Where Did My $500K Bonus Go

After landing the ten-billion-dollar project, the CEO praised my calm demeanor and steady performance.
He promised me a half-million-dollar bonus. My bank account remained empty.
While the CEO was on vacation, I patiently asked my manager, Vince.
He pulled up the security footage and jabbed a finger in my face. "You dare show up to a client meeting in street clothes? You have no respect for the company's image. Your entire bonus is forfeited!"
I didn't argue. I didn't raise my voice. I just nodded calmly. "Okay."
If I could make a ten-billion-dollar project happen, I could make it disappear.
And when I did, it wouldn't just be the manager. The CEO himself would come begging.

Since the bonus was gone, I decided to stop pretending to care.
I shrugged off my suit jacket, loosened my tie, and leaned back in my chair, scrolling through my phone to check the payment schedule for the contract.
My casual attitude only fueled Vince's anger. "I've put up with your lazy attitude for long enough, Alex!" he roared, his finger still pointed at me. "But now you have the nerve to play on your phone during work hours? You will make a public apology at the all-hands meeting in thirty minutes!"
He spun on his heel and stormed back to his office, oozing self-importance. A few minutes later, a notification popped up in the company-wide chat:
Sales department's Alex Reed has been cited for improper attire and using his personal phone at his desk, a serious violation of company policy. His entire monthly bonus is forfeited as a warning to others!
Sympathetic glances flew my way. Leo, from the next desk over, sent me a quiet message. "The only reason he's a manager is because he kisses the right ass. He hates that the CEO likes you, and he's furious you landed the Veridia Group deal."
"You can't fight city hall," he added. "Maybe just apologize and smooth things over?"
An apology wouldn't work. He'd seen me as a threat for a long time. He might have the power to dock my bonus, but he didn't have the skill to handle my project.
Half an hour later, everyone was gathered in the conference room, waiting for my public shaming.
Vince swaggered in late, a smirk playing on his lips. "Alright, let's get this over with. Your apology."
I met his gaze, my expression the picture of remorse. "I was wrong. My mistake was failing to grasp the subtleties of your management style, Vince."
"I thought landing massive projects was enough, but I forgot that the first lesson is to anticipate your superior's every whim."
"I thought talent got you ahead, but now I see it's all about whose boots you're licking."
"I thought doing my job well was all that mattered, but I neglected the importance of constant, shameless flattery for my own safety."
"It was a serious oversight on my part. I have disappointed you, Vince."
A wave of stifled laughter rippled through the room. A few people ducked their heads, their shoulders shaking.
Vince's face turned a dark, furious crimson. He slammed his hand on the table. "Is this an apology, or are you slandering your manager? It's clear your head isn't in the game at all!"
"Now, that's not fair, Vince," Leo spoke up, his voice clear and steady. "Alex single-handedly landed a ten-billion-dollar deal. Who else in this company could do that? And you're wiping out his bonus because of a dress code violation? That's going too far."
"He's right! The Veridia deal is more than most of us make in a year!"
"So he was dressed a little casually, it doesn't affect his work. The rules are too strict!"
"Besides, Vince, don't you wear casual clothes sometimes?"
A chorus of agreement rose up, and Vince's face grew uglier with every comment.
Then, a notification chimed on everyone's phone. As they looked down, Vince's smug smile returned. "While some are punished, others are rewarded," he announced. "In light of everyone's hard work recently, you will each receive a three-thousand-dollar bonus!"
The project I had secured, my bonus, was being carved up and fed to my do-nothing colleagues.
Money talks louder than principles. The mood in the room shifted instantly. The same people who had been defending me just moments ago now had a different tune.
"Honestly, Alex, you should know better. You need to dress professionally for work!"
"Vince is just enforcing the rules. You shouldn't be so defiant and make things tense for everyone!"
"So what if you landed a big project? A bad attitude deserves to be punished!"
"You really should reflect on this. The company rules apply to everyone equally."
I could only laugh at the absurdity.
Leo, ever the righteous one, slammed his hand on the table to argue on my behalf, but Vince cut him off with a roar. "Effective immediately, Alex Reed is stripped of his position as Senior Executive!"
"Leo, with your seniority and experience, you will take Alex's place and lead the sales department to new heights!"
I looked at Leo. The anger on his face slowly melted away, replaced first by shock, and then by an undisguisable, raw excitement. When he looked at Vince, his eyes were filled with pure admiration, as if he hadn't just been defending me a minute ago.
So much for loyalty.
My youth, my position, my bonus it had turned everyone against me.
But it didn't matter. I would make them all understand that I had earned every last bit of it.
After the meeting, my colleagues chattered excitedly about vacation plans, while a few sycophants crowded around Vince, telling him how handsome he looked. I was an island in their sea of celebration, walking alone back to my desk.
I reached for my chair, but someone yanked it out from behind me.
I lost my balance and crashed to the floor with a thud, landing flat on my back.
The office erupted in laughter. Some were bent over, slapping their desks.
I rubbed my tailbone, which was already throbbing, and looked up to see who had done it. Only Leo was standing there.
He stared down at me with the same disdainful expression Vince often wore. "You're not a senior executive anymore. It's not appropriate for you to be sitting at this desk, is it?"
A hot sting filled my eyes. It wasn't the pain from the fall or the public humiliation. It was the speed of Leo's betrayal.
He had been my mentor when I first joined the company, patiently teaching me how to read reports and negotiate with clients. When his mother needed surgery and couldn't get an appointment, I had called in every favor I had to get her in with a top specialist in the city. We had supported each other for years. I thought our bond, the connection between a mentor and his student, was stronger than office politics.
But the moment I was vulnerable, he was the first one to strike.
Perhaps he'd resented me all along, just waiting for the right moment to let it show.
The more they pushed me down, the stronger the fire inside me burned.
I grit my teeth and scrambled to my feet, looking him straight in the eye, my voice steady. "Then where should I sit?"
Vince, surrounded by his new fan club, sauntered over. He casually pointed to the end of the hall. "Move your things to that empty desk across from the men's room," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "It's vacant."
A few of the men snickered knowingly. It wasn't a physical blow, but the insult was profound.
I didn't argue. I had only one thought: one day, Vince would regret everything he did today.
I started packing my things in silence. Vince put a hand out to stop me. "This is a sensitive position, Alex. I'll need to inspect your things, see if there's anything important that needs to be handed over."
I understood. I nodded and stepped aside, watching as he bypassed the computer, the folders, the files, and went straight for my briefcase. He rummaged through it, and finding nothing of value, he scowled and walked away.
I watched him go, a cold smile forming in my mind.
I didn't say a word. I just quietly slipped my work phone into my bag.
The contact list on that phone was my real power. And no one could take that away from me.
The smell from the men's room wasn't overpowering, but the cloying mix of urine and disinfectant still stung my nostrils. I emptied a new can of air freshener around my new desk until the nauseating odor finally faded.
I hadn't even had a chance to breathe when Mike blocked my path. I'd heard whispers that he'd been kicked out of his last department for harassing a female colleague. Back when I was a senior executive and the top brass sang my praises in meetings, Mike wouldn't even dare to meet my eyes. Now, seeing me ostracized, he swaggered over with a sneer. "Well, well, Executive Reed. How the mighty have fallen."
When I ignored him, he leaned closer and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Don't be so arrogant. If you beg me nicely, I might be able to pull some strings, get you a better spot. All it takes is a word from me."
I looked up at him coldly. "If you touch me again," I said, rolling my eyes, "that security camera will be filing a police report for me."
My rejection only made him angrier. He squeezed my shoulder, his fingers digging in as if trying to break the bone.
I clenched my fist, spun around, and drove it hard into his stomach.
"AARGH!" He let out a strangled cry and doubled over, clutching his gut, his face as white as a sheet.
The commotion drew everyone's attention. Vince stormed over, his face a thundercloud. "Alex! Are you trying to get fired? How dare you assault a colleague during work hours!"
I stood my ground, my fist still clenched, my eyes fearless. "He's the one who's going to get fired, not me. Call the police." I pointed to the camera above us, my voice ringing out for everyone to hear. "And make sure you show them the footage. Let's see who started it."
Mike, who had been groaning in pain, snapped his mouth shut at the word "camera." He didn't even dare to whimper. He tugged weakly on Vince's sleeve, his voice a barely audible whisper. "Vince... just let it go..."
Vince's face was grim. He clearly hadn't expected me to fight back, and he wasn't about to let me off the hook so easily. He stared at me for a few seconds, then a cruel smile spread across his face. "It seems moving you next to the bathroom wasn't enough to teach you a lesson."
"From now on, you're on cafeteria duty. You'll be in charge of collecting food waste."
Even after being kicked out of the sales department, Vince wouldn't leave me alone. Every day at lunch, he would deliberately leave a mountain of food on his plate or "accidentally" drop greasy dishes on the floor, then call me over to clean up his mess.
I had enough. I submitted a request to use all of my accumulated vacation and comp time at once.
Vince put on a show of managerial concern. "Leave requests require a valid reason. You can't just take off whenever you feel like it."
I pulled out my phone and played a voice message from my daughter. Her small voice was thick with congestion. "Daddy, I don't feel good. Can you come be with me?"
Vince just sneered. "Every kid gets sick. Tell her to get over it."
"Get over it?" I felt the blood rush to my head. "How do you 'get over' being sick? Don't you have kids, Vince?"

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