Chapter 2

I didn’t have time to think, so I turned around and ran toward the office building.

The company was swamped with work at the end of the year, and I had seen the HR manager still on the phone when I left work earlier.

I refused to believe that Tyler and his men would actually dare beat me to death in front of the HR manager!

As soon as I ran out of the elevator, I saw the HR manager, Ms. Jessica, carrying her bag and preparing to leave.

“Jessica, help me!”

Jessica stopped and frowned when she saw how battered I looked. “Ethan, what happened to you?”

Before I could answer, Tyler and the two thugs chased after me, stopping two steps away while panting heavily.

“Jessica, this is a private matter between Ethan and me. Why don’t you stay out of it?”

“They ignored the company’s rules, forced me to work overtime for them, and even attacked me. Jessica, does the company really not care? Would it still not care if someone ended up dead?”

Everyone put their own interests first.

If something happened to me there, Jessica would certainly be held responsible as well.

Hearing that, she frowned and pulled me behind her. “Tyler, I’m not trying to lecture you, but fooling around at work is one thing. How could you let things get this out of hand? If something really happens, I won’t be able to protect you.”

I let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Just when I thought I was finally safe, Jessica patted Tyler on the shoulder.

“There aren’t any cameras in the hallway over there. You understand what I mean, right?”

My eyes flew open, and my heart shot into my throat.

While I stood frozen in place, Jessica suddenly seemed to remember something.

She walked back over to me, pulled a red packet from her pocket, and stuffed it into my hand.

“Oh, look at me. I nearly forgot your year-end bonus. You’ve been working late and wasting the company’s water and electricity, so this year you’re getting one penny. Work harder next year!”

I pinched the weightless red packet in my hand while the laughter of Tyler and the others rang in my ears.

“Team Leader Ethan is so devoted! He’s paying out of his own pocket to give his team a raise!”

Only then did I realize that my year-end bonus hadn’t been reduced to a single penny.

The four of them had divided it among themselves.

They were all cut from the same cloth!

I stared at Jessica in disbelief, my voice trembling. “You actually led people in encouraging this kind of corruption at the company and pocketed an employee’s bonus? Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you?”

Jessica’s face hardened, and she looked at me impatiently.

“Go ahead if you’ve got the guts. Go complain to the general manager and see whether he’ll believe your unsupported accusations or believe us.”

The faces of the four people before me looked utterly vile beneath the shadows.

I watched them leave arm in arm while discussing how they were going to spend my bonus.

I clenched both hands, the taste of blood filling my mouth.

Of course I was going to find the general manager!

I would never let those people off the hook!

I looked at the security camera blinking red in the corner of the office and silently made up my mind.

Afterward, I returned to the company entrance and picked up the broken pieces of the pendant.

The sharp fragments cut into my palm, and bright red blood dripped onto the ground, but I acted as if I couldn’t feel the pain and gripped the pendant even more tightly.

As if the pain could keep me clearheaded and remind me that I wasn’t alone.

My grandfather and my parents were my strongest support, and I was going to get justice for myself!