All Chapters of You Fired the Wrong Man: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1 The New Rules

The entire company was pushing hard to get the year off to a strong start on the first day back after the holidays.I was the only one leaning against the window, staring blankly outside.Just then, the sharp click of high heels echoed down the hallway."Is that him?""Yes, Ms. Parker. This is Ethan Hayes, the employee I told you about, the same one who's been receiving special treatment."I recognized the other woman. She was Madeline Blake, the newly promoted deputy director.I turned around to find a woman in her early 30s standing in front of me.Madeline stood behind her, carrying herself with the same affected poise.Madeline lifted her chin slightly. "Ethan, this is Ms. Grace Parker, our new operations director."Grace's eyes landed on the computer sitting on the windowsill behind me. "Is that yours?"I said nothing.Madeline immediately stepped forward. "Ms. Parker, that's his personal computer. He doesn't use the one the company provides—"Before she could finish,

Chapter 2 No Exceptions

The phone in Grace's office rang five minutes later. She answered it and murmured a few responses, the tension gradually easing from her face.When she hung up, she walked out, folded her arms across her chest, and looked down her nose at me. "Just wait."That was it.Then, she led Madeline away and headed down the hallway.My phone rang a moment later. It was Claire. I answered.Claire's voice was gentler now, almost cheerful."Ethan, I just spoke with Grace and got a better understanding of what happened. She says you've been slacking off today. Apparently, you've been spending the whole morning leaning against the window, staring into space?"I said nothing."She's new to the position, so her being a little strict will only do good for the company. You had an impressive year last year, but this year has barely started. You need to get yourself back on track. Maybe you've just misunderstood her? Let's not make a big deal out of it, yes? "After all, we're all striving to do

Chapter 3 The Investigation

I put the trophy into a cardboard box.I could feel eyes on me. My colleagues sneaked glances my way before quickly looking away.Grace sauntered down the hall and stopped about ten feet away, standing beside Madeline as they watched me pack up my things.I carried the box to the workstation near the restroom. It was a tiny desk, and a layer of dust had already settled across the surface.Two boxes of printer paper were stacked in the corner, giving off a musty smell.I set the box on the desk.I was called to the administrative department at 2 p.m. that very afternoon.The administrative supervisor didn't even look up as they handed me a form, saying blandly, "Ethan, Ms. Parker wants you to spend the afternoon organizing the storage room. It's part of our rotational training. Everyone will be taking a turn."I took the form.The storage room was two floors underground, packed with outdated files, old desks and chairs, and company T-shirts from who knew how many years ago.I

Chapter 4 The Ace They Handed Away

There was a brief pause on the other end before Lorelei started chuckling. "Good. I've been waiting three months for you to finally say that. I'll send someone to pick you up at eight tomorrow morning."I hung up.Grace stood there, the smile not quite gone from her face. However, the triumphant look in her eyes had changed.Madeline came over and lowered her voice, asking, "Ms. Parker, who was that?"Grace ignored her and glared at me.I started packing up, but I didn't have much to pack. After all, my computer was already wrecked.I slipped a few notebooks into my bag and picked up the crystal trophy engraved with "Outstanding Contribution Award."I walked around Grace and headed straight for the exit.I had just gotten to the elevator when I heard Grace's voice. She had deliberately spoken loud enough for me to hear. "What's he going to do? It's not as if he could possibly cause us any real trouble."Madeline laughed along with her, her laughter echoing down the hallway.I

Chapter 5 The Fallout

Claire slumped in her chair, staring at the ceiling without moving for a long time.…Meanwhile, Grace was sitting at her desk, smugly tapping away at her keyboard.The new personnel assignments were already in place. Ethan's position had been given to one of her own. So, she was riding on the high where everything was dancing to her tune.The door burst open.Madeline rushed in, her face ghostly pale as she waved her phone in the air. "M-Ms. Parker! Ethan's gone to Horizon Technology!"Grace's fingers froze over the keyboard as she blurted, "What?""Horizon Technology! Lorelei Reed! They just made it official! Look!" Madeline shoved the phone in front of her.Grace stared at the photo. Sure enough, there I was, standing beside Lorelei, wearing a suit that was noticeably more polished than the one I'd worn yesterday.The corner of her mouth twitched. "So? He just went to another company. What does that have to do with us?"Madeline's voice trembled as she stammered, "Ms. Park

Chapter 6 The Tables Have Turned

"I saw her smash Ethan's computer with my own eyes that day. Honestly, I can't help but wonder just what she was thinking. He got us 200 million dollars in sales. How could she possibly top that?""Ms. Morgan got hit hard, too. I heard the board suspended her bonus for six months.""She was the one who said the bigger picture came first. Well, she just sent the bigger picture away."Grace clenched her fists and turned into her office.Eventually, she walked out of the company's front doors at 3 p.m., carrying a cardboard box.Madeline followed behind her, and they walked out of the building without saying a word....Meanwhile, I was sitting in the general manager's office of the Strategic Development Division at the headquarters of Horizon Technology, looking at the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows.There was a freshly signed contract lying on my desk. The client was once Apex Group's biggest business partner, and the contract was worth 30% more than last year

Chapter 7 A Complete Mess

It was Luca.He was my former colleague. He had sat at the desk diagonally across from mine. He rarely spoke, never said a word in meetings, and could always be found bringing his own lunch.His face flushed bright red the second he caught sight of me. He froze where he stood, looking completely at a loss. "E-Ethan…"I looked at him and smiled faintly. "Luca, it's been a while."He lowered his head, his voice barely more than a whisper. "H-How have you been lately?"I leaned against the hallway wall. "Pretty good. What about you?"He rubbed his hands together nervously until his knuckles turned red. "I… I'm doing okay."Two seconds of silence passed.Then, he suddenly looked up at me, his eyes red-rimmed. "Ethan, that day when they were bullying you, I… I didn't have the courage to say anything. I'm sorry."I looked him in the eyes and reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "It's okay. It's all in the past."He blinked hard, forcing back his tears. Still, there was no hiding

Chapter 8 The Price of Coming Back

It was Claire's car.I strode out of the hotel.The black Mercedes was parked right in front of the entrance, its hazard lights blinking.Claire was leaning against the door. She straightened and hurried over the moment she saw me.It had just been half a month since I last saw her, but she looked like a different person.There was a lot more gray at her temples, and her eyes were sunken. Although she was still wearing the same custom-tailored suit, it now hung loosely on her frame."Ethan! You've finally come out to see me," she cried out in relief.I stopped three steps away from her. "Ms. Morgan, what do you want?"She rubbed her hands together and edged half a step closer. "Ethan, the company is really struggling. Please come back. Name your terms. I'll agree to anything. I've already fired Grace, and Madeline has been dealt with. You can do whatever you please as long as you still have something to get out of your system."I looked at her and suddenly burst out laughing.

Chapter 9 The Apology

I turned around.Luca stood a couple of steps away, wearing an ordinary jacket that looked completely out of place among the suits and evening gowns in the banquet hall.He wasn't holding a drink. Instead, his hands were clasped in front of him, his knuckles white."Why are you here?" I asked in confusion.He shifted half a step closer. "I… I quit."I merely looked at him, saying nothing.He bit his lip, his voice tight. "The company is in terrible shape. Horizon Technology acquired part of Apex Group's business last month. You've probably heard about it."I nodded in affirmation.He continued, "I heard Grace is working as a manager in a small company. She lasted less than two months before they fired her for offending someone. Nobody knows where she went after that. "Madeline went back to her hometown. She hasn't posted anything on social media in two weeks. However, I heard that Grace applied to more than a dozen companies, but she didn't make it through a single background

Chapter 10 Moving Forward

Claire hesitated before a bitter smile appeared on her lips. However, that smile was so pained that she might as well be crying."I was blind," she uttered lowly.People nearby glanced over and whispered among themselves.Lorelei stood a short distance away, making no move to come over.Claire continued, her voice growing quieter, "I have nothing left now. The company is gone, and my reputation is in tatters. I sold my house last month, but it still wasn't enough to pay off my debts. My husband took the kids to his mother's house. I haven't seen them in three months."She lifted her head, her eyes bloodshot. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just wanted to tell you that you were right." Her lips trembled. "I… I deserve this."Silence seemed to drag on around us.…The music and chatter of the ballroom seemed to fade into the distance. All I could hear was her labored breathing. It was so loud in the silence that it felt as though she were breathing next to my ears.I look

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