My CEO girlfriend Celeste docked my entire bonus and gave a car to the least competent assistant, calling it his year-end bonus. That evening, the assistant boasted about it on Snapchat. “Thanks to my generous boss and my own excellence.” The picture showed them standing next to the new car, forming a heart with one hand, smiling sweetly. This time, I didn’t have a meltdown, nor did I get jealous or confront her. Instead, I quietly maxed out her credit card to buy cars for all my colleagues. Take them together to thank. “Thanks to a generous boss and to everyone’s excellence.” Barely two minutes after posting, Celeste called me. “Asher, are you out of your mind?” “If Finn hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known you’d do something so outrageous.” “Sort this out before I get back, or face the consequences!” She hung up in anger. Just before the line went dead, I heard Finn’s pitiful voice. “I’m sorry, Celeste, for putting you in this position.” “You have nothing to apologize for. He made the mistake, not you.” Celeste’s gentle, reassuring tone was completely different from before. I knew she said it for my benefit, expecting me to clean up the mess as usual. The old me never dared stand up to her. But she doesn’t know that this time I’ve completely lost hope and won’t help her anymore. A colleague anxiously said, “Asher, does Ms. Celeste not know about this? Maybe we should return the cars, or she’ll hold you responsible.” Others agreed, trying to sound relaxed but visibly disappointed. When I told them about the cars earlier, I only said it was a year-end bonus, nothing more. They assumed it was Celeste’s doing and praised her for the surprise. Now, the surprise turned into a shock. One colleague, worried about my punishment, rushed to cancel the sale. I came back to my senses and stopped him, assuring everyone I’d handle it. Then I went home, relaxed, and took a nap. By the time I woke up, it was already early morning. I heard noise at the door and found Celeste entering the living room with a dark expression. Seeing me, she slammed her bag onto the table, making a loud noise. I knew she was trying to intimidate me, forcing me to admit my mistake and find a way to appease her. In the past, I would have done just that. But now, I just glanced at her, yawned, and said, “You’re back.” Seeing this, Celeste grew even angrier. “How can you still have the face to sleep?” “I told you to take back everything you gave away. Why haven’t you done it yet?” “Asher, you’ve got some nerve. I’m giving you a chance to fix this, and you still don’t care.” I used to fear this side of her, not because she was angry, but because it was bad for her health. After her outburst, I’d rush to comfort her, admit my mistake, and try to fix things. But now, I calmly said, “Why should I fix it? I didn’t do anything wrong.” Maybe hearing me talk back for the first time stunned Celeste. “What did you say?” I scoffed, “Even the worst performer gets a year-end bonus. So why shouldn’t everyone else, who’ve worked themselves to the bone for the company’s success, get one too?” Celeste’s face turned red with anger. “Finn may not be outstanding now, but he’s new, and for a rookie, he’s doing quite well. I’m sure he’ll be a top performer by next year.” “Besides, do you even know how many mistakes they’ve made this year? It’s good enough I didn’t dock their pay. Why should they get a bonus?” “…” Celeste kept listing their faults, and I found it amusing. Her examples were trivial mistakes she kept repeating, like forgetting to water the plants or mistakenly submitting an extra invoice. These were outside of work tasks. Besides, they always corrected their mistakes promptly. Everyone understood that starting a business is tough, so they often worked overtime without complaint for four years. Now that the company has grown, Celeste not only didn’t acknowledge their efforts but also shamelessly assigned them more work. Finn joined last year, making fewer mistakes because he relied on Celeste’s favoritism and didn’t actually work. His mistakes were in his primary duties, almost always detrimental to the company. From sending hundreds of messages to partners in the middle of the night to misreporting product prices in contracts, causing a lawsuit that cost the company eight million. Finn claimed I distracted him with work, which I found laughable, and so did everyone else. Yet Celeste believed it and unhesitatingly docked my entire year’s bonus. Seeing I wasn’t speaking, Celeste assumed I was reflecting on my actions like before. Her tone softened slightly. “Right after the call, Finn said it was tough for me and wanted to return the car. Can’t you learn from him?” “He’s just an ordinary employee who joined the company last year, yet he cares about me. And you…” Before she could finish, I interrupted, “Fine, then let him return the car. If he does, I’ll have everyone else return theirs too.” Celeste was speechless. I knew she wouldn’t let Finn return it. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Celeste, though thrifty, would always fight for Finn’s benefits under any pressure. And Finn’s offer to return was just lip service. She might know this too, yet she still supports him unconditionally. Caught off guard by my firm stand, Celeste was furious and finally poked my forehead, annoyed. “Why are you so childish?” “Asher, this is your last warning. Tomorrow, take back everything you gave out, or don’t bother staying at the company. Just resign.” “Even if you’re my boyfriend, I can’t accept someone who doesn’t follow orders in the company.” She looked at me condescendingly, sure I’d never leave. But this time, I didn’t compromise or go against my conscience to please her. Instead, I handed her the prepared document. “I was thinking the same.” “This is my resignation letter. Just sign it.”
Celeste was momentarily stunned, not expecting me to resign. I had given up a high-paying opportunity to support her startup, even invested half of my savings into the company without asking for any shares. I drank with clients till dawn, putting up with being treated like a clown. To perfect projects, I worked on just three to four hours of sleep, pushing myself to multiple cardiac arrests. Now that the company is big, anyone would think twice before leaving. Celeste, realizing this, laughed coldly. “Think carefully, resigning means no compensation. Even as my boyfriend, there’s no exception.” “I know. But I’ll take them all with me.” “Here are their resignation letters. Have a look.” I handed her a stack of resignation forms from the colleagues who had their bonuses docked. They had long been fed up with Celeste’s exploitation and favoritism towards Finn. They’d been submitting resignation applications to me, which I had been holding back. I tried convincing them to hang on, assuring them Celeste wasn’t always like this. Maybe she just needed time for Finn to adapt. They didn’t believe me, but for my sake, they stayed. This incident, however, left us all disheartened. Celeste’s face darkened. “A bunch of ingrates. I supported them for four years, and they show no gratitude.” “Forget it, I’m too tired to argue.” She quickly tore up the resignation letters and tossed them into the trash. “Let’s just forget about this incident. I won’t hold it against you, okay?” Celeste acted magnanimous. But I knew she didn’t have the luxury to hold a grudge. Despite her disdain for us and favoritism for Finn, she was well aware that most of the company’s operations were in our hands. If we left, the company would collapse. Perhaps fearing I might press further, Celeste tried to ease the tension. “Let’s just end this matter here.” “Knowing you were so stubborn, I shouldn’t have set a year-end bonus.” “These cars add up to over five million, you know. Don’t forget it’s your money too. We’re now further from getting married, it’s heartbreaking.” Celeste sighed, but I found it mildly amusing. She often said things like that. She had a bank card where she deposited money each month, telling me we would marry once it reached ten million. I believed her completely, often secretly adding money to it myself. It wasn’t until last month that I stumbled upon the fact that the card, which should have contained nine million, had only five million left. Upon checking the statements, I discovered she spent the money on dates and gifts for Finn. Shoes costing twenty to thirty thousand each pair, and she had given over twenty pairs in just half a year. Underwear costing two thousand each, and she once bought eighteen pairs. A seafood banquet for their dates cost at least eighty thousand per table. These were luxuries I couldn’t even dream of. Yet, whenever I wanted to buy a new outfit for a hundred bucks, she’d scold me for being wasteful, questioning if I was serious about marriage. It was absurd. I often blamed myself, not realizing that she was the one not serious about marriage. I couldn’t understand how she could lie so effortlessly. Just as I was about to speak, her phone rang. Celeste dismissed me, stepping onto the balcony to take the call. Whatever was said seemed to lift her spirits, as she returned humming a tune, looking pleased. Seeing me, she suddenly seemed to remember something, her smile fading, her expression turning awkward. “A business partner needs to see me. I have to go, take some time to think things over at home.” I didn’t bother to confront her. I watched her pick an outfit from the closet, choose a different purse, and then leave. I checked the bank card details. Just then, another hundred thousand was withdrawn. The payee was a bar she frequented with Finn. After a few moments of silence, I picked up my phone and called the police.
When I arrived with the police, Celeste and Finn had just finished a toast. Amidst the loud music and chatter, their spirits were unusually high. “Sister Celeste, I can’t believe you’re still with Asher after all his reckless behavior.” “You have such patience. You’ve founded a company and have so many assets, you’re a modern-day leading woman, yet you still humor him.” “Anyone else would have switched boyfriends long ago and avoided such trouble.” Finn was indignant on Celeste’s behalf. Celeste sighed, her tone somewhat helpless. “I can’t help it. He did contribute when the company was founded. If we break up now, everyone would think I’m ungrateful.” “Blame it on my poor judgment. I never thought he’d turn out like this.” “Once the time is right, I’ll find a way to get rid of him.” Her words were clear to my ears, but I only found them amusing. I had asked Celeste early on why she chose this path. At the time, I was a manager at a multinational company, earning a substantial salary, more than enough to support us. But starting a business came with many uncertainties and could be tough. Back then, Celeste looked me in the eye and sincerely told me she didn’t want me to struggle alone. She wanted to stand by my side and walk further together. I stepped out of my comfort zone to help her reach her current position. She had indeed come a long way, but not only did she not want to be by my side, she felt she had every right to kick me aside. Yet, I wasn’t sad. Her words confirmed what I had suspected for a while. The police gave me a sympathetic look. To avoid causing a scene, they had the manager call her out. After explaining the situation to Celeste, she looked at me, incredulous. “Asher, what are you doing now? Reporting to the police over a little money, is it really necessary?” Finn clutched his chest, coughing violently. Celeste hurriedly soothed him, her eyes full of worry and anger, then glared at me: “Don’t you know Finn’s health is poor and can’t handle stress? If something happens to him, how will you take responsibility?” But I remember during our hardest winter, when I was feverish with a temperature of 104 degrees, she wasn’t this concerned. Instead, she told me to endure it to boost my immunity. I ended up with a chronic condition, struggling to breathe when the weather turned cold, and she never cared. I couldn’t help but snicker. “You’re still laughing! Asher, you’re so cold-hearted!” Celeste looked at me coldly: “If you’re making a fuss over this little money, I think you’re not fit to be my boyfriend. Let’s just break up.” “Fine, let’s break up.” I nodded. Celeste looked at me, shocked, her eyes widening. I knew she didn’t believe I would break up. In the past, whenever she mentioned breaking up, it was just a tactic to get her way, a means to threaten me. We both knew that, but I always found a way to appease her, even apologizing and asking for forgiveness when I wasn’t at fault. This was the first time I truly agreed to break up. Celeste’s lips quivered, as if she wanted to say something. Finn hastily chimed in: “Asher, I know you’re jealous, but Sister Celeste only said that out of anger. She doesn’t really want to break up with you, don’t agree to it.” He seemed to be pleading on my behalf, but I could still see the faint pride in his eyes. Sure enough, Celeste snorted: “Finn, no need to explain for him. Let’s break up, just hope he doesn’t regret it later.” With that, she grabbed Finn’s hand and started to leave. I raised my hand to stop them: “Since we’re breaking up, shouldn’t you return the money too?” I gestured to the police. When I made the report, I had already shown all the evidence, proving that Celeste had taken a large sum of my money without permission. The police nodded, advising Celeste to return the money if the situation was true, to avoid escalating it to court. Celeste didn’t respond, but Finn protested: “He used Sister Celeste’s card to buy dozens of cars before, yet she didn’t report it.” “If you want to report, go ahead. Now that we’ve broken up, you can settle our accounts too.” I looked at Celeste. I knew she didn’t want to report because she was afraid. If we really settled our accounts over the years, what Celeste owed me was far more than just four million. Finn wanted to argue, but seeing Celeste’s pale face, he wisely kept silent. Celeste gritted her teeth, glaring at me, then worked her phone for a while. “I transferred it. Are you satisfied now?” After saying that, she shot me a glare, grabbed Finn’s hand, and left. I thanked the police, went back to file the report, and then headed home. Just as I walked in, a colleague from the finance department called. “Asher, Ms. Celeste just withdrew over four million from the company’s funds.”
“The reconciliation is coming up, will you cover for her again this quarter?” Celeste often withdrew money from the company account. Initially, she remembered to pay it back, but eventually, she always forgot. She’d have the finance department wait until she couldn’t cover it at reconciliation, then they’d come to me. Each time, I’d use my own savings to fill the gap. I’d mentioned it to Celeste, but she called it trust. It wasn’t until last month that I discovered a large portion of Celeste’s expenses went to Finn. She didn’t trust me; she just saw me as a fool. “I won’t cover it this time. Report it as is,” I said calmly. “And don’t come to me for these things anymore; we’ve broken up.” Hearing this, the finance officer actually sighed in relief. “You finally came to your senses. I was going to advise you this time. Covering the company’s shortfall often takes a quarter of your total income. The company doesn’t seem like Ms. Celeste’s, it feels more like yours.” “After all, you’ve been managing it diligently for years. Even her tax evasion was covered by you. Without you, she wouldn’t have made it this far.” After hanging up, I reflected for a moment. I used to think we were one unit, that Celeste’s problems were my problems since we’d eventually marry. In hindsight, my thinking was laughable. Even outsiders could see my contributions, yet Celeste couldn’t. She was still trying to shake me off. I knew Celeste wouldn’t let this go easily. Sure enough, in the following days, she and Finn became bolder. Where they used to hide, now they held hands openly, fingers intertwined. Celeste used to find excuses. Now she directly assigned my projects to Finn, crediting him instead. Just as I entered the company doors, Finn handed me a mop. “Sorry, Asher. Sister Celeste said the company just paid out year-end bonuses, so funds are tight. We won’t be hiring cleaners for now, so internal staff will handle cleaning.” “Management should lead by example, and since you’ve done it before, you can start.” He looked at me, eyes full of mockery. I knew he was doing it on purpose. This wasn’t the first time. Once, when Finn broke a contract, I scolded him in public. Celeste claimed my emotions were unstable and made me clean the toilets for a week. As soon as I arrived at work that day, Finn handed me a mop. “Sorry, Asher,” he said. “Celeste mentioned that the company just paid out year-end bonuses, so funds are tight. We can’t afford a cleaning service right now, so we’ll have to handle the cleaning ourselves.” “Management needs to set an example,” he added with a smirk. “Since you’ve done this before, you should lead the way.” I knew he was doing this on purpose, mocking me with his smile. It wasn’t the first time. Previously, Finn had broken a contract, and when I called him out publicly, Celeste punished me by making me clean the bathrooms for a week, claiming I was being too emotional. “That’s too much!” Finally, a colleague couldn’t hold back and spoke up for me. “Why don’t you clean up for Asher then?” Finn sneered at him. “Clean what?!” The colleague grabbed the mop and tossed it back at Finn. “Asher, why are we still here? So many companies have tried to poach us, but we’ve stayed loyal to this company, to her. And this is how she repays us. She’s clearly trying to push us out.” Other colleagues chimed in, expressing their agreement. Soon enough, Celeste walked in with a stern expression. Finn, seeing her as his savior, exaggerated the story to her. “You want to leave? Then go ahead!” Celeste sneered. Another colleague tried to defend me, but Celeste retorted, “You must all have been bribed by Asher to speak for him.” The colleague was left speechless. I found her accusations laughable. Whenever anyone defended me, she would accuse them of being bribed, effectively shutting them up. Staying seemed pointless now. I began packing my things to leave. Seeing this, my colleagues also started packing. Celeste paused in shock and then got angry. Just as she was about to speak, Finn whispered something to her, and her expression softened. “Those who want to leave, may do so. But for those who stay, there’s a $5,000 monthly raise, and when the company goes public, you’ll receive stock options.” Several people paused and looked at her. I knew they were surprised that Celeste still hadn’t realized the company couldn’t go public anymore. Recently, the finance department had repeatedly raised concerns about the accounting issues, but she ignored them. They finally reported everything truthfully. They planned to inform her later, but last night, our competitor had already taken her to court. Celeste was oblivious, mistaking their pause for hesitation to leave. She looked smug. “I’m pleased with your decision. Tonight, our investors will be coming to evaluate us. As long as you all perform well, I won’t disappoint you.” “This year’s year-end bonus is a car, and if you do well, next year’s will be a house.” She glanced at me triumphantly, then whispered, “See, Asher? No matter how much you try to get them cars, in the end, it’s all about the money.” “As long as I offer enough, I can keep them here.” I was about to respond when the receptionist rushed in to inform Celeste, “Ms. Celeste, someone is here…” Before she could finish, Finn interrupted loudly. “Is it our business partner? They weren’t supposed to arrive until the evening. Maybe they see our potential.” Celeste also realized and sneered at me. “You’ll regret this now.” Just then, there was a commotion outside, and Celeste hurried to the door. She froze when she saw who it was. Two police officers entered. They presented their badges and said coldly, “Celeste, you’ve been reported for embezzling company funds and tax evasion. Please come with us for investigation.”
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