Chapter 1

By chance, I stumbled across a trending post from our company's finance department while scrolling through social media.

"That idiot in Sales. I just wanted to put my bar receipt under his name for reimbursement and he refused! If he won't let me claim it, then no one gets reimbursed! This time I'll make sure he learns what happens when you offend Finance!"

The comments section was full of complaints and criticism, but the original poster didn't seem bothered in the slightest. The tone was arrogant, almost smug.

"What's there to be scared of? Finance is the lifeline of any company! Would the boss really risk offending the backbone of the company over some replaceable sales guy? No way that's ever happening!"

I stared at the all-too-familiar face in the profile picture and let out a silent, cold laugh.

Blocking my reimbursement? Fine.

This time, I'd like to see for myself what would actually happen if I mess with Finance.

Chapter 1

The reimbursement I submitted two weeks ago still did not come through.

I stared at the pitiful balance in my bank account, then stood up and headed straight for the finance office.

"Mr. Landon, why hasn't my reimbursement been processed yet? I've already fronted all my own money for client entertainment. If the funds don't come in today, I literally can't keep working!"

Seymour Landon's face darkened instantly. He yanked open his drawer, pulled out a thick stack of reimbursement forms, and slammed them onto the desk heavily.

"You've got some nerve coming to me. I was just about to come find you! Take a look yourself. What kind of garbage did you fill out on these forms? If you don't even know how to complete a reimbursement form properly, learn online. Don't embarrass yourself."

I was completely baffled. "What's wrong with it? Haven't we always filled them out like this? They were fine before. Why are they suddenly wrong this time?"

Seymour rolled his eyes. With a cigarette between his fingers, he jabbed at the paperwork.

"Before? I was cutting you slack before this, but not anymore!"

I forced myself to stay calm. "Then how should I revise it? I'll redo everything right now according to the rules."

"That pen won't do! Finance has regulations. You must use a black 0.5mm gel pen. Standard block script. No cursive! Oh, and another thing! The glue can't cross the boundary line. If the edges get damp and ruin other documents, who's gonna be held responsible? By the way, watch the fold marks. The paper must be smooth and pristine."

I swallowed my anger, took the forms back to my desk, and carefully filled out a brand-new set exactly as he demanded before returning to the finance office.

Seymour examined the forms like he was conducting a lab experiment, tilting them left and right under the light.

Then, he exploded, flinging the paperwork straight into my face.

"Rejected!"

The paper didn't hurt, but the humiliation did.

Thinking of the three-digit balance in my account, I clenched my fists and forced myself to ask, "What's the problem this time?"

He tapped the edge of one invoice where it was glued.

"Here. You didn't peel the glue cleanly. The invoice is slightly torn. How am I supposed to process that? Tell you what; Go back to the stores and get new invoices issued, then come see me again."

I stared at the faint fuzz along the paper's edge where it lifted ever so slightly.

I was about to explode.

These invoices took me half a month to accumulate, all from different malls, restaurants, and venues scattered across the city.

Never mind whether the merchants would even agree to reissue them.

Just running to that many places would take more than a single day.

"How's that even possible? What exactly is wrong with these invoices? Why can't they be reimbursed? Are you doing this on purpose?"

Seymour's expression turned mischievous as he flashed me a half-smile.

Chapter 2

"On purpose? How exactly am I doing this on purpose? It's all clearly written in the finance regulations. You can argue all you want, but I'm not wrong. I've said my piece. Submit it or don't. Now get out of my office."

I was so angry I felt like I might have a heart attack.

I glared at Seymour for a long moment, but years of proper upbringing kept me from unleashing anything too ugly.

After a few seconds of thought, I picked up the reimbursement forms from his desk and pushed open the finance office door.

"Fine. You can stick to your rules. I'll go ask the boss right now whether these invoices qualify for reimbursement."

Seymour did not look the slightest bit nervous.

If anything, he looked amused.

"Go ahead. You think pulling the boss into this will scare me? Someone like you, a bottom-of-the-barrel sales rep, should've been kicked off the payroll long ago. I'd love to see whether the boss would offend the company's lifeline over a useless nobody like you."

Back at my desk, I pounded on my keyboard in a fury.

If you did not stand up for yourself when pushed to the brink, you'd be trampled on for the rest of your life.

The next second, I grabbed all my reimbursement forms and marched straight to the boss's office.

But before I could push the door open, I heard Seymour's voice from inside.

It was soft, nasal, and pitiful.

The kind of tone that suggested he suffered great injustice.

"Oh, you're here! Alex Morrison, perfect timing!"

I did not even open my mouth before the boss cut in, frowning.

"What's going on between you two? If there's a conflict, talk it out face-to-face. You're colleagues, after all."

Seymour's voice trembled.

"Ms. Harrington, I really didn't. It's just that, recently, our supervisor held a meeting and specifically told us we must strictly review every reimbursement. You know how finance works. We have to be extremely careful. But Alex seems to have misunderstood me."

He trailed off.

He looked utterly wronged.

I was so furious I felt like I might get a heart attack right then and there. I could not bear to watch his performance any longer.

I stepped forward and placed the reimbursement forms directly in front of the boss.

"Boss, I understand that the finance department needs to be rigorous. But please take a look. What exactly is wrong with my forms? I've already redone them according to Mr. Landon's requirements.

"I changed the pen, the paper, and even the writing format! And now he wants me to replace every single invoice."

Before I could finish, the boss slammed his palm down on the desk.

His expression turned dark.

"That's enough! I already know what happened. Alex, let me ask you: what did Mr. Landon do wrong? Tell me, which company doesn't require invoices to be complete and clean? And replacing invoices is hardly a big deal! Why are you so uncooperative? Are you perhaps using company funds for personal matters?"

In an instant, his suspicion hit me like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head.

In the workplace, nothing is more fatal than distrust.

Sales, especially, is a high-autonomy role that constantly hovers along gray lines.

If the boss started looking at me through tinted lenses from now on, what was the point of staying in this job?

Before I could even think of a response, the boss already turned to Seymour with a smile.

"Seymour did the right thing. This is how a company should operate: by following regulations. Finance is the lifeline of the company. It's only natural that he needs to be strict."

Chapter 3

My boss, Jessica Harrington, announced, "Starting today, I'm giving you special authority. Any reimbursement that doesn't meet standards, just reject it. Send it back for revisions until it's qualified!

"And at the monthly meeting, you'll be this month's Star Employee. Don't forget to go on stage and give a speech!"

Seymour's eyes lit up instantly.

"T-Thank you! Thank you, Ms. Harrington! I'll definitely work even harder and live up to your encouragement!"

Jessica looked thoroughly pleased.

Then she turned and shot me another sharp glare.

"See that? You, salespeople, are nothing but parasites in this company. You're all lazy to the core! Why can't you learn something from him? You guys always nitpick over trivial matters, wasting company resources. Aren't you ashamed?

"That's enough! Reorganize your reimbursement forms according to Mr. Landon's requirements and get it done!"

My hands trembled as I clutched the stack of papers.

The frustration lodged in my chest had nowhere to go. It just sat there, crushing, until my tears nearly overflowed.

The moment I stepped out of the boss's office, Seymour slipped out right behind me.

He looked me up and down with open disdain.

"Hah! Didn't someone say they were going to ask the boss to judge? Well? Are you satisfied with the judgment?"

With a smirk, he added, "Useless trash. Let's see if you still dare to cross me."

I returned to my desk with red-rimmed eyes.

I was in no mood to work at all. I just stared blankly at the reimbursement forms.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was a notification from my social media app.

I was about to swipe it away until the headline caught my eye.

"That idiot in Sales. I just wanted to put my bar receipt under his name for reimbursement, and he refused! If he won't let me claim it, then no one gets reimbursed! This time, I'll make sure he understands what happens when you offend Finance!"

I froze.

I stared at the profile picture on the post, that awfully familiar face.

It was none other than Seymour himself!

Only then did everything click.

All those ridiculous obstacles these past weeks were not about professionalism or strict compliance; It was revenge!

Last month, he tried to put his bar receipt under my name for reimbursement. He wanted me to help him expense it under a client entertainment budget.

Naturally, I refused.

So, this was his payback.

The comment section was full of office workers venting, cursing this kind of petty workplace bullying.

But Seymour was gleeful, jumping into the comments to clap back one by one.

"What's there to fear? What even is Sales? Companies are permanent, but salespeople come and go. They're just disposable trash. Finance is different. Finance is the company's lifeline. There's no way the boss would side with some loser over the company's lifeline."

Then I noticed an update.

"That broke idiot's been fronting event expenses for half a month. Came in yelling about having no money today. So I'm holding his reimbursement hostage. Let's see how that fool manages to close any deals from now on."

I actually laughed.

Finance? The company's lifeline?

Then what was I, the top salesperson, supposed to be?

He did not want me to close deals? Fine by me.

I would have loved to see who loses patience first.

I set my work aside and started coasting. Every day, I sat at my desk doing the bare minimum.

Soon enough, it was the end of the month.

A message popped up in the company's office automation system, straight from the Finance Department.

With the month-end approaching, they needed to reconcile and log every single sales order.

And the source of those order files?

The Sales Department.

Modesty aside, as the undisputed top performer in the company, even though I only worked half the month, I accumulated quite a stack of orders in my hands.

Chapter 4

In the past, I voluntarily worked overtime without pay, staying up late to prepare every document in advance, just so I would not disrupt finance's workflow.

But now?

Only a fool would repay resentment with kindness.

Another red, urgent notification popped up in the office automation system.

"The sales department must immediately organize all order documents. This concerns tax filings and other critical matters. Put aside all other tasks and handle this at once!"

The bold red letters and oversized exclamation mark made me laugh out loud.

Unhurried, I pulled out every single order from this month.

One by one, I checked them against my records. Then, following the Sales Submission Guidelines to the letter, I traced each document back to its source, verifying authenticity down to the smallest detail.

I was not in a rush, but someone else was.

Early the next morning, Seymour burst into the Sales office like a hound chasing prey.

He stormed straight toward me, fury written all over his face, and jabbed a finger at my nose.

"Alex, you bastard! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You know how important month-end order entry is, so you're deliberately holding the files back just to watch me take the fall! Who the hell do you think you're scaring? Let me tell you: if the boss finds out, the blame will land squarely on you, not me!"

I kept my eyes on the documents, unbothered, and let out a soft laugh.

"Oh? Is that so? Then don't be in such a hurry."

With that, I tossed the Sales Submission Guidelines onto the desk in front of him.

"Mr. Landon, I'm sure you'd understand, right? I was criticized by management before. So now, I'm simply following the guidelines to the letter. Someone as rigorous as you wouldn't hold that against me, would you?"

He opened his mouth but could not get a word out.

The look in his eyes, though, was pure venom.

After Seymour stormed off, I carried a thick stack of confirmation forms to the head of Finance.

"Mr. Ward, according to company procedure, I've compiled the total number of orders for this month. Once you verify them, please sign them off. After I get your signature, I'll personally visit each partner and review every single order."

I then added, "Don't worry. Once the verification is complete, I'll deliver everything to the Finance office immediately."

Harold Ward cut me off before I could finish.

"Alex, we can't do things like this! It's already the end of the month. Without those files entered, the company can't file taxes. This is a major issue! Special cases require special handling! Just give them to me now!"

I glanced at him, my expression unchanged.

"No. According to the Sales Submission Guidelines, month-end order files must go through these verification procedures. If something goes wrong, no one can shoulder that responsibility."

Harold was momentarily speechless.

In the end, he had no choice but to sign the forms and hand them back.

For the next three full days, aside from clocking in and out at the office morning and evening, I spent my time carrying the order files around to various client locations, taking my own sweet time.

Harold was practically on fire with anxiety.

He called me eighteen times a day, asking about progress.

Until the 28th of the month.

I just clocked in and was preparing to head out with the files when Harold showed up at my desk in person.

Chapter 5

"Alex! What exactly are you playing at? Every other sales team has already submitted their files. Yours is the only one missing! You said you needed to follow the process, and I agreed to all of it.

"But we're running out of time! I need a definite timeline from you today! If tax filing gets delayed because of your team, it won't just be me in trouble. You won't walk away unscathed either!"

I wore an expression of helplessness but said nothing.

At that moment, a colleague from the next cubicle could not hold back anymore and spoke up quietly.

"Alex isn't wrong, though. Isn't this exactly what Seymour from Finance has been doing? It's been over a month now. Alex still has a pile of reimbursements stuck in limbo. What now? Finance gets to 'be professional', but Sales can't follow our own rules?"

Harold heard that and immediately understood what was going on.

Without another word, he turned and walked out.

Less than two minutes later, he came back, dragging Seymour by the arm and shoving him right in front of me.

"Seymour! What exactly are you doing? Who authorized you to withhold your colleague's reimbursements? I'm telling you right now. You're not going back to your desk today. You'll stand here in Sales and apologize to Alex until he forgives you!"

Then he turned to me with a smile.

"Alex, don't worry. I'll process your reimbursement personally. The funds will hit your account within ten minutes."

What I did not expect was that even with the department head stepping in face-to-face like this, Seymour still looked resentful and utterly indifferent.

The moment Harold left the Sales office, Seymour turned on me and exploded.

"So, Alex, I've been too nice to you, huh? You've actually got the nerve to use public business to settle private scores? Trying to trip me up with this disgusting stunt?"

My face remained calm, my voice even.

"Not at all. I'm not trying to trip you up. I'm just following company regulations. Oh, maybe you aren't familiar with the Sales Department guidelines. Hold on, I'll read them to you one by one."

My unapologetic composure drove him insane.

His eyes reddened as he lunged at me, trying to grab me.

Luckily, I was taller and quicker. Two steps and I was well out of reach.

That only made him angrier. He spat out threats without thinking.

"You just wait! Don't think this ends just because that old bastard of a department head reimbursed you this month! I'm the cashier accountant. From now on, consider it my loss if you can get even a single cent reimbursed from this company!"

At that point, I was already considering resignation.

He was not wrong.

Today, I could leverage the situation once and force Finance to process my reimbursement.

But someone as petty as Seymour?

If he pulled this stunt every month, would I ever have a peaceful day again?

Just as I was seriously contemplating quitting and maybe throwing a punch before I left, the Sales Department door was kicked open.

Harold stormed in, his hair practically standing on end with fury.

He pointed at Seymour and roared, "Seymour! So this is how you've been handling things behind my back?"