I ate a single cookie because I was starving while working late. For that, my manager docked my commission by one hundred thousand dollars. She jabbed a finger in my face, her own turning purple with rage. “Don’t get cocky just because you landed that big account, Leo!” “This is a place of business! If you want to eat, go home and do it!” she shrieked. “The company has a clear policy against snacking at your desk! You broke the rule, and you knew exactly what you were doing. That makes it worse!” “So, that hundred-thousand-dollar commission from the Pais contract? It’s gone.” I just looked at her and said, flatly, “Fine.” Then I leaned back in my chair and started doing absolutely nothing. That’s when she really lost it. 1 Miranda Thorne was livid at my nonchalant attitude. “Leo, you will write a formal apology, and you will read it aloud at the all-hands meeting!” I watched her face flush a dangerous shade of red, my own fists clenching under the desk. Then, just as calmly, I said, “Okay.” My colleagues stared at me, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. Miranda spun on her heel and stomped off toward the executive offices on the 23rd floor. I stayed at my desk. A few minutes later, a notification popped up in the company-wide chat. “To All Staff: Leo Vance of the Sales Department has repeatedly violated company policy. Following a review, management has decided to revoke his commission for the current month, totaling $100,000. He will also issue a public apology at the 2 p.m. all-hands meeting today as a warning to others.” My coworkers shot me looks of stunned pity. Alex, from the desk across from me, sent a private message: “Dude, Miranda’s just on a power trip. Don’t fight her on this. Just play along. It’s a hundred grand!” I smiled to myself. Playing along wouldn’t work. This wasn’t about a cookie. She wanted me out. She’d been coveting my position for a long time. When the old Chairman first recruited me, he’d made it clear: no clocking in or out, complete freedom to come and go, eat and drink whatever I wanted. The only thing that mattered was my performance. And in the sales department, I was a one-man army, pulling in half the company’s revenue. The latest deal, a renewal of our ten-billion-dollar contract with Pais Corp, took me only a week to lock down. Miranda probably thought my job was too easy. The jealousy was eating her alive. I replied to Alex: “Just wait. This afternoon isn’t just about my public shaming. They’re bringing in my replacement.” Alex’s icon showed a shocked emoji. I ignored it and calmly began organizing all my client files, printing out hard copies of everything. Then, I factory reset my company phone. Once that was done, I started writing my “apology.” Miranda came down once during that time, a smug, triumphant smirk on her face when she saw me typing away. At two o'clock, she personally escorted me to the 23rd-floor conference room. Over a hundred employees were seated, waiting. Miranda’s voice boomed through the microphone. “Let me reiterate! A company is a place of work, not your living room! We have repeatedly asked you to maintain a professional environment, but some people just don’t listen!” “And don’t think you’re special just because the Chairman himself hired you! Anyone can make a few phone calls, have a nice dinner, and sign a contract!” “Leo, get up here and deliver your apology! Let everyone see what happens when you disrespect the rules!” I stood up and walked to the front, feeling the mix of pity and morbid curiosity from the crowd. “Ms. Thorne is right. I shouldn’t have eaten a cookie at my desk. From this day forward, I will strictly adhere to all company policies and never cross the line again.” “Ms. Thorne, I’m not a man of many words. You told me not to eat, so I won’t. My job as a salesperson isn’t that important, anyway.” “It’s good that you finally understand! And given your repeated infractions, the executive team has decided to remove you from your position as Sales Director. You are now a junior sales associate.” “And this,” she announced, gesturing to a greasy-looking man beside her, “is your new Director, Felix Thorne. Felix has an MBA from a top overseas university and will lead our team to new heights!” A scattered, unenthusiastic applause trickled through the room. Miranda proudly presented Felix. I caught Alex’s eye across the room; his face said it all. As a final blow, Miranda added, “Leo, I want you to compile all of your client files and submit them for redistribution.” I agreed without hesitation, handing over the stack I’d already printed. Go ahead, I thought. See if any of you can handle them. My cooperation seemed to make Miranda suspicious. She meticulously checked the files before finally letting it go. Felix was even more arrogant. The moment we were back on our floor, he tapped his finger on my desk. “Leo, hurry up and pack your things. Move it. If you leave anything behind, you’ll be held responsible.” 2 I knew what he was doing. As Sales Director, my desk was in the open-plan office, but I had a whole row to myself—a prime spot with a clear view of the entire floor. Now, he couldn't wait to shove me into the corner. My new assigned spot was a tiny cubicle right against the window, a space no one wanted. Even with the AC, company policy forbade closing the blinds. The afternoon sun would bake me alive, the glare making my monitor unreadable. A perfect little corporate penalty box. But I didn't care. I silently packed my personal items and picked up my laptop to move. He stopped me, his hand on my machine. “Hold on. I need to check the contents of your computer. Can’t have you walking away with client data, can we?” “Be my guest.” I powered it on and let him search through everything. The old Chairman had recruited me himself. His words still echoed in my mind: “Leo, within this company, your word is law.” But the Chairman’s health had been failing, and he was recovering at a clinic overseas. This whole charade was laughable. I knew exactly what Miranda was thinking: get rid of the expensive top performer to cut costs. A classic, foolish move. Felix found nothing suspicious and waved me away with a dismissive flick of his wrist. A message from Alex popped up: “Don’t worry, Leo. We’re all on your side.” I sent back a smiling emoji. Their support was nice, but it didn't matter. The fact that the 23rd floor had let Miranda do this meant they’d approved it. And if they knew, the Chairman, even oceans away, knew too. If that’s how they wanted to play it, I wasn’t going to fight them. That evening, for the first time, I clocked out. I didn’t know how things used to be, but from now on, I was following every rule to the letter. No problem there, right? Usually, my evenings were spent taking clients out for drinks or dinner, networking, and building relationships. Not anymore. I drove straight home, collapsed onto my bed, and watched the sunset paint the sky. I felt incredible. Free from the endless cycle of schmoozing, I finally had time for myself. I pulled out my phone and booked a ticket to a play I’d been wanting to see for years. The lead actor was my favorite, but I’d never had a free evening to go. Until now. Later, I was added to a new sales team group chat. The admin was Felix. “@everyone: Effective immediately, all sales staff will submit a daily work log. I want to know who you met, what you discussed, and their level of interest. Furthermore, each of you is expected to secure 5 qualified leads per month. Failure to meet this quota will result in a 20% reduction in your monthly performance review.” Alex messaged me privately again. “Can you believe this guy? He comes back from some fancy school overseas and starts pulling this old-school factory-floor crap on us?” “Has he ever even worked in sales? Qualified leads don’t just grow on trees! Five a month? The whole damn company is lucky to close one new major deal a month, and that’s usually with existing clients!” “The economy is crap, big clients are impossible to get, and there are only so many small clients in this city. He’s trying to kill us.” I read Alex’s rant and just offered some simple advice. “Take it easy. Just do what the boss says.” “How can you be so calm, man? If it were me, I’d have quit already! I can’t take this BS!” I just smiled and didn’t reply. I wasn’t in a hurry. They’d figure it out soon enough. 3 The next morning, I walked into the office and submitted a request for my annual leave. I’d worked at this company for eight years and had never taken a single vacation day. When I handed the form to Felix, he glared at me. “What is this? I just started, and you’re already taking a vacation? Are you trying to undermine me?” “Not at all, Director Thorne,” I said smoothly. “I have full confidence that you’ll lead us to great success. It’s just… I haven’t had a break in years. My body can’t take it anymore. I need to recharge.” He looked me up and down, his eyes dripping with disdain. “I guess so. Juggling all those big clients… a man over thirty can’t really keep up the pace.” The implication was clear: he thought I’d used shady methods to win my contracts. Prejudice is a hard thing to change. I didn’t bother arguing. He signed the form. “Just remember your monthly quota! If you don’t meet it, it’s coming out of your base salary!” he called after me. “And if you fail for three consecutive months, you’re out!” “Understood,” I said without looking back. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.” Because the ones leaving would be them. Once the paperwork was approved, I packed a bag and left. First stop: a trip out of town. The play was tonight, and I wasn’t going to miss it. Two hours later, I stepped off the high-speed train, and my phone buzzed. It was Alex. “Leo, the Pais Corp contract was officially signed. Miranda announced the commission is being credited to Felix.” “She’s going to use it to nominate him for Salesperson of the Year. It’s a political move to get herself another promotion!” “It’s shameless! Are you just going to let them do this?” “Don’t worry,” I texted back. “They can’t handle it. Just wait.” I smiled as I sent the message. Renewing the Pais contract wasn’t something you could do over a fancy dinner. I silenced my phone and took my seat in the theater. The stage was just a few feet away. I was buzzing with excitement. For two glorious hours, my world was the story unfolding on stage. I laughed, I cried, I was completely lost in it. When I walked out, I checked my phone. Over a hundred missed calls and countless messages. The most recent one was from Miranda. “Leo, Mr. Pais from Pais Corp just called. He says there’s a problem with the contract and he’s pulling out. This is a five-hundred-million-dollar loss. You can consider yourself fired!” I scoffed and typed a quick reply. “The contract was transferred to Felix. Is it my fault he couldn’t handle it?” “And Ms. Thorne, if you’re going to fire me, don’t forget my severance package.” I put my phone back in my pocket. The constant stream of messages from Alex painted a clear picture. After I left, Felix, wanting to “build relationships,” had gone to visit Pais Corp, bringing a lavish gift. Mr. Pais himself ran into him in the lobby. Upon learning Felix was the new Director, he asked a few technical questions about their operations. Felix couldn’t answer a single one. Alarmed by this lack of professionalism, Mr. Pais demanded an immediate on-site inspection of our manufacturing facility. I had walked him through that facility a dozen times. Felix had never even set foot in it. When they arrived, one of the main production machines was down. Felix called in an engineer. But it was a new, highly specialized machine. No one on-site knew how to repair it. In the past, whenever there was an issue, I was the one who made the call to get it fixed. Felix used this as an excuse, claiming I must have sabotaged the machine before I left. That was the last straw for Mr. Pais. He declared our company a fraud and voided the contract on the spot. Not only was the half-billion-dollar deal dead, but Mr. Pais had personally chewed Felix out so badly that the old Chairman had been notified overseas. Just then, Alex called me, his voice frantic. “Leo, you need to get back here, now! They’re threatening to call the cops, saying you committed corporate sabotage!”
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "384387", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel