All Chapters of Cancelled The Perks They Called Me Toxic: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

The TikTok video had already passed 800,000 views.I refreshed the page. The comment section had blown up."This boss needs to be canceled!""Classic bad boss behavior!""Totally snaps the second an employee makes a suggestion!"Leo was busy in the comments, replying to everyone. Every response reinforced his persona as the bullied employee."Thanks for the support, everyone! I just wanted the company to be more inclusive. I had no idea the boss was this petty...""Yeah, now I'm scared he's going to retaliate against me at work tomorrow...""Please share this so more people see this kind of toxic work culture!"I shut off my phone and leaned back in my leather office chair.Three years ago, I graduated from Stanford.My mother, Catherine, had my life planned out. First, a fast track to Wall Street. Then, I would take over her tech empire.But I used my trust fund to start Elysian Creative here in Austin.Unlimited vacation days. No KPIs. The best perks I could offer.Even the office sc

Chapter 2

The next morning, the office was eerily quiet.No one thanked me for the $500 stipend.Not a single celebratory emoji in the Slack channel.Even Karen, who usually lived in the group chat, was silent.I sat in my office, staring at the handful of 'likes' on yesterday's email.Something was wrong.At three in the afternoon, I got up to get some water from the breakroom.I'd barely reached the door when I heard Leo's sharp voice."A measly 500 bucks? After taxes, what's left? Like, three hundred and change?" His tone was dripping with contempt. "You think you can buy our loyalty with that?"I froze, pressing myself against the doorframe."Leo, come on," Mike's voice sounded hesitant. "That money really helps with my daughter's medical bills...""Mike!" Leo's voice cut him off, sharper this time. "Get a grip! Do you seriously believe he was spending twenty-five dollars per person on those snacks?""What do you mean?" Karen asked."He buys in bulk! He gets a discount!" Leo continued, his v

Chapter 3

The second I hit send, the Slack channel exploded.Within a minute, more than twenty employees were flooding the chat with their excitement.The same people who had been calling me a "hypocrite" and "exploiter" behind my back were now practically worshipping me.I watched their phony praise with cold eyes.And then, Leo chimed in.Leo: "Hang on, everyone, let's chill for a second. An island trip? A little cliché, to be honest."The chat went silent.Leo: "A truly tasteful team-building trip would be a mindfulness retreat in the Swiss Alps. That's real class. @Asher, not to question your decision, but a beach trip feels like a basic influencer package deal."My fingers hovered over the keyboard.This guy just didn't quit.I typed back: "Leo, it's March. It's still ski season in the Alps. And high-end retreats in Switzerland require booking six months in advance."Leo: "Those are just excuses. A boss who really cared about giving his employees the best experience would have planned it in

Chapter 4

Three seconds after I sent the message, the same employees who’d just been kissing my ass went ballistic.Karen: “What do you mean, retracted? You promised!”Mike: “This is a scam! You can't do this to us!”Jessica: “Classic bait and switch! You went back on your word!”David: “What the hell, Asher? Are you bipolar?”Leo: “See? This is what a greedy capitalist pig looks like!”Before I could even reply, my office door was thrown open.Leo stormed in, followed by Karen, Mike, Jessica, David, and a few other employees."Asher!" Leo spat my name, his finger practically in my face. "This is wage theft! Wage theft!"I leaned back in my chair, looking at the mob of self-proclaimed "victims.""This is my office. Knock next time.""Cut the crap!" Leo whipped out his phone and started a livestream, aiming it at me. "Everyone, look! This is Austin's most infamous two-faced tech bro! He promised his employees a $10,000 team-building budget, and now he's taking it back!"The viewer count on his Ti

Chapter 5

The moment I mentioned the "Sterling Group chief legal officer," Leo's face stiffened.But he recovered quickly, becoming even more defiant."Threatening me?" Leo laughed into his phone camera. "Did you see that, everyone? He's threatening his employees!""This is classic workplace bullying! Using lawyers to shut down criticism!"The live chat went insane.“SO DISGUSTING!”“USING HIS MONEY TO BULLY PEOPLE!”“THIS KIND OF BOSS NEEDS TO BE CANCELED!”The hive mind took over, making Karen and Mike even bolder."Asher, you're threatening us!" Karen's voice was sharp."We just want the money we're owed!" Mike's face was flushed.Leo kept up his performance. "I'm calling every news channel in Austin! We'll have protestors swarming this place by morning! If you don't pay up, we'll ruin you!""Everyone in Austin will know what you're really like!""Get ready to trend, Asher Sterling!"Jessica joined the threats. "We'll make sure you can't do business in Texas!"David nodded along. "Yeah! Let e

Chapter 6

At nine in the morning, I drove to the office. The entrance to the parking garage was completely blocked.About twenty people were holding signs and crowding the company's front door."ASHER STERLING IS A THIEF""Justice for Elysian Employees""Rich Kid Exploits Workers"Leo stood in the middle of the crowd, holding a selfie stick and livestreaming.A few local influencers were there too, with their own camera gear.I parked my car, put on my sunglasses, and walked toward the crowd."He's here!" someone yelled.Instantly, every camera and every pair of eyes locked onto me.Leo was the first to rush over, shoving his phone camera right in my face."Look, everyone! It's the boss who exploits his employees!"He pointed at the Brunello Cucinelli jacket I was wearing. "This jacket costs $5,000!"Then he pointed to my wrist. "A Patek Philippe watch! Hundreds of thousands of dollars!""You paid for that with our blood and sweat!"The crowd started shouting."Give us our money!""Rich kid, get

Chapter 7

The doors of all five SUVs opened at once.The first person to step out was a woman in a perfectly tailored Tom Ford suit.Power radiated from her with every step. You couldn't look away.The entire crowd of twenty-plus people fell silent.Catherine Sterling. My mother.A regular on the Forbes 400 list. The queen of Fortune magazine covers. The matriarch of Sterling Group.She glanced at the "ASHER STERLING IS A THIEF" signs and her brow furrowed slightly.Then her gaze fell on me, and her eyes instantly softened."Mom," I said, my voice thick with emotion.Leo's livestream exploded.“HOLY SHIT! CATHERINE STERLING!”“THAT'S HIS MOM?!”“THE Catherine Sterling from Sterling Group?!”“OH MY GOD! HE'S A REAL HEIR!”The viewer count skyrocketed to 50,000.Catherine walked over to me and gently touched my cheek."Did they give you a hard time?"Then she turned, her eyes sweeping coldly over the crowd."So this is the little 'passion project' that's been burning a $200,000 hole in my pocket e

Chapter 8

Leo was a heap on the ground. Pale, lips trembling, unable to form a single word."No... impossible... this can't be happening..."The lawyer looked down at him. "Mr. Martinez, what you did wasn't activism. It was criminal libel. It was a crime."Leo tried to get up, but his legs were like noodles."I... I was just...""Just what?" Catherine cut in coldly. "Just trying to destroy my son's reputation? Just trying to incite a mob online?"The local influencers started backing away quietly.But Sterling Group's security had already taken their positions."And our friends from the press, please stay," the lawyer said, turning to them. "By broadcasting false information, you are accomplices to libel. Our legal team will be in touch with each of you.""No!" one of them panicked. "We were just reporting! It's freedom of the press!""Reporting requires fact-checking," the lawyer said flatly. "Did any of you verify the truth of this information?"They looked at each other. No one dared to answe

Chapter 9

Karen collapsed completely, wailing. "That was my money! I worked for three years! That was supposed to be my money!""Your money?" I crouched down, meeting her gaze. "Karen, that was my money. It was always my money.""And you don't deserve a penny of it."Mike broke down. "Asher! I'm begging you! My daughter really needs her treatment!""Your daughter needs treatment, so I'm supposed to give you money?" I stood up. "The world doesn't owe you anything, Mike. And neither do I."Leo was still on the ground, staring at the lawsuit in despair."Asher... can we settle? I'll apologize... I'll make a public apology..."I walked over to him, my voice ice-cold. "Leo, listen carefully. We are not accepting any out-of-court settlement.""That million-dollar debt will follow you for the rest of your life.""You wanted to be an influencer, right? Congratulations, you made it. You're going to be the most famous bankrupt influencer in America."His eyes were filled with pure despair. "I'm not even 2

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