I found out my younger colleague — the one I trained — earned 30% more than me. When I confronted HR, they didn’t explain it. They threatened me.
“Salaries are confidential. Sharing this information could get you fired.”
I smiled.
Because they had no idea what was coming.
I’d given Summit Logistics twelve years of my life. I built their systems, fixed their servers at 2 AM, and mentored every new hire — including Marcus, the kid earning more than me. One glance at his forgotten pay stub shattered any illusion that loyalty mattered here.
That night, I dug out my old contract… and found something HR never expected: I never signed the IP agreement for the software I built — the same system that handled 80% of the company’s billing.
The next morning, during an all-hands meeting, I raised my hand.
“The license for the billing platform expires in ten minutes.”
The CEO scoffed. “We own that system.”
“No,” I said. “I built it. I own it. And as of five minutes ago, I revoked your access.”
Phones immediately started ringing. Chaos erupted.
Then I added the final blow:
“And by the way, since my contract expired three months ago and HR never renewed it, I’m technically not an employee. I resigned yesterday. I’m available as a consultant — $400 an hour, six-month retainer upfront.”
They agreed in minutes.
HR got fired.
The company unionized.
And I finally learned the truth:
Your loyalty is valuable — don’t give it to people who can’t afford it.