At that moment, Melody interjected, her voice laced with concern. "William, don't you want to succeed here?"
"Melody, it appears you're the one who lacks the desire to succeed," I retorted.
With a swift, forceful motion, I hurled the microphone to the ground. It landed with a resounding crash at her feet. I towered over her, my six-foot-five frame imposing and muscular. "In my first month here, I closed five deals. You were there for each one, signing off on them. But you conveniently omitted any mention of commission, didn't you, Melody?
"In the second month, I closed six deals. Seven in the third, ten in the fourth... Melody, you're such a considerate supervisor. It's truly touching. You've made me feel so appreciated, so grateful!
"Up to this month, I've secured one hundred and thirty clients. You've signed off on each one. Yet, you have the audacity to criticize me. Melody, who gave you such courage?"
My words sent a ripple of shock through the room. They weren't fools; they understood the implications of my accusations. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Melody was left speechless, likely unprepared for a subordinate she had always belittled to challenge her so publicly and so bluntly. What was he trying to achieve?
"You... what are you implying? I..."
"Enough! Don't treat everyone here like an idiot!" I cut her off. I glanced at Jessica, my gaze cold. "Jessica, you can fire me."
The room fell into a stunned silence. Everyone stared at me, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and confusion.
Upon hearing my declaration, Philip was the first to break the silence. "Jessica, fire him, get rid of this scum!"
Mia's eyes were rimmed with red, her voice choked with emotion. "Fire him, we don't need him. His presence will only poison the company's atmosphere!"
The chorus grew louder, "Fire William, get rid of this scum!"
Their words were almost laughable. The loudest voices belonged to Mia's allies. Some knew the truth, but what did that matter?
It was always easier to kick someone when they were down than to lend a hand when they were struggling. And the truth didn't affect them. It wasn't their problem!
Jessica's face was a mask of fury as she stepped forward. "William, for slandering colleagues, spreading rumors, damaging the company's atmosphere, destroying company property, and demonstrating a deplorable attitude, I, as the Director of the Marketing Department, hereby terminate your employment and withhold all wages and bonuses!"
As her words hung in the air, Philip was the first to applaud. "Well done!" he cheered.
Mia joined in, and soon the room was filled with applause as if they had vanquished a common enemy. And I was the unfortunate scapegoat.
"Leave, now!" Jessica commanded, her voice icy. I looked at her, the urge to expose her true nature to everyone nearly overwhelming. But I held back. Perhaps leaving Skylight wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
A true warrior must face adversity with courage.
Just as I was about to exit, a voice echoed through the room. "Ah, what a lively scene!"
All eyes turned to the door, where a man in a costly suit stood, flanked by two assistants carrying briefcases.
Jessica's brow furrowed, but Philip's face lit up with delight. He rushed over. "Mr. Walker, welcome! Why didn't you inform me so I could greet you downstairs!"
Melody also seemed pleased and quickly whispered something to Jessica. Jessica's frown eased, and she greeted him with a smile. "Hello, Mr. Walker. I'm Jessica, the Director of the Marketing Department at Skylight Group. Welcome to our company!"
"Hello, Jessica!" Mr. Walker responded, shaking her hand. He then scanned the room, "It seems I've arrived at an interesting time!"
"No, Mr. Walker, we were just rehearsing a surprise for you!" Philip quickly interjected, earning approving nods from Melody and Jessica.
Philip seemed quite pleased with himself; his quick thinking had served him well.
As the trio put on their grand display, the rest of the room straightened up, their attention riveted on the newcomer.
"Isn't that Edward Walker from Walker Company?" someone whispered.
"What? Walker Company? The one valued over a billion dollars?" another voice chimed in.
"Yes, that's him. I heard Walker Company is expanding rapidly. They're even investing six million dollars in a promotion this time!"
"Six million dollars? My God, does that mean Philip is about to hit the jackpot?"
"Absolutely!"
The room buzzed with excitement. A project worth six million dollars—securing this deal would be equivalent to a year's worth of performance for most!
The higher the project value, the higher the personal commission. By conservative estimates, this deal could earn Philip nearly eighty thousand in commission!
I was taken aback. I hadn't expected Edward to be the CEO of Walker Company. This was a pleasant surprise.
While I was still reeling from the revelation, Edward spotted me. His face broke into a wide smile. "William!" he called out.
He quickly approached me, shaking my hand enthusiastically. "What are you doing here?"
His joy was evident. "Oh, I'm an employee here!" I replied.
"What a coincidence! You must be in the marketing department, right? I was actually debating whether to choose Skylight. But now that you're here, let's just go with Skylight. Of course, you'll be the project manager!" Edward declared with a smile.
The echo of Edward's declaration hung heavy in the room, and a ripple of disbelief washed over the faces of those present.
Jessica and Melody, too, were caught in the wave of shock, while Philip, quick to recover, stepped into the fray. "Mr. Walker, there seems to be a misunderstanding. William, here, is no longer part of our organization. He was just dismissed for conduct unbecoming of our company's standards."
Edward's brow knitted together, his voice a low growl. "You dare call my good friend here a disgrace? Are you blind to his worth, or simply ignorant? To slander him in my presence speaks volumes of your character, or lack thereof."
Philip was rendered speechless, his mouth hanging open, no words forthcoming.
"Since you've seen fit to dismiss William, I see no reason to continue our collaboration. I've heard promising things about Skyliart Group; they seem to have a solid reputation."
Edward reached out, clasping my hand in a firm grip. "William, I propose we align ourselves with Skyliart. I plan to invest six million dollars in advertising. I doubt the CEO of Skyliart would turn away such an opportunity."