Chapter 4

Lily lunged at me like a rabid animal, her eyes bloodshot with fury, but I dodged her effortlessly.

Refusing to leave, she dialed 911 and claimed I was committing domestic abuse.

The police showed up soon after—the very same officer who had booked me in my past life.

The officer separated us and took our statements. Lily had no visible injuries, but Richard's name came up in every account. He told me the assault allegation would need to be investigated, and that any dispute over the apartment belonged with our lawyers.

Before heading out the door, the officer gave my shoulder a sympathetic pat.

I gave a casual shrug, as if to say, Just another Tuesday.

My boys and I threw an all-night party right there in the living room. Lily sat in the corner, seething in silent rage, not daring to say a damn word.

I couldn't help but think about my previous life.

My pay had been pathetic, and the second I stepped through the door, Lily would constantly berate me for being a useless failure.

No smoking, no drinking, no staying up late, no hanging out with the guys, no video games.

I caved to every single one of her demands.

When she demanded designer bags, I took out loans to buy them.

When she refused to cook, I came home from grinding all day to make dinner, wash dishes, and scrub the floors.

I treated her like a princess and spoiled her rotten.

And at work, I worked myself to the bone, believing hard work would actually be rewarded.

And what did it get me? They played me for a fool, used me for unpaid labor, and slapped me with a three-hundred-thousand-dollar fine for taking a shit.

On top of that, she cheated on me—with my own damn boss.

At first, I'd thought getting a divorce agreement signed and throwing Richard out would be enough.

The more I thought about it, fueled by the sting of alcohol, the angrier I got. A far darker, far more satisfying plan began to take shape in my mind.

The next morning, I strutted into the company like I owned the place.

Richard was in the cafeteria getting breakfast.

Looks like my boys went too easy on him yesterday—the bastard was actually well enough to show up to work.

He reached toward the counter to grab a cup of hot soy milk.

I walked up and smacked him upside the back of the head.

"Eating good, aren't we?"

The smack sent his head spinning. He wobbled for several seconds before catching his balance.

"You!"

He glared at me, ready to explode, but the fresh memory of yesterday's beatdown made him swallow his rage instantly.

"What do you want?" he hissed under his breath.

Ignoring him, I snatched the soy milk straight out of his hand, took two big gulps, and shoved the cup right back into his chest.

"Tastes like garbage. Too sweet. I take mine unsweetened."

Before walking away, I clapped him hard on the shoulder.

"Boss, you promised me that six-thousand-dollar monthly salary yesterday. A big man doesn't go back on his word."

"Keep it up, and maybe I'll swing by your house for the holidays to bring your lovely wife a gift basket."

The cafeteria was packed with staff, and my loud words dropped like a bomb.

Whispers broke out across the room.

Everyone knew the company was notoriously stingy.

Salaries were half the industry standard, but the workload was double.

Nobody ever dared to ask for a raise. Rumor had it that anyone who tried got pushed out of the company without a dime in severance.

Yet here I was, brazenly demanding a raise to the boss's face, while Richard stood there looking like he'd swallowed a live fly.

A spark of rebellion began to flicker in everyone's eyes.

Leaving the cafeteria, I headed straight for the restroom.

Without the crushing weight of anxiety on my shoulders, taking a dump felt liberating.

It was pure, unadulterated bliss.

I sat there until both of my legs went completely numb.

When I finally stepped out, I checked the timer: twenty minutes over the company limit.

I shook my head with mock regret. Gotta pump those numbers up next time.

Sure enough, barely an hour after I sat at my desk, an all-company email blast hit everyone's inbox.

"Employee Leo exceeded the allotted bathroom time limit by twenty minutes. In accordance with company policy, a fine of $1,200,000 has been issued."

A company-wide WhatsApp alert followed, tagging me directly and ordering me to Richard's office immediately.

I casually pushed my chair back and stood up. My coworkers watched me with terrified, pitying eyes.

I flashed them a reassuring grin, held my head high, and strolled right into the lion's den.

The second Richard saw me, a smug, greasy smirk spread across his bruised face.

"Well, Leo, it looks like you went twenty minutes over our strict bathroom limit today."

"Per the rules, that's a thousand dollars for every single second. That comes out to a cool 1.2 million."

He exchanged a gloating glance with Sandra, both of them practically vibrating with suppressed laughter.

I parted my lips to speak, but they assumed I was about to beg for mercy.

"We've already submitted the loan application to the bank using the ID you provided," Sandra cut in smoothly. "You have thirty days to pay it back. Take it up with the bank."

"You signed the contract. We have full legal authorization to use your personal information."

I scratched the back of my neck with a puzzled look.

"Contract? What contract? I never signed any contract."