“Not a hundred thousand, three hundred twenty-four thousand. Looks like your math isn’t very good, Ms. Murphy. And besides, this isn’t about money. It’s about principles.”
She adjusted her glasses, and the light in her eyes turned cold.
“I just want you to understand, ignorance and arrogance both come with a price.”
“Alright then.”
I turned off the recorder and stood up. “I know your terms. You’ll get my answer in three days.”
Then I turned and walked away.
“Trying to buy time with tricks, Ms. Murphy?” Skylar called after me, her tone full of sarcasm.
“It’s pointless. I’ve already submitted a pre-litigation injunction. The court will contact you soon.”
I didn’t look back.
Stepping out of that maddening house, I let out a long breath. The sunlight outside was bright and harsh, yet it couldn’t warm me at all.
When I got back to the car, I didn’t start it right away. I just sat there, thinking.
Facing someone like Skylar, I couldn’t be sure I would win.
People like her were like stones stuck deep in the mud, filthy and impossible to move. She used the law to corner others and stirred public opinion to protect herself, making it almost impossible to deal with her.
To deal with her, I couldn’t rely on ordinary ways. I had to find her weakness, something beyond her so-called “rules,” that one flaw that could bring everything she built crashing down.
I didn’t go home. Instead, I drove straight to the company. Cognitech Technology is one of the top enterprises in the country. And I, Luna Murphy, was its founder and CEO.
I rarely showed up in the media, and most of my employees had only seen me from afar during company events, so it was natural that Skylar didn’t recognize me.
My assistant, Violet Webb, knocked on the door and walked in.
“President Murphy, you’re back.”
“Hmm.”
I took off my coat and sat down in the leather chair.
“Bring me the final list for this quarter’s Star of Cognitech program.”
The Star of Cognitech program was our company’s special talent recruitment project.
Every year, we choose fewer than ten outstanding graduates from top universities around the world and train them to become our future leaders.
Those who made it into the program were the best among the best, true standouts in every way.
Violet quickly handed me the file. “President Murphy, here’s the list, eight people in total. All of them were interviewed earlier.”