All Chapters of Group Interview Dating: She Rejected the Real Boss: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Madison Stuart, my blind date, glanced at the coffee in my hand and smirked. "A broke man like you bought a 20-dollar cup of premium pour-over coffee? You sure go to great lengths just to make yourself seem richer even when you obviously can't afford it."Beside her, Huxley Lockwood, the tech company employee she'd just given a near-perfect score to, chuckled as well. He made no attempt to hide the contempt in his eyes."It's fine, Ms. Stuart. I find myself very drawn to you, and I don't mind treating someone who's here to freeload off us," he said.He ordered some light snacks and three more drinks before generously gesturing at me. "I'm guessing you don't get to frequent upscale cafes like this very often. Order whatever you want. It's on me today."Madison smiled in satisfaction, and the two proceeded to chat with each other as if I wasn't sitting right there with them."My parents will retire in another year or two. Their pension comes out to almost 20 thousand a month. They a

Chapter 2

Frowning, I picked up the money and tossed it back at Huxley."Save it. Guess you two and I are not the same kind of people, so there's nothing left for us to say to each other."I grabbed my bag and left. As it happened, the two of them wanted to head somewhere else for dinner, so they came out as well.Huxley called after me, "How are you getting home? Want me to give you a ride?"He jingled his car keys, the Mercedes-Benz logo gleaming in the center.I had no interest in talking to either of them anymore. I simply unlocked a nearby bike-share bicycle and got on.We were in downtown Graybourne, and I lived in one of the luxury apartments just around the corner. It would only take me five minutes on the bicycle to get home.Everything I needed, from retail outlets to restaurants, supermarkets, and bars, was within walking distance. I'd long since gotten into the habit of walking or cycling whenever I went out. It was convenient, and it was good to get a little more exercise in.

Chapter 3

After Huxley had thoroughly used me as a pawn to inflate his own ego, he finally let me leave. I rode the bicycle home.When Jack Packer, the friend who set up the blind date, asked me how things went, I was frank with him."She's not interested in me."I didn't bother mentioning the rest. I had no intention of wasting my time or attention on people who weren't worthy."What the heck? She's not even interested in someone with your assets and qualifications? What does she want, a prince?"I replied with a shrugging emoji and left it at that.Life carried on, and I stuck to my usual routine of work, gym, and the occasional meet-up with a few close friends.But since my company was preparing for its IPO, I was busier than ever. The workload had increased, but so had the sense of fulfillment I got. Before long, that ridiculous blind date had faded into the back of my mind.A few months later, my parents—who had been happily gallivanting abroad—suddenly video-called me. Behind them

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

Chapter 5

Huxley, of course, didn't notice the sweat pouring down Walter's face. He stared at me as though I were insane. "What the hell are you talking about? The CEO? What CEO? Who's the CEO?""I am."I calmly picked up a fountain pen, pulled his résumé in front of me, and gestured toward the chair. "Huxley Lockwood, you may begin to introduce yourself.""What the hell? Did you just escape from a mental asylum?"Huxley refused to believe I was Hope Tech's CEO. Since he had Walter as his inside man, he had no qualms about shouting his head off right here in the office.Walter had frozen in place. When he finally snapped back to his senses, he began frantically signaling to Huxley with his eyes, winking so hard that his eyelids were practically cramping. Alas, Huxley didn't catch any of it.After all, to him, I was just some pathetic loser living in a run-down building who could only afford to wear cheap knockoffs and rely on bike-shares. Oh, and my parents were country bumpkins, too.How

Chapter 6

"Hux! The HR executive told me the founder and CEO of Hope Tech personally came to interview you!" Madison squealed happily.Then she lowered her voice to add, "Since they think so highly of you, do you think you can negotiate for an even better title and remuneration package?"It wasn't until she saw Huxley's ashen face that she finally frowned. "Hux? What's wrong?"I walked past Huxley with a straight face. Meanwhile, Walter's desperation finally overtook his fear, and his desire to keep his job spurred him into chasing after me."Mr. Hopewell! I… I promise this will never happen again! Please, out of consideration for the fact that I've been with you since the company was founded and helped build it from the ground up… please don't fire me!"I continued to stride off while saying, "Right. So you've finally admitted it yourself, huh? You've engaged in nepotism, manipulating the hiring process in secret. "I still remember the rules I emphasized when Hope Tech was founded. I rep

Chapter 7

The next day, the HR department summoned Walter to confront him about his violation of the company's zero-tolerance policy.Since he was one of the veterans who had built the company alongside me, I made an exception and gave him a generous severance package. But no matter how hard he begged, I refused to let him stay.In the end, Walter packed up his office and left forlornly. He resented someone for his predicament, but it wasn't me. It was Huxley, the one who'd caused his downfall.The tech industry was a fairly small circle. It didn't take long for Walter to report Huxley, who had been secretly job hunting while still employed, to his current supervisor.He also posted an embellished version of what happened at our company online, including how Huxley had caused a scene and insulted me, the company's CEO.As a result, Huxley also ended up unemployed. He and Walter, his so-called good buddy, swiftly turned on each other online, tearing each other down in public.When Jack firs

Chapter 8

When I arrived at the company, I saw Georgia Thompson, the young receptionist, fretting in the lobby."Miss, you don't have an appointment or an invitation. According to company policy, I can't allow you in…"Madison was dressed in a fitted blouse and skirt, paired with high heels. Her lipstick was a vivid shade of red.She looked down at Georgia with undisguised contempt. "A lowly receptionist like you probably doesn't even have a college degree. You're just some country bumpkin, right? How dare you stop me from entering the company? The nerve of you to abuse what little authority you have to throw your weight around!""I… I graduated from college! I have a bachelor's degree…" Georgia's eyes turned red.On the verge of tears, she instinctively defended herself. She had joined my company right after graduating from college and had never encountered someone like Madison before.Seeing how easy it was to intimidate Georgia, Madison became even more condescending. "Do you even know

Chapter 9

Madison's eyes widened in shock. She froze, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. After all, she believed Mom to be a country bumpkin. By all logic, Mom should have meekly accepted the emerald bracelet, thanked her profusely for it, and treated it like a precious treasure.Feeling humiliated, Madison retorted, "Do you even know what you're saying, Mrs. Hopewell? This is a very expensive bracelet! I paid ten grand for it.""Ten grand? That's not much, but it's still not worth that price," Mom remarked. "Not only do you lack manners, young lady, but you lack a discerning eye, too."I couldn't resist laughing. It seemed Mom was still holding a grudge from the last time Madison and Huxley had insulted her and Dad.What Madison didn't know was that my parents owned a mine in Frenesia. When it came to minerals and gemstones, few were greater experts than them.Mom pushed the emerald bracelet back toward Madison and said airily, "I haven't even held you accountable for what

Chapter 10

Before long, the police came up as well. Surrounded by a crowd of bodyguards and a ring of police officers, Madison finally lost her brazen arrogance. She was shaking like a leaf. Even her words came out in stammers."W-what's going on? W-What are you doing? I… I'm just here visiting my fiance at his company… W-we went on a blind date to get to know each other before marriage… W-what's wrong with me showing up at his company?"The police officer said sternly, "According to the report we received, the two of you are not in a romantic relationship. Furthermore, you were reported to have verbally insulted and harassed his mother. Your actions count as a serious undermining of public safety.""I… I… His mom is just a country bumpkin! S-so what if I said some harsh things about her?" Madison protested.The moment those words left her mouth, the expressions of everyone present—from the bodyguards to the police officers—became rather mystified. They were clearly stunned by the enormous ga

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