Chapter 2

Those words kept echoing in my head.

I stared at the words on the notice, then at Brynn's cold face. Suddenly, a chill ran straight down my spine.

I had donated 1 pint of blood for Howard's daughter, and all I got in return was a 600-dollar penalty notice.

I held the thin notice in my hand, but it felt incredibly heavy. Every word on it felt like it was mocking my kindness and stupidity.

"Brynn." My voice was surprisingly calm. "Is this punishment your decision, or Mr. Jones's?"

Brynn pushed up her glasses, avoiding my eyes. "This is company policy. It's the same for everyone."

The same old rules again.

I nodded. "Got it."

I didn't argue anymore. There was no point arguing with someone who followed rules like a machine.

I walked out of the office with the notice in my hand.

When I got back to my desk, people around me noticed something was wrong and kept looking at me.

I ignored them all and marched straight to the CEO's office at the end of the hallway.

I had to talk to Howard. I didn't believe a father would treat someone who saved his daughter like this.

Maybe it was a mistake from his subordinates.

Holding on to my last shred of hope, I knocked on the heavy door.

"Come in." Howard's steady voice came from inside.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

He was sitting behind a big desk, reading a document carefully. Behind his glasses, his gaze was sharp and intent.

The air conditioning was on full blast, making the office feel icy cold.

"Mr. Jones," I said as I walked up to his desk.

He didn't look up. He gave a quiet response, telling me to go on.

It really hurt to be brushed off like that.

I took a deep breath and gently placed the notice beside his hand. "Mr. Jones, I'd like to ask what this is about."

Howard finally looked away from his file and glanced at the notice.

He picked it up, glanced at it, then set it aside like it was nothing more than scrap paper.

His attention returned to his paperwork. "HR is following company policy. Is there a problem?"

His tone was flat, carrying no emotion at all.

At that moment, I felt cold inside. Whatever hope I had left was crushed by his casual words.

I looked at him.

I had worked for him for three years and thought he had some humanity in him. A few hours ago, he was a father in the hospital, panicked and almost breaking down.

Now I realized that, in his eyes, rules mattered more than his daughter's survival.

"Problem?" I repeated quietly, then let out a bitter laugh. "No."

I finally understood that he and I would never be able to see things the same way.

In his world, everything had a price. An employee's worth was tied to profit. My blood was merely a resource used to save his daughter, and my absence was a violation of the rules.

Therefore, deducting a 2000-dollar bonus was, to them, completely reasonable. It was a simple transaction.

Howard looked surprised by how I reacted. He finally raised his head and met my eyes.

He said, "Nora, I know you donated blood for Sasha, and we should thank you for that, but rules are rules. We can't break them only because you did something helpful."

He paused briefly, as if satisfied with his reasoning. "Fairness is the principle I use to manage the company."

Fairness? What a joke. I risked my life for his daughter, and he was here, talking to me about fairness.

At that moment, I was completely done with him and the company.

All my frustration, anger, and resentment disappeared. What I felt instead was a strange calm and sense of finality.

"I got it, Mr. Jones," I said. "Thanks for teaching me this."

After saying that, I turned and left without hesitation.

Howard watched me leave, frowning slightly. He seemed a bit surprised that I reacted this way, but didn't say anything.

Maybe, to him, an employee's feelings didn't matter at all.

*****

I went back to my desk.

My coworkers around me pretended to be busy, but I could feel their attention secretly fixed on me.

I turned on my laptop and ignored everyone.

I created a new document and typed the title: [Resignation Notice.]

Then I kept going. [Mr. Jones, for personal reasons, I'm resigning from all my positions effective immediately. Sincerely, Nora Sherman.]

I finished it in one go. There were no complaints, no explanations, and no extra polite wording.

There was no point in saying anything more to a company that had already hurt me.

I sent the email to my manager and HR, then printed a copy as well.

The printer made a soft sound, and a warm sheet came out.

I picked up the paper. Every word on it showed my determination.

Clutching the paper, I marched straight to the CEO's office. This time, I didn't bother knocking.

I opened the door and went straight in.

Howard was on the phone, and when he saw me burst in, he frowned, clearly unhappy.

He told the person on the phone to wait, then covered the receiver and said in a low voice, "Nora, this is inappropriate. Why didn't you knock?"

I ignored his rebuke. I placed the warm paper in front of him. My movement was gentle, but the sound it made felt sharp, like a slap across his face.

Howard froze. He looked at the paper, eyes widening. "What do you mean?"

"It's all written there." I looked at him coldly. "I quit. Now."

Howard's face immediately turned ugly. In his eyes was the anger of someone whose authority had been challenged, and his face twitched slightly.

"This is nonsense." He raised his voice. "All for 600 dollars? Is it really worth it? Can you grow up?"

I laughed. "Mr. Jones, you're wrong. It's not about the 600 dollars. It's about me."

I pointed at the penalty notice on his desk. "I'll treat the 600 dollars as a lesson. That's also my apology for quitting suddenly."

I deliberately emphasized the word "apology".

"We're square now," I said.