“And me ordering a five-dollar dish being labeled as ‘extravagant waste’—also a joke?”
Each word hit him like a slap.
His face went red, then white, then a sickly bluish-purple.
He stayed silent. I knew he was wrestling with himself. Admitting he’d messed up just didn’t fit a big boss like him.
Just then, Sadie came running over, excited.
“Sir! CipherLux Innovations agreed to invest!”
Cody instantly lit up, smiling like he’d already won.
“Great! Ah, Sadie, you’re the company’s lucky star! With their company backing us, clients will be begging to cooperate!”
Then he shot me a vicious glare.
“Ms. Tuffield, you’re fired. Go process your termination right now.”
I nodded calmly.
“Sure. I’ll need the company to pay the required compensation.”
He exploded.
“Compensation? After the damage you caused? Just wait—our legal department will sue you!”
Sadie shot me a hateful look.
“Bitch, I’ll make sure the whole industry blacklists you.”
I smiled faintly. “Alright. I’ll wait.”
Quietly, I packed up my things and walked out of the company I’d fought for a whole year.
Every ounce of my passion and smarts had gone into this company. I didn’t lean on connections or favors; I built it up on my own.
And this was what I got in return: fired. My heart felt like it’d rolled over on an ice blade—cold, sharp, and aching.
Colleagues came up one by one to see me out, muttering words of comfort.
Meg, tears in her eyes, said, “Phoebe, you’re amazing. You’ll shine anywhere. Don’t let what Sadie said get to you; you’ll find another job for sure.”
I smiled but said nothing. Sadie? She wasn’t capable of understanding.
Once outside, my phone buzzed. It was my uncle, who had been out of touch for half a month.
“Phoebe, dear, I’m signing the contract with your company next week. I’ll be in Russia for inspections. Can’t make it in person.”
I frowned. “Uncle… I quit.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Trouble at work? Do you need me to step in?”
“No need. I want to go back to the company and take charge of this project.”
I hung up and let a small smile curl on my lips.
No rush; this is just the opening act.
At the signing ceremony, my appearance left everyone at my old company stunned.
Especially Cody and Sadie. The way they looked at me was like they wanted to slice me with their eyes.
Sadie sneered. “What are you doing here? You’ve been fired. You have no right to be part of this signing!”