Chapter 2
The moment I finished talking, the VIP room went dead silent.
Raymond Davis, my executive assistant, almost dropped the stack of files in his hands. "Ms. Spraggins, are you serious? Between the main company and all our subsidiaries, we've got 100,000 employees.
"If you give each one 143, that's 14.3 million."
He'd been working with me for years and was well aware of how quickly I made decisions.
Sure, I'd always been generous with employee perks, but calling out Morris's name and tapping into his wallet for a company-wide bonus? That was a first.
After all, I wasn't just known for being some ruthless, independent woman in the boardroom.
I wasn't the kind of heiress who only knew how to spend her man's money, either.
"I'm certain. All 100,000 employees—no exceptions," I said, firm and decisive.
Pausing for a moment, I added with a smirk.
"Write in the note: 'Mr. Barker's Valentine's Day bonus.' Make sure everyone sees just how generous Mr. Barker can be."
Raymond paused, stunned for a moment.
"Ms. Spraggins, that's... really a lot, isn't it?" he said, sounding almost overwhelmed.
"Come on, our people bust their tails every day. 143 is hardly too much for them," I shot back, playful but resolute.
"If they keep up the good work, next time I'll make it 1430."
I flashed him a big, genuine smile.
Raymond's shock melted away, replaced by pure, unrestrained joy in his eyes.
He nodded so fast it was almost comical. "Absolutely, Ms. Spraggins! I'll handle it right now. Every single employee will see their 143 in their account within ten minutes."
He grabbed his phone and practically bounced out to call finance, totally forgetting about the overseas trip briefing he was supposed to give me.
Morris's subordinates all went pale, standing there like deer in headlights, not daring to breathe.
One of the bolder secretaries finally worked up the nerve to step forward, his voice barely above a whisper.
"M-Ms. Spraggins, this is Mr. Barker's personal money. Shouldn't we... maybe check with him first? What if he doesn't agree?"
Before he could finish, I raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think that's necessary?
"Who do you think made Mr. Barker's company what it is today?
"If it weren't for all the hard work from our employees, would the company even be here? It's just a little cash to make everyone happy—you think he'd have a problem with that?"
My words left the secretary speechless. He lowered his head, wishing the floor would just swallow him up.
The rest of Morris's subordinates, meanwhile, were all grinning from ear to ear, showering me with thanks.
They couldn't stop with the flattery.
Just then, my phone exploded with a call—it was Morris.
He was practically yelling, his voice shaking with anger.
"Helen! Have you lost your mind? Who told you to hand out 143 to every single employee? That's 14.3 million! Do you even realize how much that is?!"
I stared out at the horizon, unfazed. "You like giving out 143, right? Well, this time, I'm making sure everyone gets their fill.
"Why spoil just one employee?
"Everyone's busting their ass around here.
"So let's spread the love. Fair's fair."
"You... you did this on purpose!" Morris was so mad he could barely string a sentence together. "Helen, tell finance to stop right now, or I'm not letting this go!"
"Not letting this go?" I shot back, my eyes cold. "Listen to yourself. Watch your tone and remember who you're talking to."
Before he could say another word, I hung up and casually tossed my phone onto the table.
Raymond hurried back in, smiling as he gave his report.
"Ms. Spraggins, it's all set! Every employee's 143 has hit their account. The company group chat is going wild; everyone's thanking Mr. Barker!"
I nodded, got to my feet, and adjusted my blazer. "Great."
*****
As soon as I got back from my business trip, I rushed straight to Morris's parents' for the weekly dinner.
After closing a 7 billion dollar deal, I was pretty wiped out.
But tonight's dinner was non-negotiable.
We had these family dinners every week. My parents-in-law, Toby and Abby, said it was all about keeping everyone together.
Out of respect for them, I never said no.
As soon as I walked in, I saw Abby's face was stormy.
"Helen, you really know how to stir things up. Do you think Morris's 14.3 million just falls from the sky? You handed out bonuses to the whole company with a snap of your fingers. Do you even care about this family anymore?" she snapped.
The atmosphere in the living room instantly turned tense. Toby sat off to the side, his face just as grim.
I'd been married to Morris for ten years, and I'd never once put a foot wrong. This was the first time they'd finally found something to hold against me.
Of course, they were going to make the most of it and give me a piece of their mind.
Morris kept his eyes down, looking all pitiful, like I was the one being unreasonable and reckless with money.
I took off my coat and handed it to the maid, my face completely expressionless.
"Abby, that's not fair. I used Morris's money to thank our employees. Isn't that better than him sending 143 to some other woman?" I said.
"What are you talking about?!" Abby snapped.
She slammed her hand down on the table.