Chapter 4 · They Cut My Bonus, So I Joined Their Biggest Rival

The air in the room went heavy.

James kept his eyes on me, and the friendly mask was gone.

"You came prepared."

"When you get backed into a corner, you learn to keep receipts."

"So what do you want?"

"Simple. Pay the full project bonus, clear the negligence finding off my record, and process my resignation properly. And Richard and David put their apologies in writing."

Richard shot to his feet.

"In your dreams!"

He moved so hard that his chair rolled back and hit the wall.

"Michael, one recording doesn't put you above this company. CloudMap Platform belongs to us, and you're still an employee here. This attitude of yours is already interfering with operations."

Emily said coldly, "If you keep stirring things up in the department channel, the company can hold you responsible for leaking salary info and causing chaos at work."

I turned to her.

"Ms. Summers, I sent a resignation email. I didn't send a pay stub. The compensation data came from your own department, and it never left my hands. If you want to come after me, bring evidence."

Emily's face went blotchy.

James was quiet for a few seconds, and then he smiled.

"Michael, I'll grant you that Richard was sloppy with process. But work isn't as simple as you seem to think."

He leaned back and slowed down.

"Go to the labor board, go to court, and do whatever you like. The company has attorneys and time and money. You're raising a child alone. How long can you keep that up? Six months? A year? Two?"

My fingers curled slightly.

He noticed, and I saw a glint of confidence in his eyes.

"Your daughter still needs treatment. Hospitals aren't cheap. If you go to war with us now, you get nothing and you lose the job.

"Blue Horizon Corporation has been trying to pull you over, sure, but you signed a non-compete. The minute we open an investigation, nobody will touch you."

I looked at him calmly.

"It's great to have talent, Michael, but don't think your skills are some kind of magic ticket. This industry's tight. One word from BrightVision Technologies, and you'll find every door slammed shut in your face."

The room went quiet again.

Richard found his confidence, sneered, and sat back down.

"Michael, Mr. Clark is handing you a way out. Thirty percent, 180 thousand dollars, isn't pocket change. Sign the NDA, pull the resignation, and you keep the lead on the CloudMap Platform. Play it right, and the company takes care of you."

I looked at them, one by one.

Suddenly, it all felt absurd.

They had taken my money and threatened my future, and now they wanted me to thank them for leaving me a door.

I picked up my badge and set it down in front of James.

"I'm done."

Richard was stunned for a moment.

Emily's brow furrowed instantly.

"Michael, think this through."

I ignored her and pulled out a folder from my bag.

I had put it together days earlier.

It held screenshots of the leave request, the Slack logs, a transcript of the recording, the project bonus policy, documentation of my work on CloudMap Platform, and an email from the client naming me as their technical lead.

I slid the folder to the middle of the table.

"My complaint to the labor board is ready to go."

I opened my phone in front of them and brought up the submission page.

James' face went dark.

"You wouldn't."

I looked up at him.

"Mr. Clark, do you really think I care about the 600 thousand dollars?"

I hit the submit button.

"I wanted to see how low BrightVision Technologies would go."

The screen returned a confirmation.

Richard slammed the table.

"Michael!"

I picked up my bag and walked out.

James' voice followed me, low.

"Michael, if you walk out that door today, don't come back."

I stopped and looked back at him.

"Mr. Clark, don't worry.

"I won't."

I pushed the door open, and the floor outside went silent.

Everyone pretended to be busy with their screens, and not one of them could hide where they were actually looking.

David was standing a few feet away with the last of his satisfaction still on his face, and he froze when he saw the bag in my hand.

"Michael, you're actually leaving?"

I went to my desk and packed my things into my backpack.

I looked at the half-dead plant and left it where it was.

David leaned in and lowered his voice.

"This is way too reckless, man. Richard already posted that I'm taking over CloudMap Platform. You walk out now and the project has nothing to do with you."

I zipped the backpack.

"Congratulations."

David didn't pick up on the sarcasm. He thought I'd finally given up, and his smirk got even bigger.

"You should have let this go a while ago. Nobody here is irreplaceable. The docs are there, the code is there, and anyone can pick it up and keep it running."

I looked at him.

"David, here's a word of advice."

"What?"

"Start at page one of the handover documents. Don't skip a thing."

His smile froze for a moment, then he gave a dismissive smirk.

"Michael, don't flatter yourself."

I didn't answer.

Chapter 4

The air in the room went heavy.

James kept his eyes on me, and the friendly mask was gone.

"You came prepared."

"When you get backed into a corner, you learn to keep receipts."

"So what do you want?"

"Simple. Pay the full project bonus, clear the negligence finding off my record, and process my resignation properly. And Richard and David put their apologies in writing."

Richard shot to his feet.

"In your dreams!"

He moved so hard that his chair rolled back and hit the wall.

"Michael, one recording doesn't put you above this company. CloudMap Platform belongs to us, and you're still an employee here. This attitude of yours is already interfering with operations."

Emily said coldly, "If you keep stirring things up in the department channel, the company can hold you responsible for leaking salary info and causing chaos at work."

I turned to her.

"Ms. Summers, I sent a resignation email. I didn't send a pay stub. The compensation data came from your own department, and it never left my hands. If you want to come after me, bring evidence."

Emily's face went blotchy.

James was quiet for a few seconds, and then he smiled.

"Michael, I'll grant you that Richard was sloppy with process. But work isn't as simple as you seem to think."

He leaned back and slowed down.

"Go to the labor board, go to court, and do whatever you like. The company has attorneys and time and money. You're raising a child alone. How long can you keep that up? Six months? A year? Two?"

My fingers curled slightly.

He noticed, and I saw a glint of confidence in his eyes.

"Your daughter still needs treatment. Hospitals aren't cheap. If you go to war with us now, you get nothing and you lose the job.

"Blue Horizon Corporation has been trying to pull you over, sure, but you signed a non-compete. The minute we open an investigation, nobody will touch you."

I looked at him calmly.

The room went quiet again.

Richard found his confidence, sneered, and sat back down.

I looked at them, one by one.

Suddenly, it all felt absurd.

They had taken my money and threatened my future, and now they wanted me to thank them for leaving me a door.

I picked up my badge and set it down in front of James.

"I'm done."

Richard was stunned for a moment.

Emily's brow furrowed instantly.

"Michael, think this through."

I ignored her and pulled out a folder from my bag.

I had put it together days earlier.

I slid the folder to the middle of the table.

"My complaint to the labor board is ready to go."

I opened my phone in front of them and brought up the submission page.

James' face went dark.

"You wouldn't."

I looked up at him.

"Mr. Clark, do you really think I care about the 600 thousand dollars?"

I hit the submit button.

"I wanted to see how low BrightVision Technologies would go."

The screen returned a confirmation.

Richard slammed the table.

"Michael!"

I picked up my bag and walked out.

James' voice followed me, low.

"Michael, if you walk out that door today, don't come back."

I stopped and looked back at him.

"Mr. Clark, don't worry.

"I won't."

I pushed the door open, and the floor outside went silent.

Everyone pretended to be busy with their screens, and not one of them could hide where they were actually looking.

David was standing a few feet away with the last of his satisfaction still on his face, and he froze when he saw the bag in my hand.

"Michael, you're actually leaving?"

I went to my desk and packed my things into my backpack.

I looked at the half-dead plant and left it where it was.

David leaned in and lowered his voice.

"This is way too reckless, man. Richard already posted that I'm taking over CloudMap Platform. You walk out now and the project has nothing to do with you."

I zipped the backpack.

"Congratulations."

David didn't pick up on the sarcasm. He thought I'd finally given up, and his smirk got even bigger.

"You should have let this go a while ago. Nobody here is irreplaceable. The docs are there, the code is there, and anyone can pick it up and keep it running."

I looked at him.

"David, here's a word of advice."

"What?"

"Start at page one of the handover documents. Don't skip a thing."

His smile froze for a moment, then he gave a dismissive smirk.

"Michael, don't flatter yourself."

I didn't answer.