Quit Job — HR Demanded $200K

“Breach of contract?” Chloe Reed sneered. “In this company, I’m the law! What I say is what my husband says. A contract isn’t worth a damn!”

She frowned, irritated.

“Don’t waste my time! You’ve been holding this position for a year, draining company resources. Do you have any idea how much potential profit you cost us by sitting in that seat? Don’t you think you should compensate for those losses?”

The moment her voice fell, laughter erupted.

Several of her cronies immediately surrounded me.

“New here, huh? Don’t even know Ms. Reed’s rules? Guess you don’t plan on surviving in this industry.”

A woman with heavy smoky eye makeup jeered,

“Ms. Reed is the CEO’s wife. Who in this company would dare upset her?”

“You’ve crossed her today. Forget about finding a job in this field again.”

A male colleague chimed in, grinning,

“Exactly. Forget two hundred fifty grand—if Ms. Reed told you to kneel and shine her shoes, you’d better do it.”

“Take our advice. Pay up before things get ugly.”

My brow furrowed tightly, and I couldn’t help but retort,

“As far as I know, the CEO of this company is a woman.”

That only made their laughter louder. They looked at me as if I were a complete idiot.

The woman with smoky eye makeup even pulled a company magazine from her drawer. The cover featured none other than my husband, Ethan Carter, with the bold title:

“Leading a New Era: An Exclusive Interview with Acting CEO Ethan Carter.”

It was the interview I’d asked him to attend for me just days ago.

Because I despised the spotlight, Ethan had handled every public appearance for years.

And now, in everyone’s eyes, he had become the face—and the master—of this company.

While I, the true founder, was here being shaken down for training fees by him and his mistress.

The irony was almost laughable.

Chloe planted her hands on her hips.

“See that? That’s my husband, the CEO. Offend me, and you offend him.”

Her gaze slid back to me, cold and condescending, as if I were some cheap product on display.

“My advice? Hand over the money and save yourself the trouble.”

I ignored her taunts, my eyes locking instead on the bracelet dangling from her raised wrist.

An emerald bracelet.

The heirloom my mother had left me.

I’d taken it off not long ago, thinking the style looked dated, and left it on my vanity. I had even mentioned to Ethan that I wanted to redesign it.

And now—it was on Chloe’s wrist.

Ethan hadn’t just betrayed me. He had given away the most precious keepsake of my family to his mistress.

My heart turned to ice.

I pulled out my work phone, ready to order my assistant to dig into Ethan’s financials for the past few years.

But before I could act, Chloe snatched the phone from my hand.

“Trying to call backup? You think fiddling with your phone is going to save you?”

Without a shred of respect, she swiped through my screen, prying into my privacy.

“What’s this? CEO’s assistant? You even call yourself Ms. Miller?”

“Oh please, playing role-play games at your age? Must’ve made quite a living using what’s between your legs. And yet you can’t even part with a measly two hundred fifty grand?”

I ripped the phone back, shoving her hard in the process.

“Shut up!”

She stumbled backward, then shrieked furiously at the others around her:

“What are you idiots waiting for? Grab her! If she doesn’t pay today, break her legs!”