“The company values dedication. People like Lester are the true role models.”
"He just can't keep up anymore. Getting replaced was inevitable."
"Giving the five million to Lester makes perfect sense—gotta encourage the young talents."
"Old folks should know when to step aside."
Their words dripped with sarcasm and petty satisfaction—twisting the truth, relishing my downfall.
They'd all conveniently forgotten the past nine years I spent pulling all-nighters, breaking through one technical barrier after another, building this department from scratch.
All they saw was my "leaving work on time" for the past month.
Especially Freddy—always calling me "brother," yet now, his voice was the loudest, spitting venom about how I was "unworthy" and "hogging the spotlight."
I finally couldn't take it anymore. I stopped, turned around, and walked straight to his desk.
He was mid-sentence, sneering.
My gaze fell on the mug on his table—printed with the words Company's Excellence Award.
A souvenir we'd all received last year, after I led the team to win a major contract.
I grabbed it.
Before he could react, I smashed it hard against the floor.
Crash!
The sharp crack echoed through the open office. Porcelain shards scattered everywhere.
The entire floor fell into dead silence.
All the whispers, all the snide remarks—vanished instantly.
Freddy's face flushed red, then pale. His lips trembled, but no words came out.
I swept a cold glance around. Everyone averted their eyes, pretending to focus on their screens, their hands moving mechanically across keyboards or shuffling papers that didn't need sorting.
Without a word, I turned away.
In that suffocating silence, I walked back to my private office, closed the door behind me, and began packing my things.
My fingers brushed over the worn photo frame on my desk.
Inside one was a group photo—our team’s first major success after completing the initial module testing.
Everyone in that picture had a genuine smile and light in their eyes.
Now, everything had changed.
The anger burning in my chest slowly gave way to a deeper, colder sorrow.
Nine years.
Nine whole years.
I had poured the best years of my life into this place.