Quit Job — HR Demanded $200K

I had just slammed my resignation letter on the desk when the HR director called out to me with a mocking tone.

“Sophia Miller, you still owe the company money.”

I frowned in confusion, but she dragged me over to a desk and pointed at the computer.

“You’ve been here a year and learned plenty. You can’t just freeload.”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

This was the first time I’d ever heard of paying for what I’d learned after resigning.

She was already scribbling on a sheet of paper with exaggerated seriousness:

“Our company is an industry leader. Training someone like you costs at least half a million dollars on the market.”

“Considering you’ve created some value for us, I’ll give you the floor price—two hundred and fifty thousand in training fees. Do you want to transfer it to the corporate account or my personal one?”

I sneered. “And if I don’t pay?”

Her face twisted, and her voice grew sharp.

“Don’t be ungrateful! The CEO of this company is my husband. With one word from him, you’ll never work in this industry again!”

Wasn’t I the CEO?

As I was still processing this, she proudly dialed a number.

“Darling, one of the employees is ungrateful and wants to resign. Issue a blacklist order right away.”

The next second, the phone in my pocket started buzzing.

…

I pulled out the phone—it was my husband’s, which I had mistakenly taken when I left home this morning. The caller ID flashed: Baby Chloe.

I froze.

So the “CEO husband” she was bragging about was actually my husband, Ethan Carter?

Chloe Reed saw my hesitation and mistook it for fear. A triumphant smirk spread across her face.

“What’s wrong? Scared now? Want to beg me? Too late!”

She reached to hang up the call but caught sight of the phone in my hand. Her expression twisted, and she lunged at me like a madwoman.

“That’s my husband’s limited-edition custom phone! Where did you steal it?”

I reacted quickly, slipping the phone back into my pocket. My gaze was icy as I warned,

“It’s common for phones to look alike. This is mine. Try touching me again, and I’ll call the police for attempted robbery.”

My words made her choke for a moment, but she quickly grew even more arrogant.

“You? A broke loser who can’t even pay training fees—using a custom phone? Please. You obviously stole it from my husband!”

Her eyes scanned me up and down with open disdain.

“And that Cartier bracelet on your wrist? Looks like a cheap knock-off from eBay. Tsk tsk, young people these days—so vain.”

Her scorn made my stomach churn.

Three years ago, she had been maliciously fired from her previous company and left blacklisted in the industry. I had pitied her and asked Ethan to step in, giving her the position of HR director.

I thought someone who had suffered injustice would be more compassionate to others.

I was completely wrong.

Even the way she held herself radiated arrogance.

I stared at her coldly.

“You shouldn’t treat people with such contempt.”

Ethan had always told me Chloe was a grateful, humble, and considerate employee.

So I decided to give her one chance to apologize.

But Chloe didn’t understand in the slightest. Instead, she jabbed my shoulder hard with her manicured fingers.

“So what if I look down on you? You’re just a nobody who clawed her way up. Do you really think putting on a crown makes you royalty?”

“I’m telling you—today, this two hundred fifty thousand? You’re paying whether you want to or not!”

“Otherwise, get out of this industry for good!”

I forced down my anger and tried reasoning.

“When I signed my contract, there was no clause about training fees. What you’re doing now is a breach of contract.”

She laughed like I’d just told the funniest joke in the world.