In order to prevent the employees from slacking off at their jobs, the HR department of my company has established a strict check-in policy.

We're requested to check-in with the company once per ten minutes. On top of that, we have to follow the HR employee, Felicia Lane's instructions in striking poses. Otherwise, the system will list us to have skipped work for the day.

After failing to check-in with the company for the eighth time, I head to the HR department immediately.

"Ms. Lane, your check-in policy is far too strict to the sales department! We have to travel everywhere just to make sales and strike business deals with clients! There's no way we can keep returning to the company!"

But Felicia just scowls at me disdainfully.

"Since you're working at the company, you're meant to follow the company's rules. Why else are you even here, in the first place? If checking in with the company affects your sales performance that much, that just means you don't have any capabilities to begin with. You should reflect on your own work performance instead!"

When I recall the number of contributions I've made for the company, I try to seek out my boss to take my side. But he just tells me, "Since this is a rule, you might as well follow it. What's the use in seeking me out?"

Later on, I choose not to do anything related to my job just so I can follow the check-in policy very strictly. But the rest of the company flies into a state of panic because of me.

After I failed to check in for the eighth time, I went straight to HR to look for Felicia Lane.

I shoved my phone in her face and demanded, "Why did my check-in fail again?"

Before this, I'd already checked in seven times in a row. And every single time, Felicia had found some excuse to reject it.

She'd reject it because my pose was off by a hair from the one she specified and therefore wasn't perfect enough. Or she'd say my background didn't match the one she posted in the group chat, so it didn't count.

But this time, my pose was perfect and the background matched exactly. Even the curve of my smile was a precise 45 degrees, just like she required.

And yet, I still failed to check in.

Growing irritated, I was determined to get an explanation from Felicia.

She barely glanced at my screen before going back to admiring her manicure, letting out a dismissive snort.

She said, "Your timing is obviously wrong, and you still have the nerve to ask me? Have you even bothered to read the check-in rules I posted in the group chat, Wendy?"

I couldn't believe Felicia was trying to flip this on me.

My temper flared, yet I forced myself to steady my breathing and suppressed my anger. "I did read them, Ms. Lane. You said we have to check in every ten minutes. I checked in at nine minutes, so why did you still reject it?"

Felicia shot me a haughty, condescending look.

She spat, "Do you have comprehension issues? I clearly said every ten minutes. That means exactly at the tenth minute. Not a minute early, not a second late. What's wrong with me rejecting your check in when you did it at the ninth minute?

"As per company policy, any failed check-in counts as unexcused absence, Wendy. Each absence renders a 200-dollar deduction. You've failed to check-in eight times. That's 1,600 dollars deducted already."

I'd been chasing leads, meeting clients, and trying to keep up with the check-ins all morning. With how much I'd been running back and forth, I must've run the equivalent of over a dozen laps around a track.

And now, not only was I exhausted with no bonus to show for it, but 1,600 dollars of my pay was also being docked.

I snapped, "You're clearly targeting me on purpose, Felicia! I work in the business development department. How am I supposed to hit exact timestamps like that?

"Your check-in policy is too harsh on our department. We're out chasing leads and building partnerships—sometimes that takes hours. You expect us to hover around the office just to check in instead of doing our job?"

I thought my words would make Felicia realize how unreasonable she was being.

Instead, she slammed her hand on the desk, jabbing her long nails toward my forehead.

Felicia yelled, "Who's the HR here, Wendy—you or me? Since when do you get to tell me how to do my job? No one else has an issue with the check-in policy except for you. Do you think you're special?

"If you work here, you follow the rules. Otherwise, why even have a job? And if something this small interferes with your work, then maybe your inability to do it is the problem here. Try looking at yourself for once!"

She continued, "Rules are rules. They can't be changed. If you can't follow them, then get ready to have your pay docked!"

After snapping at me, Felicia didn't even give me a chance to respond. She shoved me out of her office and slammed the door shut in my face.

My nose hit the hard wooden door and immediately started swelling. The sharp, burning pain spread across my face.

Felicia was definitely doing this on purpose.

Anger surged within me, and I couldn't calm down. Backing down wasn't going to make things better. It would just eat me alive.

If I couldn't get an explanation from Felicia, then I'd go straight to the boss, Mr. James Clooney.

After all, I'd already landed multi-million-dollar deals in less than three months with the company. Most of their business came through me, and I was practically one of their top contributors.

Mr. Clooney had always valued me. Surely, he'd have my back.

With high expectations, I went knocking on his door and told him everything, exactly as it happened.

As expected, Mr. Clooney's expression darkened the moment he heard my story. "This is ridiculous."

I instinctively thought he meant Felicia. I was about to give him a thumbs-up and agree with him when his sharp gaze suddenly turned on me.

Mr. Clooney said coldly, "If it's a rule, then you should follow it, Wendy. What do you expect me to do about it? It's something so minor, and you felt the need to bring it to me?

"I always thought you were more level-headed. How would this company continue running if everyone starts ignoring rules whenever they feel like it, like you did? I'm very disappointed in you."

Mr. Clooney's words hit me like a bolt out of nowhere.

I never expected to be blindsided by the very boss I respected the most.

Felicia's check-in policy was clearly absurd, yet he pinned all the blame on me.

Not long ago, Mr. Clooney had thought highly of me after I closed those multi-million-dollar deals. Not only did he publicly praise me, but he also gave me a raise and a promotion.

When I was running a fever, he even gave me three days of paid leave. He'd shown up at my place with a fruit basket and some milk to personally check in on me.

For a moment, my chest felt heavy and damp, making it hard to breathe.

"Mr. Clooney, I didn't—" I opened my mouth, trying to make one last desperate attempt to defend myself.

But just then, Felicia walked in with a stack of contracts. "These documents need your review, Mr. Clooney."

Gone was the indifference Mr. Clooney had for me. A soft smile reappeared on his face as he turned to her. "Thanks for your hard work, Felicia."

Felicia deliberately rammed her shoulder into mine as she passed me. But she quickly teared up the moment she turned back to Mr. Clooney, as if she'd suffered some huge injustice.

She said, "Mr. Clooney, Wendy came to complain to you, didn't she? I knew some people wouldn't be happy after I announced the check-in policy, but I was only trying to stop employees from slacking off. It's for the good of the company!

"Wendy already came to my office earlier to argue about it, and I explained everything to her. I thought she understood, but then she went straight to you to complain. If that's the case, maybe we should just cancel the policy in the group chat, so no one ends up resenting me."

Mr. Clooney comforted Felicia, saying softly, "This isn't your fault, Felicia. Starting next month, I'll give you a thousand-dollar raise and name you Employee of the Month."

I was stunned.

Mr. Clooney had promised me that I'd be Employee of the Month based on my performance. But now he was going back on his word, intending to name Felicia instead.

As I was still processing it, he shot me a displeased look and barked, "You're both employees, but just look at Felicia's dedication, Wendy. Why can't you learn from her? She's always giving her all for the company and not obsessing over personal gains."

I almost laughed in disbelief.

Hadn't I already given enough to this company?

Ever since I joined the company, I'd been the first one in and the last one to leave every single day.

There were nights I drank so much at business dinners that I nearly wrecked my stomach. I'd end up in the bathroom, throwing up blood, just to chase leads and build partnerships.

I'd pulled all-nighters going back and forth with clients to close deals, negotiating every detail just to reach an acceptable agreement for both sides.

And yet, none of that mattered to Mr. Clooney. He dismissed all my efforts and contributions just like that, as if it meant nothing.

My nose stung, and tears threatened to spill over. But I bit down hard on my lip, forcing them back.

Now that I'd seen how biased Mr. Clooney was and his double standards, I knew nothing I said would change anything.

I could only swallow the humiliation and turn to leave his office.

Frustrated, I went downstairs to buy a cup of hot cocoa. While sipping on it, I mindlessly scrolled through posts on my phone, trying to distract myself from everything that had just happened.

That was when a local anonymous post caught my attention.

The post read, "Guys, this new hire at my company is seriously out of line! She got a 35-thousand-dollar bonus and didn't even think to show a little appreciation to me, her senior. I even dropped hints by asking her to clear out my shopping cart when she got paid, but she straight-up refused.

"Since she doesn't know how to respect her seniors, I'll teach her myself. I've been messing with her check-ins anyway, since I'm the one who controls that at this company!"

Some people in the comments supported the poster, but most were calling her out for being ridiculous.

It was obvious she just wanted to take advantage of someone and was dressing it up like she had the moral high ground.

I scrolled down, and my heart sank when I saw the familiar profile picture.

It was Felicia. And the "new hire" she was talking about was clearly me.

Anger surged instantly. Unable to hold it in, I left an anonymous comment. "If she earns more, that's because she worked for it. Why should she give you anything?"

Felicia replied almost instantly. "My dad's the president of the company. He's the one giving her bonuses and a job opportunity. She should be grateful to me, the president's daughter, and repay me for good!

"All I did was ask her to clear my shopping cart, and she kept making excuses. What's wrong with me teaching her a lesson when she's the one being ungrateful first? Who are you to stick your nose in? Don't tell me you're the same type of person as her if you're defending her like this?

She continued, "Besides, my dad supports this check-in policy too. That new hire is just too capable, and he's worried he can't reign her in. This is the perfect chance to put her in her place and dock some of her pay while we're at it!"

Back when I got that bonus, Felicia did ask me to clear her shopping cart. But we weren't even close like that, so I turned her down.

I never expected her to hold a grudge over something so petty. She'd even go as far as creating an entire check-in system just to get back at me.

What shocked me even more was what Felicia said about Mr. Clooney being her father.

But he already had a wife and a daughter. Which meant only one thing—she was his illegitimate daughter.

No wonder Mr. Clooney kept taking Felicia's side. And now that I thought about it, their eyes and lips did look a little alike.

What I didn't expect was that he was involved in the check-in policy too. He'd let me take the fall just to keep me in check.

At that moment, whatever respect I had for Mr. Clooney vanished completely—and with it, any loyalty I felt toward the company.

…

After that day, I stopped trying. I no longer chased leads or met clients.

Every day, I just watched the clock and checked in exactly on time, strictly following every single check-in rule.

Felicia had loved to nitpick my check-ins. Now that I was following her rules to the letter, I refused to believe she could still find a single fault with me.

She was smug when she saw that I'd fallen in line. "So you can do it after all. Guess you were just making excuses before."

But it didn't take long for Felicia to stop being smug.

Most of the company's business had come through me as I had connections.

After I stopped caring, the company's business dropped by half. No one other than me could contact the clients, and projects stalled across the board.

Mr. Clooney was so stressed that he started breaking out with cold sores.