Right before handing out the year-end bonuses, my boss pulled me aside and whispered: "Your bonus is still the highest in the department, but keep it quiet. We don't want to affect team morale." I believed him, feeling a sense of comfort. The amount wasn't huge, but at least the boss recognized my hard work. My year of grinding hadn't been in vain. But that night, I accidentally overheard my boss drunkenly confessing the truth: "Gullible, unconnected employees like Chloe are the easiest to manipulate. "Just feed her a few lies, and she'll work harder than a mule." A sudden clarity hit me. For the past three years, my bonus had actually been the lowest. 1 Right before the year-end bonuses were distributed, my boss, Mr. Vance, suddenly called me into his office. After making sure the door was closed tight, he lowered his voice: "Chloe, I need you to mentally prepare yourself for something. "You know the market is tough right now, clients aren't paying on time, and the company's cash flow is tight... I'm afraid the year-end bonuses this year will just be a token gesture." He looked deeply pained as he said this, his eyes even looking a little red. My heart sank with his words. At the beginning of the year, to motivate everyone, the boss promised extra bonuses based on the projects we completed. I worked myself to the bone, exceeding my quota by completing over a dozen projects—literally double the output of anyone else in the department. Even calculating with the lowest bonus percentage, I should have received tens of thousands of dollars. But now... any expectations I had for my bonus vanished completely. Mr. Vance finished sighing, then suddenly gave me a conspiratorial smile: "But as the boss, I see how hard a core employee like you has worked this year. "Don't worry, just like the past two years, your bonus is still the highest in your department. "But please, keep this an absolute secret. I don't want to affect team morale." Hearing this brought me some comfort. Even if it wasn't a lot of money, the boss was fair. My year of working day and night hadn't been completely wasted. The industry was suffering, the company couldn't afford to pay out, and no one could do anything about it. When I first graduated and struggled to find a job, I accidentally stumbled into this company. From a clueless rookie to a competent lead designer, Mr. Vance had indeed given me many opportunities. When benefits were severely slashed, I thought about quitting, but my loyalty to the company kept me here. Seeing him so distressed, I even offered some kind words of comfort: "Mr. Vance, don't be too sad. We'll all work harder next year, and we'll definitely make a lot of money." Mr. Vance looked slightly awkward for a moment, but quickly put on a touched expression: "Chloe, with employees like you looking out for the big picture, how could Elegance Interiors not succeed and grow?! "Next year, we'll all roll up our sleeves and work hard! When the company's cash flow improves, you'll be the first one I compensate!" I offered a bitter smile and nodded. Just as I was about to leave, Mr. Vance stopped me again. "Actually, there's an opportunity right in front of us. "Right after the holidays, there's an urgent, high-priority project. Mr. Price needs his manor renovated. Over a dozen competitors are eyeing this massive opportunity. The contract is worth five million dollars! "Look... since you're getting the highest bonus, taking on this tough project for the company shouldn't be a problem, right?" 2 To be honest, the moment I heard "after the holidays," "urgent," and "high-priority," my head started ringing. My family lived out of state. Factoring in travel time, I could only spend four or five days at home for the Lunar New Year. If I had to work overtime on a project, I'd only get one or two days of rest. My holiday would basically be ruined. I was just about to decline when Mr. Vance cut me off: "Chloe, I've always favored you when it comes to bonuses! At a critical moment like this, you have to step up for the company! "Mr. Price was very satisfied with the model home design you did for his real estate development last time. That's the only reason he's giving our company a chance. "Besides, the timeline is too tight. I really don't feel comfortable handing this to anyone else!" I let out a long sigh. With him putting it like that, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree. The design market is so distorted these days. Deadlines are always immediately after holidays. And these are projects where no contract has been signed, yet the boss still bends over backwards, demanding multiple design proposals for the client to choose from. Designers have long been numb to it. Seeing me nod, Mr. Vance beamed: "Great! Then on the eighth day of the New Year, the day we get back to work, you bring five different design proposals. I'll go with you to present them to Mr. Price, and we'll fight to win this massive project! "Don't worry, if we land this, I'll personally give you a hundred-thousand-dollar bonus at the end of the year!" I forced a smile, not daring to hold out much hope for the bonus. In this economy, just getting my regular salary on time was enough to satisfy me. Before I closed the door to leave, he reminded me one last time. "Remember, absolutely keep the bonus a secret!" 3 With complicated feelings, I walked back to my desk in silence. Colleagues around me were chatting in small groups about the year-end bonuses, but I had zero interest in joining them. Not long after I spaced out at my desk, the continuous sound of text message notifications echoed across the entire office floor. "Holy shit, the bonuses are deposited!" Someone shouted. Startled, I remembered my boss's warning. I discreetly lowered my phone under my desk and carefully opened the message. With just one glance, the glaring number "$2,000" burned into my retinas. My vision went dark. This was completely absurd! I counted the zeros several times to confirm the amount. The sliver of hope I had been holding onto completely died. So the boss's "token gesture" really was just two thousand dollars! Last year, I got at least eight thousand. This year, it was only a quarter of that. What was most laughable was that my meager amount was actually the highest in the department? At that moment, I even worried that my colleagues might storm the boss's office in protest. But when I scanned the room... I found that the other colleagues in the department were surprisingly calm, packing up to leave for the day. "Sigh, less and less every year. Be content; it's better than getting nothing." "Yeah, the market is bad. We all have to weather the storm together." "Are you still not satisfied? The economy out there is trash. It's a blessing to get paid at all. Go ask around, how many companies just handed out a bag of rice for the holidays?" 4 That last comment came from my colleague, Mia. She was the boss's niece, an art major who had just graduated and joined our design department six months ago. The other colleagues usually sucked up to her, and no one cared when she made passive-aggressive comments. A few who were close to her even went over to chat. "Now that we've got our bonuses, I'm going all out this weekend. That new trendy seafood buffet is really good, only $600 a person. Who wants to go?" "I'm finally going to bite the bullet and buy that mink coat I've been eyeing for my New Year's outfit." "Mia, what are you buying with your bonus?" Mia lifted her chin, adjusted her Gucci bag, and replied lazily: "Whether it's a little or a lot, it's the company's gesture. Anyway, I'm going to the Maldives for a vacation... If it's not enough, I'll just ask my family to chip in." Everyone praised her wealthy family background and marveled that a rich heiress would actually deign to work. Hearing their conversation, I silently clicked my tongue. With the tiny amount we received, it wouldn't even cover the cost of a decent coat at the mall... Girls from big cities with wealthy families really know how to spend money. For some reason, Mia, surrounded by her sycophants, suddenly looked at me. "Chloe, you got your bonus, why aren't you happy? "I just saw you come out of the boss's office. What secret were you discussing with the door closed, afraid we'd hear?" As soon as Mia spoke, the others chimed in: "Yeah, Chloe works so hard, the boss must have given you a huge bonus, right?" "Chloe became a lead designer at such a young age. She's the backbone of the company. It's perfectly normal if she got more than us." "Exactly. Chloe is a famous workaholic. Our department's 'A' rating this year was practically carried by her alone. So many big clients requested her by name." Faced with their teasing, I had to reply, just offering a smile: "It wasn't just my effort; it was everyone's hard work. "Everyone knows how hard it is to collect payments right now. My bonus is probably the same as everyone else's." Truthfully, given the base amount was so low, I genuinely thought everyone got roughly the same. I didn't know what the boss was thinking, worrying that I wouldn't keep it a secret. To be frank, I'd be too embarrassed to even say the amount out loud. While we were talking, I wasn't paying attention, and Mia had quietly slipped behind me. Before I could react, she suddenly snatched my phone right out of my hand: "Chloe, your bonus is definitely bigger than ours, right? Let me see how much it is!" 5 The others also gathered around curiously, all wanting a look at my phone. I reacted immediately, trying to grab my phone back. But I was blocked by the crowd and couldn't reach it. Mia scrolled through my phone for a moment, then handed it back to me, looking disappointed. "Tch, you actually deleted the text notification. You're way too cautious, Chloe. How boring." I was so angry I almost hit her. I snatched my phone back and glared at her coldly: "Is snatching someone else's phone fun? Don't go too far." Seeing I was angry, Mia softened her tone and reached out to grab my arm. "Okay, okay, Chloe, I'm sorry. It was just a joke, you're not actually going to hold a grudge, are you?" The others also tried to smooth things over. I wasn't in the mood to argue. I gave a perfunctory response, grabbed my bag, and stormed out. The boss had arranged a company dinner tonight at a restaurant owned by one of his relatives. I couldn't muster any enthusiasm all night; my mind was entirely focused on that pathetic bonus. Perhaps noticing my sour expression, when Mr. Vance came to toast our table, he specifically patted my shoulder: "Sigh, it's been tough for you all this year. "Even though it's not a lot of money, your old pal Vance really tried his best. Suppliers were literally at my door demanding payment, and I had to grit my teeth and hold off paying them just for you." My colleagues raised their glasses and offered polite pleasantries; I didn't say much. As the dinner drew to a close, I left with the main group. Mr. Vance, however, hadn't had enough. Acting like a typical drunk, he pulled a few of his closest cronies back into the room to keep drinking. When I got outside, I realized I had forgotten my scarf and went back to the restaurant to get it. Just as I reached the door of the large private room, I heard a piercing, girlish laugh coming from inside. "Uncle, why is my bonus only a hundred thousand dollars? You're too cheap. I heard the company just collected two million dollars yesterday." 6 Mia's words froze me in my tracks. Before I could even process it, the clearly intoxicated voice of Mr. Vance drifted out. "Mia, you're still not satisfied? You already got the most out of everyone in the design department. "Just look at... those employees with more seniority than you, they only got ten or twenty thousand. "And that Chloe... Look at how many projects she completed this year... How much did she get? You know perfectly well." Mia laughed happily: "You're terrible, Uncle. She is a lead designer, after all, and you dismissed her with a measly two thousand dollars... "She got the lowest amount in the entire company, aren't you afraid she'll find out and quit?" Mr. Vance scoffed: "This is what you don't understand. This is called... the art of management. You give people the treatment they deserve. "Gullible, unconnected employees like Chloe are the easiest to manipulate. "Just feed her a few lies, and she'll work harder than a mule." Hearing this, my mind went almost entirely blank. "Don't worry, she won't quit, and she can't quit, hahaha." The laughter from the few people inside grew louder. Standing outside the door, I was so angry I felt like I was plunged into an ice bath, trembling uncontrollably. So all these years, the boss had been lying to me. I was the clown who always got the lowest bonus. 7 I had been with the company for five years. The first two years, I was a rookie, so getting paid less made sense. From the third year on, I was leading projects on my own and helped the company survive a major crisis. Without any false modesty, I contributed the most to the entire design department. But in the end, my bonus was the lowest! And I foolishly believed the boss appreciated me, burying myself in work and giving my all. Those colleagues who were always late, leaving early, and slacking off got more than me; The seasoned veterans who shirked responsibility and threw others under the bus got more than me; Even the new hire who spent her days reading novels and watching dramas at work, and had only been here for six months, got more than me! I wanted to storm in right then and there and demand an explanation from Mr. Vance. What gave the company the right to treat me this way? Do honest, hard-working people deserve to be bullied? But a second before I pushed the door open, a thought struck me. Knowing him, even if we had a falling out, he definitely wouldn't admit it, and even if he did, he absolutely wouldn't compensate me. I wanted to make sure he faced severe retribution! With a plan in mind, I quietly left the restaurant without alerting anyone. Early the next morning, just as I boarded the high-speed train to go home, I received a call from Mr. Vance. "Chloe, I had Mia send you the villa details and design requirements for Mr. Price's project. Make sure you check them as soon as you get home. "Don't forget, the deadline for the designs is the eighth day of the New Year. "If we don't land this contract, the company will probably face an even tougher year next year. You absolutely cannot betray my trust!" Without a moment's hesitation, I cheerfully agreed: "Don't worry, Mr. Vance. I will definitely have five design proposals ready by the eighth. I guarantee we'll secure Mr. Price." Mr. Vance laughed happily on the other end of the line. I was very happy, too. Smart boss, just wait for this 'gullible employee' to give you a massive surprise on the eighth. 8 I went home for the holidays completely broke. My parents didn't say anything and were still incredibly happy to see me. They were honest, hardworking people all their lives, only worrying that I was too exhausted working out of state. They often advised me to listen to my leaders at work and perform well. Every time they said this, I agreed out loud, but my hatred for Mr. Vance only grew deeper. Fortunately, my plan was progressing step by step. Right after New Year's Eve, early on New Year's Day, Mr. Vance sent me a message. Reminding me not to forget the overtime project. I replied instantly, telling him I had already started drafting the proposals and was overflowing with inspiration. He was very satisfied and replied with a thumbs-up emoji. On the second, third... for several days in a row, he messaged me daily to check on my progress, like clocking in. Every time, I was incredibly cooperative, telling him to put his mind at ease and just enjoy his holiday. Mr. Vance had no suspicions. After all, he knew me too well after all these years. As long as I promised to take on a job, I would never drop the ball. I would finish it even if I were in the hospital hooked up to an IV. But I guess this project was just too important. On the fifth day, he actually called me via video chat to confirm my progress. I complained, sounding a bit wronged: "Mr. Vance, why don't you trust me? I told you I'm working overtime drafting the proposals. Please, just relax." Mr. Vance laughed awkwardly: "Of course I trust your work. I just wanted to see how the progress is going. "You should have three or four of the five proposals done by now, right? Let me take a quick look, and I can give you some advice." I sneered internally and pointed the camera directly at my computer screen. I gave him a quick, blurry glance. The screen was indeed filled with stacks of folders and design blueprints. Before he could see clearly, I turned the camera away. Mr. Vance beamed brilliantly: "See? I told you I have complete faith in your skills. "So many designs in just a few days! I'll be waiting for your masterpiece on the eighth. Elegance Interiors is going to shine in front of Mr. Price again!" "Absolutely, absolutely," I said with a smile and hung up. The proposals were indeed being worked on, but I created two versions.
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