Chapter 135
“I can certainly take over, but before we proceed, I’d like to have a private word with Mrs. Norman”
Ezekiel insted me completely. “Go ahead and arrange it
As Holly and I were heading out of the meeting room, we overheard Ezekiel’s voice again. “Her name’s Sheila, right? She’s fired. Go to HR, settle your pay for the month, and don’t bother showing up tontorrow
I couldn’t help but glance back. Sheila was standing there, stunned, her breathi short and quick, clearly in shock.
Holly rugged at me, “What are you staring at Feeling sorry for her? When she took acheantage of you, did she ever think about your situation?”
I rolled my eyes. “What are you talking about? Who’s feeling sorry for her?
Back in my office, it wasn’t long before Sheila came rushing in, tears streaming down her face. “Sylvia, plene, I beg you. Talk to Mr. Jacobson on my behalf. I’ve worked so hard for this job–1 can’t be fired!”
Her distress was raw, but it didn’t move me.
Looking at her, I couldn’t help but think back to when she first joined the company. She was so shy and uncertain, but earnest, always trying her
best.
At one point, I thought I could shape her into someone like me, someone I could trust to handle important tasks.
But everything that followed made me realize that life didn’t always go the way we expected. Sheila would never be my second self.
Her tears now weren’t because she genuinely relied on me–they were just the desperation of someone facing the loss of a job
I sighed. “If this hadn’t blown up and reached Mr. Jacobson, maybe things could’ve been different. But now… it’s a different story. He made the decision himself to fire you. What could I possibly say to change that?”
Sheila’s face turned pale as realization hit her. Her eyes widened, as she was losing all their usual spark.
She slowly left my office, sat at her desk for a long time, and only when HR came to notify her did she sign the papers, sobbing as she did so,
I watched her pack up. piece by piece, until she disappeared from my sight.
Later, Holly told me that when the issue first surfaced, Sheila didn’t even think she was at fault. She had been whispering in Austin’s ear, egging him on, which had only fueled his resentment toward me.
When it turned out the mistake was hers, she was completely caught off guard
Holly chuckled. “I just thought it was funny, so I called you to share the entertainment. You don’t get a front–row seat to a show like this every day? “Did you at least say something to help me out?” I asked, pretending to be annoyed.
“Are you
kidding? I can’t exactly tell everyone that I’m close to you, can I? Holly rolled her eyes. “Hurry up. You’ve got 72 hours–no sleep, no breaks. Let’s see how you handle this.”
I thought, ‘Right, Just 72 hours… but before I dived into that, I wanted to meet with Neva
That evening. I asked Ezekiel to arrange the meeting. We sat down at an exclusive, low–key fast food restaurant, where I met Neva, the CEO who appeared delicate but was, in reality, as formidable as they came.
When she saw me, Neva was slightly surprised.
“I didn’t expect the real host tonight to be you,” she said, still maintaining a polite smile. Out of respect for Ezekiel, she took her seat.
I smiled back. “Of course. Now that I’m taking over the project, there are a few things we need to discuss. But before we get into that, I have a question I’d like to ask you Mrs. Norman”
Her eyes flickered ever so slightly at my change in tone. “Go ahead”
I leaned in slightly, making sure to meet her gaze. “In your opinion, is it better to keep work and personal matters separate, or should we use work for personal gain?”
1/1
