Listening to Kitty spout her high-minded speech, I nearly threw up on the spot.

Hardworking? Diligent? Always replying in seconds?

Back when I was training her on client accounts, she complained the clients were too much trouble and trashed them behind their backs.

To hit her numbers, she'd promise clients anything, and in the end I was always the one cleaning up her mess.

I couldn't stomach that fake, simpering face of hers, so I frowned and turned to stare at my own monitor.

While Kitty was busy ordering everyone their milk tea, I bundled every file I had on that big contract and sent the whole packet to her with a single click, then leaned back in my chair, thinking.

For years I'd run myself ragged day and night for those numbers. When I actually did the math, I'd racked up a full six months of unused leave.

After browsing a few tour packages, I went straight into the system and filed a leave request.

Just as I expected, the manager called me into his office right away.

"Shirley, is this you throwing a tantrum at me?"

I looked at him calmly. "Manager, I'm only taking the leave I'm entitled to. That's within procedure, isn't it?"

He let out a cold snort, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Shirley, don't think so highly of yourself."

"Walk out that door, and when you come back, your accounts will all be gone. Don't say I didn't warn you."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Whatever."

Face like a storm cloud, he gritted his teeth and clicked approve in the system.

I packed my bags and flew out of town for a few days.

Once I'd had my fill of the trip, I met up with a few headhunters I knew well and locked down the new job and terms for good.

Only after all of that was settled did I finally have time to scroll through my work messages.

That was when I found that Kitty, whose calls I'd already blocked, had bombarded me with over a hundred messages on the app.

"Shirley, why didn't you note down that the client is allergic to caffeine? I bought Mr. Chavez a premium black coffee and he blew up right there. Did you do this to sabotage me on purpose?!"

"What does clause two of the contract actually mean? Say something!"

"Playing dead, huh? People like you deserve to get demoted!"

Reading those furious accusations, I gave a cold laugh and screenshotted every single one.

Monday, I came back to the office right on time.

My seat had barely warmed up when the HR manager walked over, her face cold.

"Shirley."

"Someone reported that you deliberately failed to respond to work messages during your leave, causing a major error in a company project. We're now issuing you a formal disciplinary notice."

There was no need to wonder. This was Kitty's doing, no question.

I followed the HR manager into her office, my face blank.

She swiveled her monitor around. The screen was packed with screenshots of Kitty's messages.

"Shirley Dickerson, deliberately ignoring messages during work hours and causing a major project error. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I took out my phone, unhurried, and pulled up the leave approval record in the system.

"This was legally approved time off. The manager signed off on it himself, right here in the system."

Her face froze, then she pushed back anyway. "That was a special circumstance. Urgent situations call for flexibility. As a senior employee, you should have the bigger picture in mind."

I laughed outright, cold.

"The bigger picture?"

"I've already been demoted. Every account and file I had was packaged up and handed over to Kitty with one click."

"Under company confidentiality policy, anyone who isn't on a project checking or asking about its business information privately is subject to penalties."

"So tell me, are you asking me to be the one who breaks company policy first?"

She was left speechless, unable to get a single word out for a long moment.

"Fine. Go back to your desk."

I turned and walked out of the office in long strides.

The second I got back to my desk, I saw Kitty going through my things.

Her hand was already on the zipper of my bag.

"Hands off!"

My voice cracked out sharp.

Kitty visibly jumped, snatched her hand back, her face going a little pale.

Then she pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.

"What are you yelling for? So stingy."

"You go off on a whole trip and can't even be bothered to bring back a souvenir for anyone."

I looked at her and gave a soft laugh.

"You're right, I'm not as generous as you."

"After all, I could never pull off going to a scenic spot on vacation and handing every coworker a 'rare stone from the site.'"

Kitty's expression changed on the spot.

"Shirley Dickerson, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing much. I just remembered the cleaning lady mentioning she saw you first thing one morning, picking up half a bag of pebbles from the landscaping strip downstairs."

"What, when did our company's landscaping strip become a five-star scenic destination?"

A few people nearby couldn't hold back a burst of laughter.

Kitty's face turned ugly. She rounded on me, grinding her teeth.

"Shirley Dickerson, quit with the snide little digs. You're just selfish, out for yourself, and you don't care about the company at all!"

I looked at her, completely at ease.

"If you've got time to pick a fight with me, you'd be better off making a couple more runs to the production line."

"If Mr. Chavez's order doesn't get delivered on time and it comes back on someone, can you carry that as the person in charge?"

Kitty went white in an instant. She stamped her foot, spun around, and ran off.

I pulled my eyes back, opened my laptop, and started writing my resignation letter.

The moment Kitty left, a few coworkers nearby couldn't help whispering.

"Hey, did you guys hear? Kitty's been running over to the client's place every day lately, using business as the excuse."

"She times it right for meals every single time, and orders the pricey stuff."

"Then she brings the receipts back to expense them. Just last week alone, she expensed almost ten thousand in meal charges."