Chapter 3

Hayden made no effort to hide the contempt on his face as he coldly continued, "As for me, my identity as the son of Natasha Belmont, CEO of Avenel Group, is enough to crush you so hard that you can never stand on your feet again!"

I stared at him and wondered where all his confidence came from. For a second, I started to question if Aunt Natasha might have secretly had an illegitimate son behind the family's back.

Suddenly, I said, "I heard Ms. Belmont has a nephew she treats like her own son. Mr. Belmont, I wonder if you've ever met him."

Hayden's expression froze for a split second before he shot me a look of disdain.

"That's my cousin, so of course, I've met him. But he lives abroad year-round and rarely comes back. I barely get to see him. A low-class peasant like you shouldn't even dream about it."

I scoffed. "Oh, really? If you're that important, Mr. Belmont, why are you out here robbing someone else of their title and bonus? You wouldn't happen to be a fake, would you?"

"How dare you!"

Hayden's face was flushed as he glared at me hatefully. "Don't push your luck, Flynn! Your Top Sales Performer title was revoked because you lack the character for it, while I earned it on pure merit!"

"Pure merit?" I echoed and took a step forward, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Are you talking about your talent for slacking off and playing video games in the office, your two-hour lunch breaks, or perhaps your discipline in clocking out at 5:00 pm sharp on the dot?

"Or are you referring to your skill of staring at the computer screen for an entire day, only to produce presentation slides with just two words, 'The Proposal' on them?"

I wasn't speaking fast, but every single word I said was enough to humiliate him.

Hayden opened his mouth, utterly speechless, before shooting Warner a pleading look for help.

A flash of disappointment crossed Warner's face before he looked at me and coldly said, "Watch your mouth, Flynn. This is a company, not a flea market. It is not a place for you to shout and throw tantrums!

"Don't think that landing a few projects for the company means you can act however you want. Survival of the fittest is the reality of the workplace; you have to accept being replaced by superior talent instead of throwing a fit."

All eyes turned to me. Everyone was waiting to see me fall apart with the company over the 800-thousand-dollar bonus.

But 800 thousand dollars? I wouldn't even blink at five million dollars. All I wanted was justice.

Instead of blowing up in rage or fighting back, I smiled mockingly.

"Fine. I accept it. The Top Sales Performer title should belong to whoever is more outstanding here."

I had just returned to my desk when the HR department issued two announcements.

"Employee Flynn Calder has severely violated company protocol by utilizing corporate funds for lavish personal dining. He is hereby removed from the Sales Manager position and placed on indefinite suspension for self-reflection.

"Intern Hayden Belmont has safeguarded corporate interests and displayed exceptional performance throughout his internship, creating massive profits for the company.

"Effective immediately, he is transitioned to a full-time employee and will assume the Sales Manager role, taking full custody of all pending accounts previously managed by Flynn Calder."

Immediately following the announcements, Warner tagged me in the company group chat, calling me out.

"Flynn, your wasteful extravagance and blatant disregard for company protocols have resulted in the forfeiture of your monthly bonus. You are required to submit a handwritten, ten-thousand-word self-criticism essay to this group chat. Let this serve as a warning to all other employees!"

This was outright bullying!

They stripped away my title as the Top Sales Performer, deducted my bonus, and branded me as an example of shame, dragging me onto a sacrificial altar for humiliation just to establish Hayden's authority.

The group chat went silent. Even the office plunged into dead quietness.

People began casting subtle, fleeting glances in my direction—some filled with pity, sorrow, and indignation, while others gloated over my downfall.

The announcements sat frozen on the screen, as if everyone was waiting for me to type out a humiliated, groveling apology in the group chat.

Warner pinged me again in the chat. "Are you blind?"

Still, I didn't reply.

On the other end of the screen, Warner seemed to be losing his mind and relentlessly tagged me out.

That was when Isabel texted me. "Don't be stubborn, Flynn. Just swallow your pride and give in. Your job is what matters."

I gave her a faint smile, which brought tears to my eyes.

My stiff fingers started tapping on my phone screen as I shakingly typed out my reply.

"Message received, Mr. Maxwell. I'll definitely remember this lesson and never indulge in such lavish wastefulness by ordering a 20-dollar dish. At the next company dinner, I'll only drink water and won't touch a single bite of food."