No More Free Rides

"Ms. Smith, a complaint has been filed with HR. You have been accused of misusing your personal vehicle for unauthorized commercial activity." The administrative manager dropped a printed copy of the so-called joint complaint onto the desk, a faint, knowing smile on her lips. The company had decided to issue me a fine, placed a formal warning on my record, and revoked my performance bonus for this quarter. I stared at the handwriting on the complaint, then let out a short, incredulous laugh. I recognized it instantly. It was Selena Rogers. The same coworker who had been hitching rides with me to and from work every day for the past three years. It was all because of last night's storm. She had insisted I take a long detour to drive her to the mall so she could pick up her boyfriend, and I had said no. Then, in the break room, Selena's voice carried loud and clear. "Jennifer, I didn't have a choice. "We have to keep work and personal matters separate. The transportation stipend from the company isn't for you to make extra money." Around us, coworkers glanced over, whispering and pointing, as if they had completely forgotten how eager they once were to ask for a ride home. I took a slow breath. "Fine. I accept the company's decision." Then I pulled out my phone and made a call. "Mr. Wallace, I won't be renewing the lease on those two vans. "Yes. The ones that have been picking up and dropping off the admin and sales teams every day, free of charge." For three years, I had been the easygoing one, paying out of my own pocket every month to lease those vehicles so my coworkers could treat it as a perk. If that was now considered unauthorized business activity, then from this day on, everyone could figure out their own way to get to work. Chapter 1 I hung up, and the smile on Administrative Manager Wade Cooper's face froze instantly. "Ms. Smith, those two vans you just mentioned… what's going on with that?" I folded the disciplinary notice neatly and slipped it into my bag, keeping my tone calm. "It's nothing. Since the company has decided that I've been engaging in unauthorized operations, I won't be driving my own car anymore. "As for the 'unofficial vehicles' I personally paid to rent, I'll cancel those too. Wouldn't want them affecting the company's reputation." Wade frowned. "Wait. Are you saying those two vans that pick up and drop off employees every day… you rented them yourself? Weren't those a company benefit?" "A company benefit?" I let out a soft laugh, my gaze drifting toward the people peeking in from outside the door. "Mr. Cooper, you've worked in Finance for more than a day or two. In the past three years, has there ever been a single entry in the books for 'employee shuttle rental expenses'?" Wade froze. He had never seen such an expense. However, like everyone else, he had simply assumed it was a standard company perk, or maybe part of some administrative budget that was not publicly disclosed. After all, those two brand-new shuttle vans had shown up like clockwork every day, waiting at the subway station and outside the office building. Rain or shine, they had been running for three full years. "About that… Ms. Smith, that doesn't seem possible. Renting vehicles like that isn't cheap." "It isn't," I said lightly. "Six thousand a month for one van. Twelve thousand for two. Toss in driver salaries and fuel subsidies, and it comes to a little over twenty thousand a month." I picked up a pen from the desk and spun it lazily between my fingers. "Over three years, that's a total of seven hundred and twenty thousand. "And that doesn't even include my personal car, the one Selena Rogers reported. The gas and wear and tear from giving people rides along my route? I paid for all of that myself." The office fell completely silent. Just moments ago, Selena had been loudly accusing me in the break room of "profiting off coworkers." She stood at the doorway holding her coffee, her expression stiff and uneasy. I stood up and smoothed out my blazer. "Since the complaint clearly states that I've been 'misusing my personal vehicle and engaging in unauthorized operations,' it's only fair that I make some adjustments. "Starting this afternoon, the shuttle service will be fully canceled. From now on, everyone can figure out their own commute." Without sparing Selena another glance, I pushed the door open and walked out. Behind me, I could hear Wade frantically flipping through financial records, along with Selena's slightly panicked voice trying to explain, "She… she has to be bluffing. Who would spend that much money just to give coworkers a ride?" Chapter 2 Yeah. Looking back, I felt kind of ridiculous. Three years of being a generous fool, and in the end, what did I get? A five-thousand-dollar fine and a label that said I was "profiting off others." I did not come from nothing. However, no one at the company knew that. My father had always taught me to start from the bottom and to learn how to work with people instead of relying on family connections right away. Three years ago, not long after I joined the company, we relocated our office to a remote tech park. It was several kilometers from the nearest subway station. There was barely any public transportation, and ride-hailing services were almost impossible to get. I saw how hard the daily commute was for everyone. Some people had to carpool, while others ended up taking unsafe, unofficial rides. So, under the excuse of "helping the company coordinate resources," I contacted a friend's car rental company and arranged for two shuttle vans. To everyone else, I said it was a benefit I had helped secure for employees. I never mentioned that I was the one paying for it out of pocket. As for Selena, she happened to live in the same apartment complex as me. When she first joined, she used to stand by the roadside every morning waiting for a ride. Since we worked in the same department, I offered to take her along. This went on for three full years. She often ate breakfast in my car, leaving crumbs everywhere. I let it slide. She would take off her shoes and do her makeup in the passenger seat. I did not say a word. Sometimes, she even asked me to make a detour to pick up her boyfriend, who did not even have a stable job. I did not bother arguing. Until last night, during that heavy rainstorm… "Jennifer, swing by the Elmwood Mall, okay? Ryan forgot his umbrella," she said like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Selena, the rain's too heavy. That road is already flooding. My car isn’t built for tackling floods. I can't make it through, and I need to get back to bring medicine to my mom." "It's not like giving her medicine a little later will matter," she said impatiently, waving her hand. "Jennifer, why are you being so stingy? You get all those transportation subsidies anyway. What's the big deal about helping out once?" That was the moment I snapped. "Transportation subsidies? When has the company ever given me that?" "Cut the act," she sneered. "Everyone knows you have a company fuel card." The more I listened, the angrier I got. I pulled over right then and there, told her to get out, and drove off without picking up her boyfriend. The next morning, that complaint letter landed straight on the administrative department's desk. It accused me of using my position to take advantage of coworkers, of asking for benefits in exchange for rides, and even claimed I had misused company resources to run unauthorized operations. The truth was, in those three years, the most Selena had ever given me was a box of nearly expired cookies from the office pantry. I went back to my desk and slowly started packing up my things. Not quitting. Just preparing to "make adjustments." At five-thirty in the afternoon, it was time to get off work. The sky outside was dark and heavy. Strong winds pushed the clouds low, and it looked like another storm was coming. On any normal day, both shuttle vans would already be parked downstairs by then, lights on, waiting to pick people up. However, today, the space outside was completely empty. Selena rushed downstairs with her bag, looked around, then hurried back up to the office. Her voice was loud enough for the entire floor to hear. "Jennifer! Where's the shuttle? Why isn't it here yet?" I was finishing up my last email and did not even look up. "Selena, do you not understand plain English, or did you just forget? I said this morning that the shuttle service is canceled." "You can't just cancel it!" Selena snapped. "That's a company benefit. You don't get to decide that. What? Do you think you're the one calling the shots?" Other coworkers gathered around, all talking at once. "Yeah, Ms. Smith, it's about to rain. We can't get a ride out here." "Even if you're upset, you can't mess with everyone's commute like this." "Exactly. Selena reported you, not us. Why are we the ones getting dragged into this?" I looked at their familiar faces. Teresa, the sales rep who was six months pregnant. I had asked the driver to reserve the front seat just for her so she could sit more comfortably. Carson, the new intern fresh out of college. He often worked late and missed the last shuttle, so I told the driver to drop him off right at his door. Chapter 3 Then there was Amy from admin. Her elderly parent was sick, and I had asked the driver to deliver medicine for her more than once. Now, all of them were blaming me. Calling me "selfish" and saying I had "no sense of the bigger picture." I shut my laptop and stood up, my gaze sweeping calmly across every single face. "First, the shuttle vans are not a company benefit. I paid for them out of my own pocket. I have the contracts, the transfer records, and the invoices. "Second, since Selena reported me for illegal operations, and the administrative department has already confirmed that and penalized me, then for compliance reasons, I have to stop this 'illegal activity.' "Third…" I turned to look at Selena, who had been yelling the loudest. "You're right. I'm not the one calling the shots, so I'm also not obligated to keep supporting a group of ungrateful people." With that, I picked up my bag and gave the car keys in my hand a small shake. "Oh, and one more thing. Since my car is now considered 'misused for company purposes,' to avoid any further issues, from now on, whether it's on the way or out of the way, no one is getting a ride from me again." I walked straight toward the elevator. Behind me, Selena was still shouting, "Don't listen to her! She's bluffing! She must have pocketed the rental money and now she's making excuses to cover it up! "Let's take this to management! I refuse to believe that no one can deal with her!" As the elevator doors closed, I caught a glimpse of the rain pouring down outside. Those two vans were never coming back. The next day, the company's late arrival rate hit eighty percent. The tech park was already remote, and furthermore heavy rain had flooded several roads. Ride-hailing queues were at least two hours long. Before this, people could nap on the shuttle vans and arrive on time, even grab breakfast at the office. Today, they all looked like they had just crawled out of a storm. Pants soaked with mud, faces dark and miserable. Selena did not show up until ten-thirty. She was drenched from head to toe, her makeup ruined. The moment she walked in, she saw me sitting at my desk, calmly sipping a cup of hot coffee. I had driven my own SUV this time. With its high ground clearance, the flooded roads were nothing. "Jennifer!" Selena stormed over and pointed a finger right at my face. "Are you happy now? The whole company is late because of you. This is a serious workplace incident!" I set my coffee down and looked at her soaked, disheveled state, feeling nothing at all. "They're late because they didn't plan their commute properly. What does that have to do with me? I clocked in at nine sharp. Perfect attendance." "You…" Selena choked on her words, then turned to Wade. "Mr. Cooper, look at her! Someone who damages company morale like this should be fired!" Wade looked completely overwhelmed. Senior management had just chewed him out, demanding to know why most employees had not shown up and why several important client calls had gone unanswered. He had blamed the weather and avoided mentioning the shuttle vans. This was because he had checked the financial records. There really was not a single cent listed for shuttle expenses. "Um… Ms. Smith," Wade walked over, rubbing his hands together. His attitude was noticeably softer than yesterday. "Senior management just asked about the shuttle service. You see, Selena may have gone too far this time, but we're all colleagues after all. Could you… maybe restore it for a few days?" "Restore it?" I looked at him. "Mr. Cooper, has my fine been dealt with?" "It's already… been deducted from your salary." "And the formal warning? Has it been withdrawn?" "Well… the notice has already been issued. It won't be easy to take it back." I gave him a look, my voice turning sharper. "Then what exactly are you asking me to restore?" I opened a folder and pulled out a printed sheet of A4 paper. "These are copies of the rental contracts for the two vans, along with my monthly transfer records over the past three years. Mr. Cooper, please take a close look. The recipient is the rental company. The payer is me, personally.” Chapter 4 "If the company believes this was a company benefit, fine. Reimburse me the full seven hundred and twenty thousand. "And issue a public apology, revoke my penalty, and fire Selena. Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss." Wade stared at the long string of numbers, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead. Selena leaned in for a closer look, her eyes practically popping out. "That's impossible! How could you have that much money? Your monthly salary is only fifteen thousand!" I let out an icy laugh. "How much money I have is none of your business. "Selena, do you really think everyone in the world is like you, scheming against coworkers over a few dollars in ride fare?" Selena's face flushed a deep, ugly red. "You… you must have embezzled company funds! I'm calling the police! I'll have the financial crimes unit investigate you!" "Be my guest," I said. Of course, Selena did not actually call the police. However, she did start forming her own little clique at work, isolating me. Over the next few days, she spread rumors in every group chat and private conversation she could. She said I had someone backing me, that my money came from shady sources. She even encouraged people not to talk to me, saying that anyone who got close to me was going against the "team." At the same time, she set up her own so-called "carpool group." "Listen, everyone. Even though Jennifer canceled the shuttle, we can't let her control us. I have a friend who works in ride-hailing. I've already arranged a van. It's only fifteen per person per day. It’s way cheaper than booking your own ride!" People were unhappy, but the commute problem was real. One by one, they paid and joined her group. I watched as she collected transfers in the chat. Four hundred and fifty per person each month. With forty people, that was eighteen thousand. A run-down van like that would cost, at most, three thousand a month to rent. Now this was a real "unauthorized operation," with a nice profit on top. I did not expose her. I just watched quietly as she walked herself straight into a pit. Sure enough, on the third day, everything blew up. The van Selena arranged was obviously a hastily modified vehicle. It had originally been used for cargo, with a few flimsy folding seats thrown in. There was no air conditioning. Windows that would not seal properly. A faint, unpleasant smell lingering inside. Worst of all, it was seriously overloaded. The van was rated for seven passengers. She had crammed twelve people into it. During the morning rush hour, traffic police were conducting inspections at an intersection. The van got pulled over. The driver was cited for illegal modifications, overloading, and unauthorized commercial operation. The vehicle was impounded on the spot, and the driver was taken away. All the coworkers packed inside were ordered out of the vehicle and made to stand by the roadside for a lecture. That day, they were all late again. Because their identities had been recorded by traffic police, the company ended up being officially reprimanded. Senior management was furious. In the conference room, one executive slammed his hand on the table, his voice tight with anger. "This is your so-called carpool arrangement? Who organized this? Who's responsible?" All eyes turned to Selena. She shrank into the corner, her voice trembling. "I… I was just trying to help everyone with the commute…" "Help?" The executive let out an icy laugh, his tone turning sharp. "You created a risk." He pointed at her, his voice merciless. "The entire company has now been flagged for a compliance review. This could affect this year's evaluations and bonuses. Can you take responsibility for that?" Selena's eyes turned red instantly, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, she raised her hand and pointed at me, her voice rising. "It's all Jennifer's fault! If she hadn't stopped the shuttle, none of this would have happened!" The executive turned to look at me. There was no question in his eyes, only blame. "Jennifer, look at what you've done!" I froze for a second. "Mr. Carter, how is this related to me?" "How is it not?" he snapped, slamming the table again, his voice rising. "If you hadn't suddenly canceled the shuttle, would Selena have come up with this carpool idea? Would employees have gotten into trouble? Would the company be under regulatory scrutiny?" He stared at me, his tone turning icy and final. "In the end, this all started with you." Chapter 5 That twisted, robber-style logic actually made me laugh. "Mr. Carter, I stopped the shuttle because the administrative department ruled that I was in violation and fined me for it." I pushed the penalty notice toward him. He did not even glance at it. He waved his hand and knocked it aside. "Don't give me that useless procedural nonsense! You're a sales manager. You're supposed to see the bigger picture! "The Smith Group is about to acquire Bluebell Bio Tech, and right at this critical moment, this kind of mess happens. If it delays the acquisition, can you afford the consequences?" I froze for a second. That was when I remembered mentioning to my dad before that I wanted to bring Bluebell Bio Tech under the Smith Group. I had not expected him to already set things in motion. Seeing me fall silent, James Carter loosened his tie and pointed at the copy of the rental contract, speaking with complete confidence. "Since you've been paying for the vans these past three years, that means you clearly don't care about this amount of money. "I'm giving you a chance to fix this. The fine is already paid, but you must restore the shuttle service immediately. "You'll still pay for it yourself. Go rent two better buses right now, calm everyone down, and restore the company's reputation." The conference room went dead silent. Wade and Selena both looked openly pleased. I stared at the man in front of me, his face full of smug authority, and asked calmly, "Mr. Carter, are you saying that not only will the fine not be refunded, but I'm also expected to keep paying out of my own pocket to do charity work for the company? On what grounds?" "On the grounds that I'm senior management!" His attitude shifted completely. "Jennifer, don't think I don't know where your money comes from. Without this company platform, do you think you'd have access to those high-level resources?" His voice turned colder, carrying an obvious threat. "I'll make this clear. Either you contact the rental company right now and restore the shuttle service, and from now on you personally cover all the costs as your responsibility for this incident… "Or you can pack your things and leave. This company doesn't need someone who only thinks about herself and refuses to take responsibility." Selena immediately chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Exactly. Ms. Smith, you've benefited so much over the years. What's wrong with giving a little back now? Don't be so stingy." I did not argue, and I did not get angry. I simply looked at him calmly. "Since you think I don't belong in this company, Mr. Carter, then I'll leave." He clearly had not expected me to agree so quickly. He paused, then his embarrassment turned into anger. "Leave? Fine! Get out right now! Don't expect a single cent of severance! Wade, process her exit immediately. I want her gone now!" Security "escorted" me out of the building. The whole sales department was in an uproar, but no one dared to speak up for me. Selena even followed me to the entrance, her face full of smug satisfaction. "Well, Ms. Smith. Oh wait, I should just call you Jennifer now, right? How does it feel to be fired? That's what you get for going against me." I looked at her, my expression calm, like I was looking at a complete stranger. Just then, a black luxury car slowly pulled up at the company entrance. The driver, wearing gloves, stepped out quickly. He ignored the stunned security guards and Selena, and took the box from my hands. "Ms. Smith, Mr. Smith has already been informed of your termination. He asked me to pick you up." His tone was respectful and controlled. "He said that since this 'experience' is now over, it's time for you to return and take over group affairs. The acquisition of Bluebell Bio Tech is still awaiting your signature."