Chapter 2

I didn't rush. Every move I made was calm and steady, as if I were packing to move, not walking away from my job.

All my personal files on the computer were already deleted.

Only the handover documents remained.

I had written them clearly and in detail. Anyone with basic business sense could follow them.

Of course, that "anyone" didn't include Tina.

All she was good at was hogging the spotlight. She could barely handle a basic client needs analysis.

But that was no longer my concern.

I placed the last item into the box, picked it up, and stood.

The office stayed quiet.

Everyone watched me, their expressions complicated.

Tina's face shifted from dark to pale. She clearly hadn't expected me to act this decisively.

She probably thought I would cry, argue, or beg Baxter to reconsider.

However, I disappointed her.

I carried the box and walked toward HR.

The HR manager, Abigail Clarke, was in her forties. She usually wore a cold, professional expression.

But when she saw me today, she actually smiled, just a little.

"Valda, why go this far?" she asked. "Mr. Wade is always like that. You should try to understand.

"It's not worth throwing away such a good job over a moment of anger."

I set the box down on the floor. "Abigail, let's process the paperwork."

My voice stayed calm. There was no anger or bitterness.

Abigail sighed and said, "I saw your resignation letter. The whole company did.

"Mr. Wade is furious. He says you're not to stay a minute longer. Are you really selling your apartment?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm selling it. The air here isn't good. I want to live somewhere else."

She stopped trying to persuade me. Instead, she pulled out the forms and started checking everything off.

The process moved quickly, almost as if they wanted me gone as soon as possible.

I returned my employee badge, my access card, and my laptop. I signed where I needed to sign.

It was done. Abigail looked at me again, hesitating. "Valda, there's something I'm not sure I should bring up."

"Just say it," I replied.

"I looked through your handover documents. They're very clear," she said.

Then she paused. "But there doesn't seem to be any access path listed for the client database for the core 300-million-dollar project."

I smiled. "Really? I might have overlooked that."

Her eyes immediately sharpened with suspicion.

I didn't give her time to ask anything else. "Is everything completed?"

"It is," she said with a nod.

"Then I'm leaving. Goodbye, Abigail." I picked up my box and walked out without looking back.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.

The doors slid shut, cutting off everything behind me.

I was alone. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My face was a little pale, but my eyes were bright.

A strange sense of lightness spread through me, something I had never felt before.

The elevator reached the ground floor. The moment I stepped out, someone hurried up behind me. "Valda."

I turned. It was Jeffrey Lane, one of the most reliable and hardworking members of my team.

"Are you really leaving?" he asked, slightly out of breath. His eyes were full of worry.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Mr. Wade went too far. We all support you," he said.

I gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "Keep it up. You've got real potential."

"But what are you going to do now? You're even selling your apartment." His voice carried real concern.

I smiled. "I'm going to take a vacation first."

"Seriously? Where to?" Jeffrey blurted out, looking genuinely surprised.

"Maienstal, I think. It's peak season there right now," I said.

His mouth dropped open. He probably thought I had lost my mind.

I had just lost my job, and I was heading somewhere so expensive.

My phone vibrated. It was a message from an unknown number.

It was short. [Everything is ready.]

I deleted it and looked back at Jeffrey. "Don't worry. I'm not going to just swallow this. Things have a way of evening out."

Jeffrey nodded, still looking a little lost.

I waved goodbye, carried my box, and walked out of the building where I had spent three years of my life.

The sunlight outside felt just right.