Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
After pulling all-nighters for two straight weeks, I finally closed an eight-figure contract for the company.
Yet the second I returned from my business trip, my boss flat-out refused to reimburse my travel expenses.
"Rules are rules, Chloe. Staying at a five-star hotel completely exceeds our travel per diem."
I quickly explained that every hotel within miles of the client’s office was fully booked, and this was literally the only room available at a standard rate.
My boss just sneered with sheer contempt.
"Look, Chloe, as an employee, you need to be considerate of the company. Don't use business trips as an excuse to milk our budget."
"Besides, your commission will more than cover the room. You got to pamper yourself in a luxury suite for days on end—you’re hardly coming out at a loss."
I was so furious that I actually laughed. Fine. For our upcoming welcome dinner with the next client, I swapped the five-star restaurant reservations for ninety-nine-cent instant Cup Noodles.
After all, a good employee has to be considerate of the company. I wouldn't dare milk a single extra dime!
The dizziness from days of sleep deprivation hadn't even faded before I was summoned into the corner office.
"Well, Chloe, looks like you had quite the lavish vacation on company dime."
Richard didn't even look up from his desk. His voice dripped with thinly veiled sarcasm.
"The Skyline Hotel in downtown Chicago. Five stars. Five nights. Three thousand five hundred dollars. You're just a project manager. Who on earth authorized that kind of luxury?"
I took a deep breath, fighting down the burning exhaustion in my chest.
That trip had been an absolute emergency. The client had launched a surprise bidding round, and I was thrown into the fire to save the account.
Chicago was hosting an international financial summit that week. Room rates had skyrocketed, and every hotel was booked out weeks in advance.
I pulled out my phone, pulled up the flight itineraries, the email chain, and the booking receipts, then turned the screen toward him.
"Richard, the client's headquarters is right in the Financial District. At the time, that was the only hotel within two miles that had a vacancy."
"I booked their most basic standard room. It was literally the cheapest option available in the entire downtown area."
I kept my voice as level as possible, even though my throat was raw from days of non-stop pitching.
"And before I boarded my flight, I cleared the lodging crunch with Brad. He explicitly told me to do whatever it took to win the bid."
Richard finally glanced at my phone screen, then let out a dry scoff.
"Brad said to prioritize winning the bid. When did he say you could ignore our employee handbook?"
"The final sign-off for expense reports rests with me. If I say no, nobody else's word matters."
My eyebrows drew together. "Richard, this was an extraordinary circumstance. The presentation was held at the convention center right next door.”
“I had to be on-call around the clock. Commuting from an hour away would've cost us the deal..."
"Every team claims their project is an extraordinary circumstance!"
He cut me off, his voice suddenly spiking.
"If everyone acted like you, tossing the rulebook out the window just because they closed a deal, how could this company even function?
So what if it's a ten-million-dollar contract? Bringing in business is your damn job!
Do you think signing one big client means we have to bow down and put you up in the presidential suite?"
I stared at his smug, heavy-set face, my nails digging into my palms.
"So, you're saying you won't reimburse a single penny of the hotel bill?"
"Not a cent!"
He slammed his hand on the desk. "And it's not just the hotel. Your meal receipts are over the daily meal allowance too. Denied. All of it!"
I inhaled slowly, unable to believe the sheer audacity coming out of his mouth.
"Chloe."
Richard leaned back in his leather chair, switching to that patronizing, 'mentor' tone.
"Young people shouldn't let a little success get to their heads. The company invested a lot into training you. Learn to be grateful and understand the company’s tight spot.
Rules are rules. Take this as a cheap lesson, alright?
Once your commission check clears, you won't even notice this money. Have some vision. Don't be so petty over pocket change."
Looking at his hypocritical face, I felt a wave of cold absurdity wash over me.
To land this contract—a deal that would literally keep our company in the black this year—I had slept less than four hours a night for two weeks straight.
I reworked the deck dozens of times, handled ruthless questions from the client's board, and drank so much black coffee my stomach burned.
Now that the contract was signed, he wanted to lecture me on 'rules,' 'empathy,' and 'vision'?
I looked straight at him and gave a chilly smile.
"Understood, Richard. Perfectly clear."
With that, I turned around and walked out of his office.
The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I could hear him cheerfully humming a tune.Back in the open-plan office of the project department, my core team immediately swarmed my desk.
"Chloe! How did it go? Did the expense report go through? Did Vance give you a hard time?"
I walked to my desk, took a moment to catch my breath, and said flatly:
"Every single cent of lodging is rejected. Food per diem too."
"What the hell?" Leo, my lead specialist, blew up instantly.
"Under those conditions, what were we supposed to do? Take a two-hour cab ride from the suburbs every morning?
What if that made us late to the pitch? Does he expect us to pay out of our own pockets to work for him?"
His voice carried across the floor, drawing shocked stares from neighboring cubicles.
I didn't answer right away. I sat down, unlocked my laptop, and began sorting through the mountain of unread emails.
The pounding headache behind my temples grew sharper.
"Richard said rules are rules. At my pay grade, I'm not entitled to a four-star or five-star room, so any extra cost comes out of my own pocket.
He even said my commission will cover it, so I shouldn't try to 'milk the company.'"
"Bullshit!" Leo slammed his fist onto the partition, rattling the entire cubicle wall.
"Is he out of his mind? We bled ourselves dry making him millions, and now we're 'milking' the company?
That's a ten-million-dollar deal! At least three million in gross margin! And he's nickel-and-diming you over this? Does Brad know about this?"
My fingers froze over the keyboard.
Brad?
He was probably busy drafting an email to take credit for the deal, or rehearsing his excuse to Richard about why he gave me verbal approval in the first place.
"I'll speak with Brad myself."
Right on cue, my desk phone rang. It was Brad.
"Chloe, step into my office for a sec."
I stood up, flashed Leo a calming look, and walked down the hall to the VP's office.
When I pushed the door open, Brad was pacing by the window with a coffee mug in hand.
Seeing me, he forced an overly theatrical, practiced grin.
"Chloe! You're back! Fantastic job out there, truly stellar work! The client called me personally just now to sing your praises!"
"Thanks, Brad." I sat down across from him, ignoring the fake warmth.
"So... about your travel expenses." He rubbed his hands together, sinking back into his chair, his tone turning evasive.
"Richard just gave me a heads-up. Look, the company's cash flow is tight right now, and company policy has to be enforced across the board.”
“How about we just stick to the standard per diem? You're a key lead here, Chloe. You need to lead by example and look at the bigger picture."
Looking at his calculated, squirming expression, the very last shred of loyalty in me died out.
When they need someone to charge the front lines, you're their indispensable star player.
When it's time to screw someone over, suddenly you're the "leader who must sacrifice for the greater good."
They always had an excuse for everything.
"I get it, Brad," I nodded smoothly. "We'll follow company policy to the letter."
He let out an audible sigh of relief, slumping into his chair with a patronizing grin.
"That's my girl! Think long-term. Don't worry about the commission on this deal—I'll personally fight to make sure you get the top percentage!”
“I'll put in a good word with Richard too. Taking a minor hit now buys you executive trust and faster promotions. It's an investment!"
I smiled, said nothing, and stood up to leave.
Back at my desk, Leo was staring at me anxiously.
I simply shook my head.
"Unbelievable," Leo muttered under his breath, clenching his teeth. "Another spineless corporate puppet. What a toxic garbage dump."
Right then, a company-wide notification popped up in our all-hands WhatsApp group, tagging everyone.
[MEMORANDUM: Strict Enforcement of Travel & Expense Policy
Effective immediately, all employee business travel must strictly adhere to the limits outlined in the Employee Financial Handbook.
No exceptions will be granted under any circumstances. Accounting will implement zero-tolerance audits; any over-budget expenses will be rejected outright.
All managers must lead by example and respect approval ceilings.
Please govern yourselves accordingly to maintain fiscal discipline!]
The timing was almost comedic.
The group chat stayed dead silent for minutes before people slowly began typing generic "Acknowledged" replies.
I typed "Acknowledged" as well.
Then, I opened the local drive on my laptop and pulled up the PDF copy of our Employee Financial Handbook.
Alongside it, I opened our Project Procurement Guidelines, Employee Conduct Code, and Client Entertainment Protocols...
They wanted rules?
I was someone who could dissect fifty pages of technical terms, legal liability clauses, and milestone payment schedules without missing a beat.
Did they really think they could beat me at their own paper game?I never brought up that travel reimbursement again.
Richard seemed thrilled by my sudden "submissiveness." In our next weekly department standup, he even gave me a special shout-out:
"Everyone should look up to Chloe! She closed a massive deal and stayed completely humble.”
“She keeps her head down, strictly respects company discipline, and focuses purely on driving results. That is the kind of talent this organization values!"
A few days later, Brad called me into his office again, looking grim.
"Chloe, we've got an emergency. You know the West District municipal project Greg was handling? It's blown up."
The West District account was our other whale client of the year, alongside the one I had just closed.
It was a fifty-million-dollar enterprise infrastructure contract.
The client was notoriously demanding, their technical specs were a moving target, and their procurement process was a bureaucratic nightmare.
Greg had been fumbling around with it for six months, burning through budget with zero tangible progress.
Rumor had it that the client's steering committee was thoroughly disgusted with our pitch, and the deal was on the verge of collapsing.
"Director Lewis from the client's IT office called Richard directly.”
“He said our solution is completely detached from reality, our service attitude is appalling, and they're ready to drop us from the shortlist," Brad whispered urgently.
"You know how critical this account is for our public sector expansion.
Greg can't handle it anymore—they won't even pick up his calls.
Richard is livid. He handpicked you to put out the fire. You leave tomorrow morning!"
He paused, studying my neutral expression, before adding:
"This time, every single expense must—strictly—adhere to company standards! No special exceptions, no drama. Got it?"
I sneered inwardly.
This was a flaming dumpster fire. One wrong step and the blame would land squarely on whoever stepped in.
If it failed, it was my fault. If it succeeded, Greg would probably still claim credit for "laying the groundwork."
And they dared frame this as a test of my obedience and "big-picture thinking"?
"Understood, Brad," I replied calmly. "I'll prep the files."
A look of immense relief washed over Brad's face. He clapped my shoulder enthusiastically.
"I knew it! You're always the one we can count on in a pinch! Don't worry—if you pull this off, your name will be at the very top of the bonus list!"
Back at my desk, Leo leaned in. When I filled him in, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Chloe, why on earth did you take that? Greg screwed up because he's incompetent, and now they're sending you to take the fall?
And strictly within budget? West District is out in the middle of nowhere!
The nearest budget motel that fits our cheap company per diem is ten miles away in some rural township! What about the commute? What if the client calls a late-night emergency sync?"
I packed my laptop without looking up. "The manual spells it out plain and simple: we follow the rules to the letter."Leo and I closed the deal.
The day we returned, I walked into Accounting holding a thick, heavy stack of expense receipts.
The Finance Director glanced up and gave her habitual frown.
"Back from your trip, Chloe? Drop the receipts in the tray."
Cynthia pointed carelessly to an inbox bin, her voice clipped.
"Cynthia, this report is urgent. It ties into our petty cash replenishment for the next phase. I'll need you to audit and approve it right now."
I laid the thick packet squarely on her desk.
Irritated, Cynthia picked up the summary sheet. The moment her eyes landed on the grand total, her jaw dropped, and her voice turned into a shriek:
"Chloe! Forty thousand five hundred dollars for two people?! Do you think company money grows on trees?!"
She grabbed the stack of receipts like she was holding evidence of a felony, stormed straight past Richard's assistant, and barged into his office without even knocking.
Moments later, my desk phone buzzed. It was Richard, his voice shaking with fury:
"Chloe, you and Leo, get in here right now!"
When we stepped into Richard's office, the air was freezing cold.
Richard sat behind his mahogany desk, his face an ugly shade of purple. Brad looked equally pale and rattled.
Cynthia stood off to the side, waving the expense sheets in the air, her face a sickening mix of rage and malicious glee.
Leo stood right behind me, his knuckles white.
"Chloe! Leo! You better have a damn good explanation for this!" Brad slammed his palm onto the desk.
"Forty thousand five hundred dollars for two people! And you had the nerve to claim you stayed within policy? What twisted policy were you reading?!"
Cynthia chimed in shrilly, "Exactly! Nearly ten thousand dollars on local transportation alone! What did you do, charter a private jet?!"
I tapped open the GPS logs and rideshare receipts on my phone, walked over to the presentation display, plugged in my adapter, and mirrored my screen.
"Richard, Brad, Cynthia. Company policy clearly dictates: non-executive employees on domestic travel may not stay at star-rated hotels.”
“The only lodging that met our per diem cap was located in a rural township eighteen miles outside the client’s tech park."
A complex map showing highway routes and ride histories lit up the monitor.
"We stayed at an approved, non-star accommodation eighteen miles away. To avoid missing our daily 8:00 AM standups and to handle the client's round-the-clock emergency requests, we relied on on-demand rideshares.”
“Here are all the itemized receipts: a total of seven thousand eight hundred and sixty-five dollars. Every single mile perfectly matches the company policy for full transportation reimbursement."
Cynthia choked on her words, her cheeks flushing bright red.
"Then... what about the lodging?! A middle-of-nowhere motel cost you twenty-seven thousand two hundred and sixty dollars for two people?!"
Leo spoke up, his voice steadying after the initial nerves:
"Cynthia, we didn't stay at a chain hotel. We rented an upscale private farmhouse boutique on Airbnb.”
“ The nightly rate rivaled a five-star presidential suite, but rest assured, it has zero star ratings. It is purely classified as residential lodging, which fully complies with our non-star lodging clause."
"And the rest of this?!" Brad demanded sharply.
I swiped to the next slide, displaying rental invoices for high-end hardware and IT repair slips.
"To win back the account, we had to run complex on-site data stress tests. However, the legacy laptops issued by our IT department overheated and crashed within minutes."
"Company procurement rules state that project personnel cannot purchase new hardware exceeding two thousand dollars without a thirty-day board review."
"Therefore, to comply with the policy, we leased two high-performance enterprise mobile workstations from an outside vendor. Rental fee:”
“ four thousand two hundred and twenty-five dollars. In addition, we expensed emergency diagnostic repairs on the company laptops, totaling one thousand one hundred and fifty dollars."
I paused, looking directly at Richard, whose face had turned the color of a bruised plum. I offered him a polite, razor-sharp smile.
"As for meals, to save the company as much money as possible, we canceled the five-star banquet reservations.”
“During our very first formal dinner with the client's executive board, we served them ninety-nine-cent instant Cup Noodles that we brought from home."
"You did WHAT?!" Richard lunged out of his seat, his finger shaking violently as he pointed at me. "Do you have any idea how that makes our company look in this industry?!"
"They praised your visionary leadership, Richard," I replied without missing a beat.
"Once I explained our company's ironclad commitment to fiscal austerity, they laughed, finished every drop of their noodles, and said they'd buy me a real dinner on their own dime as soon as my expenses cleared."
"And more importantly—didn't we close the fifty-million-dollar deal?"
I straightened my posture, my voice turning crisp and formal.
"Every single expenditure is backed by itemized, legal invoices and strictly complies with the clauses in our employee handbook. Please authorize the reimbursement, Richard."
"After all, Director Lewis and his team made me promise to let them know the exact moment the funds hit my account."
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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