No Reimbursement for You

No names were mentioned in the company group chat's text, but everyone knew it was aimed at me.

I leaned back in my chair, my chest heaving rapidly. I opened the message again, and I replied, "Got it."

Then I opened the company handbook that the company had issued when I first started and studied it line by line.

We had to follow the company policies, right?

I was the top salesperson. Did they think they could do this to me and get away with it?

I stopped joining small talk with coworkers and stopped volunteering for extra work. I only finished my workload. Every spare minute went into reading that handbook.

Zack was very pleased with the result.

That afternoon, Zack called me into his office, and his expression turned serious. "We have something urgent that we need to deal with. There are some issues with a client's project in Blueport City, and we need someone to go there immediately. That client is difficult, but I don't trust anyone else. I thought it through, and it has to be you."

Blueport City was quite far, and the traffic was brutal. The client was also famous for being impossible. Nobody wanted to touch that project.

Before this, I had believed his nonsense about how the skilled people should contribute more and how the young needed more practice. So, I had kept getting sent out on the worst assignments.

Now? All I had was a sneer.

Zack left no room for argument, though. "Get ready. You'll leave tomorrow with Alicia. Young people like you should move around a little more for exposure. That's good for you!"

Alicia was getting dragged into this because of me. I answered calmly and said, "Alright, Zack."

Zack then waved me out, satisfied.

-

Three days later, we came back from the Blueport City trip, and I walked up to Finance with a reimbursement form for one thousand dollars.

Before I even stepped inside, I could already hear Zack's voice. "See? Lisa is now much more well-behaved after she was put in her place. She's a completely changed person."

Celia laughed so hard she shuddered. "Exactly! You should have let me handle her earlier! I would have fixed her attitude in no time!"

I pushed the door open and handed the form to Celia.

Celia looked it over and snapped, "You spent 5,000 dollars on a three-day trip?! Do you think the company is your personal ATM?!"

Zack looked stunned. "Get everyone into an emergency meeting. You two will explain this clearly!"

I stayed calm and said, "Then we'll discuss it at the meeting. Every expense followed company policy."

They rushed everyone into an emergency meeting.

At the meeting, Zack was furious. "Three days. Two personnel. Five thousand dollars. And you still claim policy compliance?! Show me how!"

Celia slammed the receipts on the table. "First item. Transportation. You spent 2,500 dollars. Flights are discounted right now, and a round-trip for two costs at most 1,000 dollars! Why did you take the high-speed rail?!"

I answered steadily. "Company policy says ordinary employees on business trips must take the high-speed rail."

Celia's face flushed red. "Why are you so rigid? Aren't flights cheaper?! Why can't you be flexible!"

Alicia hopped in, "Flights are not reimbursable. That's not something we can just be flexible about."

Celia shot back with a screech, "Fine! What about accommodation, then? 2,500 dollars for three days... Did you stay in a presidential suite?! The policy says lodging cannot exceed 150 dollars per day!"

I nodded. "That's right. We couldn't find any hotel in Blueport City that meets the price. To comply with policy, Alicia and I went to the neighboring Avaton City. It cost us 149 dollars and 90 cents a night and not a cent over."

Celia roared, "Then how did you spend the rest of the 2,500 dollars?!"

I explained, "It includes the 1,500 dollars in taxi fares."

Celia blurted out. "Why not just take an illegal cab. Those are cheaper!"

I gave her a cold smile. "Ms. Johnson, company policy requires legitimate invoices and receipts. Illegal cabs can't issue receipts."