You Fired the Wrong Man

The entire company was racing to get the year off to a strong start on the first day after our holiday break. I was the only one openly staring out the window, doing nothing. No one bothered me because I helped the boss make an extra 200 million dollars last year. So, she'd personally given me one special rule. "You can do whatever you want." Unfortunately, the new operations director didn't know that. So, she smashed my computer and ordered me to pay a 20,000-dollar fine in front of the entire office to set an example for everyone else. I didn't say anything. Instead, I made a phone call, packed up my things, and left the company. Early the next morning, the boss personally drove to my house herself. She'd come to take me back to work because the number I'd called the day before was the private cell phone number of a rival company's CEO. Chapter 1 The New Rules The entire company was pushing hard to get the year off to a strong start on the first day back after the holidays. I was the only one leaning against the window, staring blankly outside. Just then, the sharp click of high heels echoed down the hallway. "Is that him?" "Yes, Ms. Parker. This is Ethan Hayes, the employee I told you about, the same one who's been receiving special treatment." I recognized the other woman. She was Madeline Blake, the newly promoted deputy director. I turned around to find a woman in her early 30s standing in front of me. Madeline stood behind her, carrying herself with the same affected poise. Madeline lifted her chin slightly. "Ethan, this is Ms. Grace Parker, our new operations director." Grace's eyes landed on the computer sitting on the windowsill behind me. "Is that yours?" I said nothing. Madeline immediately stepped forward. "Ms. Parker, that's his personal computer. He doesn't use the one the company provides—" Before she could finish, Grace had already reached out and picked up the laptop. "You might be using your own computer, but that doesn't mean you can sit around daydreaming during work hours!" Then, she raised her arm high and let go. The laptop slammed onto the floor, the sharp crack of the screen shattering rang through the office. The entire floor fell silent. Grace stepped over the shattered screen and walked up to me. "Ethan, your performance was good last year, right? Still, that was last year. It's a new year now, so there are new rules." Madeline chimed in beside her, "Ms. Parker, he did well last year and started acting like he was above the rules. He's been skipping all the company activities. And now he's slacking off on the most important day of the year. He needs to be severely punished." Grace pulled out her phone, tapped the screen a couple of times, and held it up in front of me. It was a notice from the company's internal system. It was also posted three days ago by one Grace Parker. The post even had her position, Operations Director, written in bold. "See that? Look at the third rule. Anyone caught slacking off during work hours will be fined 500 dollars. Anyone who openly violates workplace rules and has a seriously negative impact will face a heavier penalty, starting at 5,000 dollars." She lowered her phone and continued, "Your case qualifies as a serious offense. You're being fined 20,000 dollars. Pay it to Accounting by the end of today. If you refuse, you're fired." I looked down at the computer lying on the floor. Then, I picked up my phone and called Claire Morgan. She answered after two rings, sounding surprised. "Ethan? Happy New Year—" I cut her off, saying, "Ms. Morgan, the new operations director just smashed my computer and ordered me to pay a 20,000-dollar fine or get lost. I wanted to clarify something: are you aware of this?" There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line. Then, Claire's voice shot up as she blurted, "What? Grace Parker? Wait right there. I'll call her right now." I hung up. Grace and Madeline were still standing there. Grace had a smirk on her face. "You called Ms. Morgan? Fine. I'll wait." She turned and headed toward the office. She'd just taken two steps before she turned around and said, "Madeline, you'll stay here with Ethan while we wait." Chapter 2 No Exceptions The phone in Grace's office rang five minutes later. She answered it and murmured a few responses, the tension gradually easing from her face. When she hung up, she walked out, folded her arms across her chest, and looked down her nose at me. "Just wait." That was it. Then, she led Madeline away and headed down the hallway. My phone rang a moment later. It was Claire. I answered. Claire's voice was gentler now, almost cheerful. "Ethan, I just spoke with Grace and got a better understanding of what happened. She says you've been slacking off today. Apparently, you've been spending the whole morning leaning against the window, staring into space?" I said nothing. "She's new to the position, so her being a little strict will only do good for the company. You had an impressive year last year, but this year has barely started. You need to get yourself back on track. Maybe you've just misunderstood her? Let's not make a big deal out of it, yes? "After all, we're all striving to do what's best for the company." My fingers tightened around the phone, my knuckles turning slightly white as she nattered on and on. I looked toward the end of the hallway. Grace and Madeline were standing around the corner, exchanging a secret smile. I glanced at the shattered computer on the floor and said quietly, "I understand, Ms. Morgan." My phone buzzed. It was a message from the headhunter. "Ms. Reed wants to know if you've made a decision." I deleted the message without replying. … The company held its annual kickoff meeting the following afternoon. Every employee crowded into the conference room; everyone was packed like sardines. I sat in the last row against the wall with two Band-Aids covering my hand. Grace stood onstage in a sharp business suit. The projector behind her displayed a bold title in white against a red background. "New Start. New Rules. New Heights." She picked up the microphone and swept her gaze across the room before finally fixing her eyes in my direction. "I know there have been certain so-called special employees in this company who think their past achievements give them the right to come in late, leave early, skip company events, and treat our rules like they don't exist." The room fell awkwardly silent. Grace raised the microphone closer to her mouth, her voice growing louder. "All such special privileges are revoked starting today. Everyone is required to clock in, attend meetings, and submit weekly and daily reports." She paused, her eyes never left my face. "That includes certain people who think they're above the rules." Someone in the front row started clapping. Madeline stood up and applauded the loudest, glancing back at me between claps. Shortly after, scattered applause spread through the room. I didn't move. … Once the meeting adjourned, people filed out one by one. I was the last to get up. I had just reached the door when Madeline caught up with me. There was a pink form clutched in her hand. "Ethan, wait." She slapped the paper into my hand. "That'll be 20,000 dollars. Pay it to Accounting by the end of today, or it'll be treated as an unauthorized absence. Ms. Parker says the rules are the rules. No exceptions." I looked down at the fine notice, then back at her. "How am I supposed to work when my computer's been smashed?" Madeline grinned toothily. "Was it a company computer? Figure it out yourself. If it was yours, then you should just buy another one. It's not like you can't afford it, no?" She slipped both hands into her pockets and tilted her head mockingly. "Oh, and your desk is being moved to the spot by the door. You know the space next to the restroom? The original desk is being saved for the new key hire. You'd best move your things now. They're coming to the office this afternoon." I said nothing. Instead, I walked past her toward the office area. When I reached my desk, I bent down and started taking my things out of the drawer. A few notebooks. A water bottle. An unopened box of pens. Finally, my hands caressed the crystal trophy they'd given me at last year's company awards dinner, engraved with the words "Outstanding Contribution Award." Chapter 3 The Investigation I put the trophy into a cardboard box. I could feel eyes on me. My colleagues sneaked glances my way before quickly looking away. Grace sauntered down the hall and stopped about ten feet away, standing beside Madeline as they watched me pack up my things. I carried the box to the workstation near the restroom. It was a tiny desk, and a layer of dust had already settled across the surface. Two boxes of printer paper were stacked in the corner, giving off a musty smell. I set the box on the desk. I was called to the administrative department at 2 p.m. that very afternoon. The administrative supervisor didn't even look up as they handed me a form, saying blandly, "Ethan, Ms. Parker wants you to spend the afternoon organizing the storage room. It's part of our rotational training. Everyone will be taking a turn." I took the form. The storage room was two floors underground, packed with outdated files, old desks and chairs, and company T-shirts from who knew how many years ago. I spent the entire afternoon moving things by myself. The edges of the cardboard boxes cut my hands in several places. Tiny beads of blood welled up, but I merely wrapped the cuts with a tissue and kept going. … When I got home at 7 p.m., I was so exhausted that I couldn't even be bothered to turn on the lights. I sat on the couch, pulled up my contacts, and found Lorelei Reed's number. My finger hovered over the call button. Then, I suddenly recalled what Claire had said at last year's celebration dinner. She'd been holding a glass of wine, her face flushed with excitement. She'd slapped me on the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "Ethan, you can do whatever you want from now on. There are no rules here. What you say goes." I gave a self-deprecating laugh and turned off my phone. … On the morning of the third day, I'd barely sat down at the workstation beside the restroom when footsteps came from the other end of the hall. Grace led the way, holding a file. Sure enough, Madeline, her ever-loyal lackey, was right at her side. They stopped together in front of my desk. Grace tossed the file onto my desk. Several pages slid out and scattered across my keyboard. "Ethan, this is last year's project review report. There are several discrepancies in the numbers, and we suspect you falsified your performance figures. The company has decided to form an investigative committee. "You're suspended pending the investigation and are required to cooperate with us." I lowered my eyes to the report. I knew those numbers by heart. I could have recited them with my eyes closed. So, I could tell at a glance that someone had altered them beyond recognition. Revenue had been cut by 30%, costs had been increased by 20%, and the profit column had been changed to a loss. Madeline stepped around to my side, her arms crossed against her chest. Her voice was pitched just loud enough for everyone around us to hear. "Ethan, I never thought I'd see the day you ended up like this. You were riding high last year. Ms. Morgan even poured your coffee for you at meetings. Yet, look at you now." A few people at the surrounding desks lowered their heads, the tapping of their keyboards noticeably slowing down with every word. I looked straight at Grace. "You're sure you want to do this?" Grace puffed her chest, walked around to my chair, and leaned down. Her voice dropped to a whisper meant only for me. "Ethan, let me tell you something. Ms. Morgan doesn't care about you anymore. I had drinks with her last night, and she said she gave you too much last year and you got a little too full of yourself. I'm the one calling the shots around here now." Then, she straightened and brushed at some imaginary lint on her hands. "Pack your things. You don't need to come to work while the investigation is underway. Hand over your computer and your access badge, too." I didn't move. I could feel eyes settling on me from every direction. Some were sympathetic, some were indifferent, and most were just eagerly watching the drama unfold. I slowly rose to my feet. Then, I pulled my phone from my bag, opened my contacts right in front of Grace, and tapped the number I'd saved three months ago but never bothered to call. The phone rang twice. Soon, a calm woman's voice came through. "Ethan? So, you've finally decided to call me." "Ms. Reed, I agree to the terms you've offered," I replied. Chapter 4 The Ace They Handed Away There was a brief pause on the other end before Lorelei started chuckling. "Good. I've been waiting three months for you to finally say that. I'll send someone to pick you up at eight tomorrow morning." I hung up. Grace stood there, the smile not quite gone from her face. However, the triumphant look in her eyes had changed. Madeline came over and lowered her voice, asking, "Ms. Parker, who was that?" Grace ignored her and glared at me. I started packing up, but I didn't have much to pack. After all, my computer was already wrecked. I slipped a few notebooks into my bag and picked up the crystal trophy engraved with "Outstanding Contribution Award." I walked around Grace and headed straight for the exit. I had just gotten to the elevator when I heard Grace's voice. She had deliberately spoken loud enough for me to hear. "What's he going to do? It's not as if he could possibly cause us any real trouble." Madeline laughed along with her, her laughter echoing down the hallway. I didn't bother responding to their jabs. I tossed the crystal trophy into the trash can beside the elevator, hearing it rattle with a sharp clunk. … That afternoon, I put my phone on silent and tossed it into my bag. Madeline called me five times, but I ignored every one. I was sitting in a conference room on the 27th floor of Horizon Technology's headquarters at the time, and Lorelei was sitting across from me. She poured me a cup of coffee herself as she said, "Everything's been taken care of. I'll have someone pick you up at 8 a.m. tomorrow." I picked up the coffee cup. "Good." … Meanwhile, Madeline stood outside Grace's office at Apex Group with her phone in hand. "Ms. Parker, Ethan isn't answering." Grace didn't even look up from her computer screen as she replied, "If he won't answer, he won't answer. What trouble could he possibly cause?" "But that file…" Madeline started. Grace waved her off, dismissing her concerns. "Give it to someone else. Good riddance. At least I won't have to look at him every day. He's just a salesman. Yet, he thinks he's a big shot." Madeline parted her lips, but she eventually swallowed whatever she was about to say. Finally, she turned to leave. … Claire walked into the conference room with a cup of coffee at 7:58 a.m. the next morning. There were people on both sides of the long table, and the projector was already on. The morning meeting was about to begin. Her phone started vibrating with one notification after another the second she sat down. She frowned and opened the first one. "Industry News: Former Apex Group key player Ethan Hayes officially joins Horizon Technology as Head of Strategic Development." The accompanying photo showed Lorelei and me shaking hands. Claire's expression instantly changed. Her cup slipped from her hand and hit the conference table, splashing coffee everywhere. Everyone in the room looked up at the commotion. She ignored them and dialed my number, her fingers trembling. "The number you have dialed is currently switched off." She called Lorelei next. The phone rang twice before Lorelei answered, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Ms. Morgan, how was your holiday?" "Lorelei, what is the meaning of this? Ethan signed a non-compete agreement!" Lorelei chuckled softly, clearly amused by her outburst. "Ms. Morgan, when Ethan closed his very first deal, you said that what he says goes. Besides, everyone in this industry knows that verbal commitments always come first. "And besides… a non-compete agreement? Think back to that meeting. You might want to go back and check the records. Do you actually have a contract with Ethan that contains a non-compete clause? Don't be so confident, Ms. Morgan." Claire nearly dropped her phone. Lorelei added one last thing, "Oh, and thanks for sending me one of your best employees."