Chapter 1With a week left before the holiday, I took my usual three days off early.
My boss Zach, who's also my childhood best friend, grinned.
"Same deal as always. Paid time off."
His girlfriend Rain Parker rolled her eyes.
"Paid? Since when do we get special treatment? You're my boyfriend, not hers!"
The next thing I knew, she threw her coffee in my face.
"Bitch, trying to steal my man?"
"You think being an OG gets you a free ride forever?"
"Well. I'm calling the shots today. Skip work, lose double pay and your 20% bonus!"
The other partners jumped in fast.
"Rain's right. That bonus? We need to talk."
"This is a TEAM company. Why does SHE get twenty percent more just for being a woman?"
I looked at these assholes and laughed.
Fifteen years ago, they were all broke. One guy lived in his car.
I begged Dad for startup cash.
Spent a year in Chicago closing deals solo so these losers could sit in office chairs.
I wiped the coffee off.
Then I let out a cold laugh.
"Fine. This damn company can go under."
That night, I pulled my team and funding out of the project.
By morning, Zach was blowing up my phone, begging me to come back.
...
Coffee dripped down my neck.
Zach grabbed napkins and rushed over.
Rain blocked him. "Back off, babe."
She eyed me. "God. Such a Pick-Me. Makes me sick."
Zach froze. Napkins hanging there.
Rain spoke slow, like I'm dumb.
"You. Want. Time. Off? Fine. Pay for it. Three days plus attendance bonus. Thirteen grand."
I wiped my face.
"You read too many Reddit threads. Hear yourself?"
Rain's smile turned mean.
"I hear myself fine. You're the token girl here. Been milking it dry."
She whipped around at Zach.
"And YOU. So easy to fool. She threw you cash years ago in some Brooklyn dump, now acts like a trust fund baby. Company finally makes money and you let her treat it like her piggy bank."
Zach went pale. "Stop. Rain."
He turned to me. "Ivy, I'm sorry. She just graduated, she doesn't know better—"
Rain cut in.
"I DON'T need to figure anything out. I went to NYU Stern. I know business. Unlike this parasite."
"The last month, you took three paid days too. This isn't vacation. It's abuse."
Zach's hand dropped.
I stared at him, weirdly calm.
Yeah, last month I took three days.
But the month before, I worked thirty straight. No breaks.
Everyone got weekends. I was in Manhattan closing deals.
Same with Fourth of July. Needed three days before this huge project kicked off.
Our company looked fine.
But these partners bled it dry for years. This project was our last shot.
After it started, I'd work two months straight.
I just wanted three days. Fly home to see Dad.
Zach knew this.
He TOLD me I earned extra time off.
Fifteen years ago in that grimy Brooklyn space, I saved this company.
Paid their rent in Queens when they were broke.
Fifteen years. Never charged them for this Midtown office.
They didn't know my dad owned the building. That I let them use it free.
Zach called me the company hero. Said my twenty percent was deserved.
Now his girlfriend calls me a parasite.
I looked at him. "That what you think too?"
His mouth opened. But said nothing.
Rain shrieked. "Stop FLIRTING with him while I'm RIGHT HERE!"
She turned on Zach.
"Everyone sees you baby her! If she's innocent, she'll take the cut!"
Zach looked away.
Employees crowded the door, whispering:
"She makes the most and wants special treatment."
"If she's innocent, she'd just take it."
Rain smiled like a shark. "Three days plus bonus. Thirteen grand. Nothing to you, right?"
I said nothing.
She laughed—ugly sound.
"You make six figures a month and you're whining about thirteen grand? Think you own this place? Lucky my boyfriend's been such a pushover."
"Well he's got ME now. That ends today."
Zach spoke, voice quiet.
"Maybe... dock three days' base. Everyone's watching. No special treatment."
"You make top money. You'll be fine."
I stared. "You think I should pay?"
He looked down.
There it was.
I nodded. "Fine. Dock it. Tell HR."
Rain's chin lifted. "Smart. Doesn't matter how close you are—rules are rules."
Zach said nothing.
I spoke flat. "You're right. Professional from now on. I'll do my job. Nothing more."
Zach's face went whiter.
Rain waved her hand. "That's how it SHOULD be. Otherwise people think you're obsessed. Ever heard of boundaries?"
I laughed. Cold and sharp.
I turned to leave.
Rain called out.
"Wait."
Chapter 2
I stopped.
Rain blocked my path. "Hold up. We're not done."
Zach's voice shot up. "Stop!"
Rain's eyes went red.
She glared at him like he'd stabbed her.
"Why SHOULD I? She's been riding seniority for years."
She turned back to me.
"Company's been around fifteen years. Every holiday, you take three extra paid days. We let it slide when money was tight, but you make the MOST now. That adds up."
"My boyfriend gave you those days out of kindness. You can't keep taking advantage.
I had HR pull the numbers—you've stolen half a month every year.
Fifteen years? That's at least ten months. Let's call it ten."
She slapped a printout on the front desk.
The room went quiet.
I looked at Zach.
He bit his lip. Looked down.
My fingers went cold.
I took a slow breath. "Zach. Tell them why I took those days."
He swallowed hard.
Rain jumped in. "Who CARES why? You took the time. You owe the money."
"Ten months. Hundred K each. That's a MILLION dollars you stole."
Zach grabbed her arm. "ENOUGH."
Rain yanked free. "You keep defending her? We're DONE."
She locked eyes with me. "You got any shame? Pay it back."
More people crowded around.
Someone muttered, "A million bucks..."
"She always acts so humble. Guess it was fake."
"Most people work their whole lives and don't see a million."
Rain's eyes gleamed.
"A million's just the start. Who knows how many projects she delayed taking all those vacations? Company lost way more."
I stared at her. "What exactly do you want?"
Her voice went light. Airy.
"One point five million. Penalty fee. Give it to everyone for a holiday trip fund. Company pool."
A few people's eyes lit up.
Zach finally exploded.
"Are you INSANE? How can you even ASK Ivy for that?!"
Rain burst into tears.
"You're STILL protecting her! I thought she had the crush, but do YOU like her too?!"
She pounded his chest.
"You think I want money?! I'm doing this for YOU! You drank yourself into the hospital from work dinners while SHE took paid vacations! How's that fair?"
Zach's face shifted.
Rain kept sobbing.
"We're getting married soon. You'd rather let HER coast while YOU suffer?"
Zach's fists clenched slowly.
Rain wailed, "You're grateful to her. You gave her time off—did she thank you?
When you were in the hospital, did she visit ONCE?
Stop treating snakes like saints. I'm the only one who cares about you!"
I looked at Zach. "What's your answer?"
Pain twisted his face.
After a few seconds, he took a breath.
"Rain's young. She doesn't think before talking. I'm sorry, but... she's not completely wrong.
You... you've let me down."
I nodded slow. "So you want me to pay?"
He kept his head down. Wouldn't look at me.
"Not pay back. Return it. For everyone's trip fund."
I laughed bitter. "Last project brought the company ten mil. My commission was exactly one point five. Deduct it from that."
Rain looked smug.
"Well. Then I'll still let you work here."
I didn't respond. Turned to leave.
Rain blocked me again.
"Wait. We're not done. What about your extra commission every year?"
Chapter 3
Zach sighed heavy. "Enough, Ivy. Go wash up."
Rain wouldn't back down.
"No way. We're settling accounts properly. We finally have a chance—she's not wiggling out."
I snapped, "Out of WHAT?"
Rain sneered.
"Your commission's twenty percent higher than everyone's. That Q1 project? Ten million payout.
You grabbed three hundred K more than us. Why?"
Zach raised his voice. "STOP."
Rain shouted louder.
"Stop WHAT? 300K isn't small change!
We gave you that extra twenty back when you were the only woman here, so we cut you slack.
Company's grown on EVERYONE now. Nobody's obligated to keep babying you."
I turned to Zach. "You got something to add?"
He stared at the floor. Said nothing.
Rain kept going.
"He's a man, so he won't say it. I will. You're not just taking from my boyfriend—you're taking from the WHOLE COMPANY."
I clenched my fists. Rage boiling.
"I put up the STARTUP money. I closed NINE out of every TEN deals.
We AGREED I'd get twenty percent more. What's the problem?"
Rain rolled her eyes.
"Everyone was naive back then. Who knew the company would blow up? You took advantage and locked everyone down early."
Zach's arm went stiff. Still silent.
I looked at the other partners. The ones I thought were friends.
Every single one looked away.
They all knew.
When they couldn't afford food, I gave them cash.
When they had nowhere to live, I found them places.
When the company almost collapsed, I worked three months straight and saved it.
Now? Not one word in my defense.
Marco lit a cigarette. Kyle stared at his phone. Trevor bit his lip. Silent.
Rain looked triumphant. "See? Everyone agrees."
I stared at her. "You're an OUTSIDER. "
She flushed red. "Then let THEM speak."
She looked at Marco. "Marco?"
Marco mumbled, "Commission split... we could look at it again."
She turned to Kyle. "Kyle?"
Kyle coughed. "Economy's rough. Restructuring makes sense."
Finally Trevor. "You're good with numbers. Say something fair."
Trevor bit harder. "Ivy... maybe we should review the percentages."
Rain's chin went up. "Hear that? EVERYONE thinks it's time to rebalance."
I took a slow breath. "You all want it equal?"
Silence.
Rain's eyes glinted mean.
"Equal? No way. This is business. Women have kids eventually, take maternity leave, get married.
You'll go through all that. You'll pull LESS weight.
So naturally, you shouldn't get paid the same."
Zach slammed the table. "STOP."
Rain shot back, "I'M NOT STOPPING. When she has a baby, everyone else does her projects.
Should she still get equal pay? Is THAT fair? So her commission should be LOWEST tier."
"She's enjoyed being the token woman long enough.
Time to deal with the downsides. You can't just grab the perks."
I smiled cold.
"We have a CONTRACT. You breaching it?"
Rain waved dismissively.
"Contract's just paper. Enforcement needs everyone's agreement."
She looked around.
"Who agrees, raise your hand.
Who doesn't—don't whine later when YOUR commission drops."
