"If this company won't give us the bonuses we earned, then don't expect us to put in unpaid overtime ever again!"
"We may be the nice guys, but we're not stupid! Feed us enough empty promises and even an idiot figures out they're fake!"
I turned and walked out, ignoring the VP's darkening expression.
Behind me came the crash of chairs hitting the floor.
So much for his mild-mannered act—that only lasted until someone touched his money.
When it came down to it, there was no way this bonus fiasco happened without VP Sawyer's fingerprints all over it. I'd stake my life on it.
Back at the department, fourteen pairs of hopeful eyes turned toward me.
My nose stung. I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come.
Milton managed a smile, though it couldn't hide the bitterness underneath.
"My mom's legs aren't doing so well. We'll skip Capital City this year. The bonus... forget it."
One of the younger women wiped her tears.
"Everyone just pooled some money for me. It's enough for my mom's first surgery."
They swallowed their grievances whole, washing them down with tears.
My fists clenched tighter and tighter as the conversation between the boss and VP Sawyer replayed in my head.
"My wife's cousin's kid just got back from overseas with his master's degree—and he brought a whole team with him. Get rid of Tech and make room for them!"
"Soon enough. Push them hard enough and they'll quit on their own. Saves us the severance pay."
"Besides, I've got one more trick up my sleeve. They won't last long after that..."
They'd assumed I was long gone. But I'd left my glasses behind and doubled back.
I heard every word of their scheme.
"This time, we're not letting it slide!"
My voice came out rough. In my eyes burned the determination of a pushover backed into a corner.
Why should the nice guys always get trampled?
Why should we pour everything we have into this job, only for greedy executives to invent excuses to bleed us dry?
Caspar's eyes lit up. "Boss, the competitor next door is offering five times our salary to poach our entire team."
In the AI industry, technical talent is the ultimate competitive edge.
A team that works together seamlessly? Even more valuable.
Starting six months ago, the rival company's HR director and CEO had been approaching me privately.
Their offer climbed from double to the current five times my salary.
Out of loyalty to the company, I'd kept turning them down.
But now...