Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 43

"Eventually, sure. But not today."

"Spill it. What are your terms?" Julian finally relented.

"Reinstate the project bonuses for the entire team," Willow demanded.

"That's it?" Julian scoffed. "You stirred up all this drama, and it wasn't even for yourself?"

"They're my subordinates. Fighting for them is the same as fighting for myself."

Julian sneered, clearly thinking her altruism was utterly fake. "Are we done here? Or are you going to stand there all day?"

Taking that as a yes, Willow ignored his toxic attitude and walked out.

Sure enough, an email hit the company servers shortly after. True to their deal, the project bonuses for the rest of the team had been adjusted back to normal. But as Willow scrolled down to her own name, her expression hardened.

It wasn't that her bonus had been cut again. Surprisingly, Julian had actually increased it. But the amount itself was a blatant, humiliating slap in the face.

A hundred dollars.

And right next to that pathetic figure was a note: Approved and authorized personally by the CEO.

Willow knew exactly what he was doing. He was degrading her, reminding her of her place.

He was making sure she understood that he was God in this building. With a single word, he could elevate her, or he could crush her into the dirt.

If this had been the old Willow, she would have marched right back into his office and demanded an explanation. But now? She was just days away from walking out of the Sinclair Group forever. She had secured her team's money, and she had no energy left to waste on his childish power trips.

But office gossips never missed a beat.

The whispers immediately grew more vicious.

"The person who should leave stays, and the nice guy gets the boot. Unbelievable."

"Some people just have no shame. Anyone else would have packed their bags by now, but she's just sitting there like she owns the place. I guess self-awareness isn't for everyone."

Seeing that Willow was ignoring them, they directed their venom straight at her. "Isn't that right, Willow?"

Willow honestly couldn't care less about their petty insults. She'd heard worse over the years. The only thing tearing at her conscience was Caleb.

He really had lost his job because of her.

Willow stood up, intending to go see if there was any way to fix things for him. But just as she took a step toward the door, another figure appeared.