Chapter 2

I replied to Tristan's message. "Noted, no objection."

Tristan was clearly pleased with himself after using me as an example. A few eager sycophants immediately chimed in, praising his decisiveness.

I opened my email and looked at the confirmation notice that my patent application had been approved.

I hoped Tristan would show the same lack of objection when he was asked to answer for the financial damage he had caused the company.

"Ms. Lynn, you absolutely have to come to tomorrow's celebration."

Wesley passed by my desk and made sure to savor the word "celebration", as if repeating his victory aloud made it shine more brightly.

His posturing didn't faze me. There was no point barking back at someone who behaved like a dog. Only after he left did everyone start complaining.

"I'm done with this. They always schedule team events on weekends."

"Who wants to spend their weekends with the same people from work?"

I offered a few absentminded consolations while checking the next day's schedule.

That weekend, I simply switched my phone to Do Not Disturb. I had no interest in watching their little office-politics pageant.

When I walked into the office on Monday, Tristan immediately launched into a passive-aggressive tirade.

"Jenna, who do you think you are? The notice went out before the end of the workday on Friday. Every employee was required to attend the celebration, and you were the only one missing. What is it? Do you have a problem with the company or a problem with me?"

I kept my tone even. "Mr. Hayes, the announcement came at the end of the day on Friday. I had already made plans for the weekend."

"And only you have plans? Everyone has families and lives, yet they all changed their schedules. Are you trying to be special?"

Wesley quickly joined in, clutching Tristan's coattails. I reached into my briefcase and laid a medical appointment slip on the desk.

"This doctor requires booking an appointment six months in advance. Not even money guarantees a slot. If I had skipped my weekend appointment, could you have secured me another for next week? It was a hospital visit. I assume that isn't unreasonable from a humanitarian viewpoint."

Wesley choked, his face flushing and paling in turns before he managed to sputter, "Still, you shouldn't have been absent. It was a night of honor for the whole company. You don't take the company seriously."

"Right, the celebration is a major company event. How could you not have planned ahead? Announcing it only one day in advance shows exactly how little the company matters to you. What kind of work attitude is that?

"And why not schedule it on a weekday? Is it because holding it on a weekend conveniently avoids the need for anyone to request leave?"

I let their accusations hang for a moment, then turned their logic back on them.

My coworkers exchanged glances of silent applause, as if I had voiced the frustration they had been swallowing for months.

Sensing the shift in the room, Tristan moved quickly to regain control.

"Jenna," he said, turning the accusation into a verdict, "your behavior shows a lack of team awareness. You insist on doing things your own way. Effective today, you're reassigned to the sales division so you can learn what teamwork actually looks like. Everett will take over as head of the technical division."

Everyone looked at me. Some were indignant, some shocked, and some suddenly enlightened.

"So that's it. He's been giving Ms. Lynn trouble just to clear the seat."

"No wonder he personally handled the final interview. That candidate really is a relative of his."

"Of course. He controls sales, but Ms. Lynn has never played nice with him. Now that the technical division can generate profits too, he's making sure his own people take it over."

The disappointment settled cold in my chest. I had been with this company since graduation.

The salary and benefits they initially promised evaporated the moment I joined, but at least the promotion path was clear. I worked step by step to become a supervisor, believing that as long as I gave everything to the company, someone would eventually recognize my efforts.

Instead, because I didn't bow to the right person, they had no problem cutting me down.

I returned to my desk and opened the smart system. I was typing lines of code when a notification popped up.

"Pre-Christmas sales will begin early."

The presale was scheduled to launch in three days.

The chairman, Oliver Grant, treated it as a major initiative and held a company-wide meeting to emphasize the need for even greater success.

He publicly commended the sales division for securing the previous orders and promised that if the presale hit 30 million dollars, everyone's year-end bonus would double.