Rise After the Fall

She turned to me, her voice softening.

“Ma’am, do you need any help?”

Following her gaze, I looked down at my clothes.

Blood from my nose had dripped onto them. It looked like a mess.

I nodded, raising a hand to wipe the blood away.

Then I turned around and followed a server to the lounge.

After the door closed, I could still hear Daniel shouting outside.

“You want to call the police? Go ahead if you’ve got the guts!

“A nobody from some second-rate college. Without me, who would give her such a good job?”

The lounge door shut, cutting off all the noise from outside.

I lowered my head and looked at the woman reflected on my phone screen.

Both sides of my face were swollen red, with clear finger marks printed across my cheeks.

My hair had come loose, too.

I looked like a crazy woman.

…

The door handle turned, and someone came in.

It was Emily, one of the company’s old-timers.

Now she had worked her way up to Vice President.

She sat down beside me.

“Lily,” she said, patting my hand, and tried to console me. “Don’t take what happened today too seriously. You just happened to catch Mr. Aster at a bad moment.”

I didn’t move or look at her.

I just stared at my phone, then opened a chat with a headhunter I had added a week ago.

At the time, they had asked if I was interested in new opportunities.

I had replied with one line.

[Not considering anything for now. Thanks for checking in.]

Now I typed four new words.

[We can talk now.]

Emily kept talking beside me.

“As for this year’s contracts, I know you contributed a lot. Everyone has seen it.

“But you have to understand, your success depends on the company’s support.

“Without the company’s reputation behind you, how would those big clients trust someone as young as you?

“Although the other employees under you may not be as strong in business as you are, they’ve contributed to the company in other ways. Even if their achievements aren’t outstanding, their effort still counts.”

She began using the persuasion tactics she was best at.

“You didn’t receive a year-end bonus, but that was the result of a comprehensive evaluation.

“You’re still young, and you need to think long-term. Next year, as long as you maintain the momentum you had this year, I’ll personally fight to get you a year-end bonus.”

Next year…

I had heard those words for eight years.

When the company was just starting, there had been no year-end bonus.

She told me it was because I hadn’t closed any contracts yet and had to wait until next year. Once I landed deals, I’d definitely get a bonus.

After I secured contracts, there was still no bonus.

So she said my degree wasn’t great. Next year, she’d make it up to me with a bonus.

Year after year passed, and still my salary never increased, nor was there any year-end bonus.

Now I had been slapped three times.

Yet she was telling me to wait for next year again.

I couldn’t help letting out a bitter smile.

For eight years, I had worked like a tireless old workhorse.

In the end, they really treated me like livestock.

Seeing that I didn’t respond, Emily sighed.

“Lily, be realistic. These days, there are graduates from top universities everywhere. With your degree, what’s your competitive edge in the job market?

“The job market is tough right now. Jobs aren’t easy to find, and six thousand a month isn’t exactly low…

“Think it over carefully.”

Then she stood up and left.

Right then, my phone vibrated.

It was a message from the headhunter.

[Ms. Frasier! I’ve finally heard back from you! Are you available for a call right now to discuss in detail?]

The message was excited and enthusiastic. It was a level of respect I hadn’t received in eight years at this company.

The call went smoothly, and the offer they made was very generous.

As long as I joined them, my monthly salary would be sixty thousand.

My year-end bonus was calculated separately.

On top of that, there would be equity incentives.

In an instant, I was offered everything I hadn’t received in eight years at the company, and it would all be written directly into the contract.

I put my phone down.

Then I looked at my swollen face in the mirror.

It felt like a full stop to the past eight years.

…

The next day, I showed up at the company on time.

Not for anything else but to resign.

The swelling on my face hadn’t completely faded yet, and a dark red scab had formed at the corner of my mouth.