Chapter 4The CEO's Free Labor

On the other end of the line, Ethan seemed to have just woken up, giving a groggy "mm."

"I knew you hadn't given up on going home."

"So I canceled the ticket for you. Stay in Seattle and focus on the hosting job, that's what's important."

My voice cracked with panic, and tears immediately welled up.

"Ethan, do you know my grandma fell?! She's in the hospital right now! I have to go back immediately!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a short, mocking scoff.

"Chloe, since when did you learn to lie to me like this?"

"Making up an excuse like your grandma being sick just to go home?"

"I'm not lying! It's Mrs. Davis..."

"Enough."

He cut me off impatiently.

"Stop making a scene and go prepare for the hosting job. I was drinking until midnight last night and I'm still not fully awake."

But before the call disconnected, I clearly heard a woman's lazy, soft moan.

Tears hit the screen, blurring the display.

I paced frantically in the main hall of the train station, opening every single ride-hailing app with trembling hands.

A trip back to my hometown county was nearly two hundred miles.

I kept increasing the tip, from two hundred, to five hundred, to eight hundred...

The system kept showing "No drivers available."

In desperation, I called Ethan again, wanting to beg him to drive me back.

But the phone rang twice before being brutally hung up.

Immediately following, a message popped up, the tone icy cold.

[I have a business meeting later, don't bother me. Take the hosting job seriously.]

But that woman's latest profile update showed otherwise.

Ethan took her to see a blockbuster holiday movie and checked in at an Instagram-famous restaurant that required reservations six months in advance.

He catered to her every need.

But to me, he offered nothing but neglect.

I bit my lip, suppressing the stinging in my eyes.

First, I transferred some money to Mrs. Davis, begging her to take good care of my grandmother for the time being.

After agonizing until the afternoon, Mrs. Davis video-called me.

On the screen, my grandmother was lying in a hospital bed, looking a bit pale, but in good spirits.

She tried hard to smile at me, her wrinkles bunching up together.

"Chloe, Grandma is fine. The doctor said I can go home in a couple of days."

"You focus on your work, you don't need to rush back."

Looking at her forced smile, my throat felt sour and blocked. I could only nod vigorously, unable to say a single word.

After hanging up the video call, I opened the ticketing app again and unexpectedly managed to book a ticket home for the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

My fingertips paused, and a plan slowly took shape in my mind.

On the third day of the New Year, I tucked away all my emotions.

Following Ethan's instructions, I meticulously hosted Mr. Wang from Apex Group and his wife.

I kept a smiling face the entire time, was attentive and thoughtful, and didn't make a single mistake.

Ethan was very satisfied with my performance.

He proactively sent a message saying he had reimbursed me for my train ticket home.

[See, it's not that I didn't want you to go back. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to reimburse you.]

[Keeping you in Seattle for a few extra days is all for our company, for our future together.]

I didn't reply with a single word. I just accepted the transfer.

On the fifth day of the New Year, ticket in hand, I boarded the high-speed train back to my hometown right on time.

Upon returning to the county hospital, I stayed by my grandmother's side, taking meticulous care of her.

Over those few days, Ethan sent a few intermittent messages.

On the surface, he was asking about my grandmother's health, but in reality, he was urging me to return to the company sooner.

I treated them all as if I hadn't seen them.

He wasn't in a hurry anyway.

After all, in the past, no matter how bad our fights got, I always ended up running back to him.

Unfortunately for him, this time, he miscalculated.

It wasn't until after the Lantern Festival that I returned to the company, following his repeated urging.

As soon as I entered the office, he knocked on his desk with a cold face.

"Being late for so many days, your perfect attendance bonus for this month is gone. According to company policy, your salary will also be docked."

I smiled, unbothered.

I pulled a piece of paper from my bag and slapped it onto the desk with a smack.

"I quit."

"Also, I want all my unpaid overtime, performance bonuses, and year-end bonuses from the past few years paid out in full."

He pinched the paper in his hand, making a crisp sound.

He stared at the number at the bottom for a few seconds and laughed out loud.

"Three million, six hundred and forty thousand? Chloe, there's a limit to throwing a tantrum."

Seeing my serious expression, his face slowly darkened.

"You really want to quit? Fine. Do you think the company will stop running without you?"

"But you won't get a single cent of this money."

Before he finished his sentence, the office door was pushed open, and his assistant ran in, face pale.

"Mr. Sterling, this is bad!"

"All the partners from last year are saying they want to terminate their contracts! And Mr. Wang, who we met with before the holidays, also said he's not signing the contract!"