Chapter 5

The final showdown came much faster than I expected.

Three days later, Valerie and Gavin called me into the executive boardroom.

This time, they didn't even bother to pretend.

A printed "Termination of Employment Notice" was pushed in front of me by Valerie.

"Chloe, after careful consideration by management, due to your inability to meet the requirements of your role and your severe mismatch with company culture, we are officially terminating your employment, effective immediately."

"Please pack your things and complete the exit process by the end of today."

Valerie read the notice in a flat, robotic voice, as if she were reading a weather report.

Gavin leaned back in his leather chair, arms crossed, wearing the smug grin of a victor. The contempt in his eyes was completely bare.

I picked up the notice. The reasons listed were identical to the fake performance review—hollow and aggressive.

Most importantly, under the severance package section, it read: "$0."

They were trying to cheat me out of my legal severance pay.

"On what grounds?" I looked up, looking at them calmly.

"How exactly am I unable to meet the role requirements? And where is the proof of my 'mismatch' with company culture? Please show me the specific policy violations."

Gavin sneered.

"Proof? Chloe, are you out of your mind?"

"If I say you don't fit, you don't fit!"

"This company doesn't keep lazy people around, and we definitely don't keep people with toxic attitudes!"

"Gavin, which exact policy in our handbook bans personal tumblers?"

"I’ve read the entire manual, and I couldn't find a single word about it." I stared directly into his eyes.

Valerie tapped the table, losing her patience.

"Chloe, there’s no point in dragging this out. The company has the right to terminate employees based on overall performance."

"Sign the paper, go to finance to get your final paycheck, and let's make this easy for everyone."

"What if I refuse to sign?" I challenged.

"Refuse?" Gavin stood up, walked over, and leaned over the table, looming over me.

"Chloe, don't forget that all your client contacts and project data are owned by the company."

"If you try to make trouble, I personally guarantee you will never get another job in this industry."

"I will make sure every HR director in the city knows you were fired for incompetence and a toxic attitude."

An open threat.

Looking at his greasy, arrogant face, I suddenly laughed.

I slowly pulled out my phone and connected it to the boardroom’s wireless projector.

"Gavin, Valerie, before I sign anything, there are a few things I’d love for you to see."

I tapped the play button.

The screen lit up, displaying my encrypted folder named "Evidence."

The first file was an audio recording of my first private conversation with Valerie.

Valerie’s voice filled the room, crystal clear: "What do you think company culture actually is? Company culture is whatever the executives say it is!"

Valerie’s face drained of all color instantly.

The second file showed a side-by-side comparison of every single proposal I had corrected, Sienna’s original drafts, and the final versions Gavin had approved.

Every single error was highlighted in bright red.

One of the approved proposals had a misplaced decimal point that directly caused the company to lose nearly $30,000 in ad-distribution fees.

Gavin’s breathing began to grow heavy and shallow.

The third file contained screenshots of all my chats and emails with Carter from Lumina Group.

It included his glowing praise of my work, alongside his utter disgust with Gavin and Sienna.

The fourth file was the PDF scan of the illegal contract addendum Gavin had tried to push onto Carter, accompanied by a ten-minute audio recording of Gavin threatening him.

The blood rushed out of Gavin’s face. He pointed a trembling, terrified finger at me.

"You... how dare you—"

I ignored him and played the last file.

It was my complete performance history over the past five years. Except for the one Gavin had fabricated, I had received straight A's and S's for nineteen consecutive quarters.

There was also a line graph showing the massive, skyrocketing revenue growth I had brought in since taking over the Lumina Group account. The red upward line felt like a physical slap to their faces.

"Now," I turned off the projector, stood up, and looked at the two shell-shocked people in front of me.

"Let’s talk about who is "actually" incompetent here, and who is causing massive financial losses to this company."

I picked up the termination letter and, under their horrified stares, slowly ripped it right down the middle.

"I want my full severance package, not a single penny less."

"And I demand a company-wide email from Gavin, publicly apologizing to me for his groundless accusations and workplace harassment."

"Otherwise, all of this evidence will be sitting in the CEO's inbox, and on the desk of the Department of Labor, in exactly thirty minutes."

"I’m sure Carter would also be more than happy to file a lawsuit for attempted commercial fraud and cooperate with the police."

The conference room fell into a deathly, suffocating silence.

Gavin slumped back into his chair, sweat soaking through his collar.

Valerie kept her head down, not even possessing the courage to look me in the eye.

Finally, her voice trembled as she spoke. "Fine... we agree."

The next day, the company indeed blasted a public apology email to the entire staff. It was corporate and brief, but it was in black and white.

My full severance package cleared in my bank account that afternoon. I packed up my Stanley tumbler and walked out of the building without looking back.

Holding my box of personal belongings, I stood on the sidewalk and took a long, deep breath of fresh air.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

It was Carter calling.

"Chloe, I heard you’re out? Congratulations on escaping that toxic dump!" He sounded incredibly pleased.

"Word travels fast," I laughed.

"Cut the crap," Carter said. "I told you before, my group is launching a brand-new consumer brand called Nova, and we’re going to compete directly with your ex-employer."

"Everything is set up. The only thing we’re missing is a brilliant Operations Director to run the show."

"Are you interested in joining me? Let's build something great together."

I gripped my phone tightly. "Carter, give me a few days to settle things here, and I’m all yours."