isn't properly filled out will be returned for correction until it meets the standards. At the monthly meeting, you'll be this month's employee of the month. Don't forget to go up and give your speech."

Naomi's eyes lit up with delight. "Thank you, Mr. Gray! I'll give it my all, so I won't let you down!"

David looked thoroughly pleased.

Then he fixed me with a hard look. "See that? Salespeople like you are useless and lazy! You don't even bother to learn from others and waste company resources on trivial nonsense every day. Have you no shame? Now, redo your expense report exactly as Ms. Lane instructed!"

My hands trembled as I clutched the reports. The frustration lodged in my chest pressed painfully, and tears threatened to spill over.

As I walked out of David's office, Naomi shot out behind me. Her eyes glinted with contempt as she looked me up and down. "Weren't you going to get Mr. Gray to sort this out? Well, is your grievance resolved now? Let's see if you still have the nerve to defy me!"

My eyes burned as I slumped back at my desk. Work felt impossible, and I could do nothing but stare at the expense reports in a daze.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed from the desk. It was a notification from social media. Just as I was about to dismiss it, a post caught my eye.

"That idiot from the sales department refused to let me list my new designer purchase under her name for reimbursement. Fine. If she won't help me, then she won't get reimbursed anymore. I'll make sure she learns what happens when you cross finance."

I stared at the familiar avatar. It had to be Naomi.

Only now did I finally see why Naomi had been giving me so much trouble with reimbursements. Her so-called dedication to rules and work ethic was a lie. This was pure revenge for the free bag I refused her last month.

The comments section exploded with workers venting, lambasting her for petty office bullying.

The ever-arrogant Naomi struck back relentlessly, reveling in her own cunning.

"What's there to fear? Salespeople are nothing but expendable trash. Finance is the real backbone of the company. I don't believe the boss would risk me for a worthless sales rep. She's already advanced half a month's expenses, and now she shows up crying about money. I stopped her reimbursement. Let's see how long she lasts now."

I laughed out loud. If she was the backbone of the company, then what was I—the sales champion? If she refused to reimburse me, fine. I wanted to see who would crack first.

I set my work aside and spent my days idling at my desk. The end of the month arrived quickly, and a notification from the finance department popped up in the company's internal system.

As the month drew to a close, the finance department began auditing every sales order in the company, all of which originated from the sales department.

Even though I had only been working for just over half a month, I was still the company's undisputed sales champion, with a mountain of orders already piled up on my desk.