Commission Deducted for One Extra Meal

...

"Why don't you talk to Mr. Mason?" Mark suggested hesitantly. "He's your boyfriend. He can't just let Adeline pull this crap, can he?"

I remained silent, shaking my head.

Although Adeline was Elliott Mason's sister, her position in the company was in HR. Firing a department head like me needed approval from the top. She couldn't have done so otherwise.

As if on cue, Adeline breezed back in, with a woman trailing behind her. It was none other than Cheryl Whitfield, Elliott's childhood sweetheart, who had grown up with him.

Adeline's intention was plain to see. She was scheming to slide Cheryl into my spot.

She clapped sharply to gather the sales team. "Listen up, two announcements. First, starting today, Cheryl Whitfield is your new Sales Manager. She's got an overseas degree and skills that blow certain people out of the water. I believe she'll take this team to the next level."

I kept my cool, but my colleagues were seething. After all, most of the deals had been secured through my hard work. In fact, 80% of the annual revenue came from my contributions.

Shoving Cheryl in now was nothing short of stabbing me in the back after I'd carried them across the river.

Adeline plowed on, ignoring the tension. "Second, Cheryl's office is relocating to the 13th floor, right next to the Chairman's. As for this space..."

She scanned the room dismissively. "I just got a Husky pup with no place to stay. It'll make a great kennel."

On command, a security guard brought in the adorable, clumsy dog, which promptly started bounding around and marking its territory on the rug.

The team exploded in anger.

"Adeline, what do you mean by this?"

"Turning the manager's office into a doghouse? You're insulting the entire sales team!"

"This is too much!"

"You went too far!"

"Big deal," Adeline snorted. "Our stuff sells itself. With your track record, a dog could outperform you all. Don't like it? Quit. Plenty of replacements are out there."

Her words hung like a slap. My team reined in their rage, turning to look at me.

They all respected me. If I said the word, they'd all quit without hesitation.

But I just flashed a casual grin at Adeline, who stared back at me with a mocking expression. To her disappointment, though, I didn't act impulsively and quit on the spot.

Instead, I shrugged. "Since it's the company's decision, I'll support it unconditionally."

Adeline's smug expression cracked. I knew what she was trying to kick me out since the company was stable now. They believed I had outlived my usefulness.

My colleagues deflated with disappointment, but Cheryl chuckled faintly, "Everyone, I'll be counting on your support from now on. I believe under my leadership, we'll hit new heights."

With that, the two women exited triumphantly.

Mark turned to me, exasperated. "Boss, how can you stomach this? Without you, this place would've tanked last year. And now Adeline's parading around like she's the queen."

The others piled on in agreement.

"Yeah, we can't let her get away with this humiliation."

"Let's all bail! See how Adeline and Cheryl handle it without us."

Their genuine loyalty warmed my heart. I finally broke my silence. "Why quit? It's them who'll be packing up. Wait and see. In three days, they'll slink out in disgrace."