Chapter 4

Instead of heading to my office, I followed them to the reception floor where the interviews were being held. I was fully intent on catching Walter in the act.

I was going to send my parents a message to inform them about the delay, but the moment I stepped out of the elevator, I saw them walking toward me.

Mom had several large bags with her. She had never cared much about appearances. She'd stuffed the souvenirs from all over the world into oversized canvas tote bags so they were easier to carry.

"Mom, put those down," I said quickly. "You're going to wear yourself out."

Before she could answer, Madison, who had stepped out of the elevator behind us, covered her mouth and let out a shrill cry.

"Oh, my God! You've come for an interview, and you actually brought your country-bumpkin parents with you?"

Her eyes were sharp and critical as she glanced at the bags Mom was holding.

"Don't tell me you brought some shabby produce from your village? Oh, my God!" She burst into laughter and tugged on Huxley's sleeve. "Look, Hux! That clueless old lady is planning to bribe Walter with homegrown eggs!"

Huxley walked over as well. The two of them stood in front of Mom and laughed so hard that they could barely stay upright.

Frowning, Mom asked, "Who are these two, Levi? Are they your friends? They're unbelievably rude."

"I don't know them!" I swiftly replied. "They came for an interview."

Madison piped up mockingly, "There's no way we'd be friends with your son, old lady. Hux here is about to become one of the core members of Hope Tech's product development team. As for your son, a bunch of eggs isn't going to help him get hired."

Mom had never been disrespected like that before. She came right out and shot back, "My son is the founder of Hope Tech. Who in this building has the right to 'hire' him?

"And you, Levi—how have you been managing this company? How did someone like that get an interview here?"

Madison's eyes widened. "Hey, old lady. Did you just say your son is the founder of Hope Tech?"

She and Huxley laughed even harder, acting like Mom and I were a bunch of clowns putting on a show for them.

"Goodness me! Being a compulsive liar is a hereditary condition in your family," Madison declared before sizing up my parents with narrowed eyes.

Falling back on her usual standard for judging people, she announced her evaluation of them.

"You're wearing such shoddy, off-brand knockoffs that I can't even tell what brand they're trying to mimic. And you're also in slippers! But I admit your hair is pretty neat. I guess you did make a bit of effort to look respectable for your son's sake.

"But either way, a trashy family like yours from the bottom of society is nothing but an eyesore to me."

Mom and Dad were stunned speechless. Over the course of their lives, they'd met more than their fair share of people eager to suck up to them. It was the first time someone had been brazen enough to insult them to their faces like that.

For a moment, neither of them even knew how to respond.

Madison and Huxley's chortling kept echoing in the lounge until an HR executive finally interrupted them.

"Mr. Lockwood? Please proceed to Office 1 for the interview."

Huxley straightened his suit jacket, shot me a smug look, and strode into the interview. I waited outside, keeping an eye on the time. He came back out in less than ten minutes, humming a tune as he did.

That was nowhere near long enough for a proper technical interview.

I stepped forward, stopped him from closing the door, and walked into the office.

"Did anyone call for you?" Huxley mocked. "You're certainly eager."

Walter, who was sitting behind the desk, spotted me. A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes as he hastily stood up to greet me.

But I simply pulled out a chair and sat down beside him before calling out to Huxley, "Get back in here. There's another round of interviews—this time, with the CEO."