Chapter 8
LILY’S POV
My heart raced as I paced restlessly like a mad scientist in Robert’s office after the disaster that just happened in the conference room. Robert told me to wait for him here. The only time he does this, especially with that tone of voice is when a worker behaves badly or does something wrong. In this case, not only did I do something wrong, I messed up like no one else has in the company. This was our company’s biggest campaign project for the month and I blew it.
Panic welled up in my chest as I awaited the inevitable, my mind racing with what Robert would do to me when he got back.
He was still in the conference room with the clients and some of the board members. He was trying to address the issue and calm them but I doubted he was making any progress. I could hear their raised voices from where I was and it only made me more anxious.
I didn’t know how Scarlett managed to get access to my slides and swap them with those embarrassing sex memes and porn adverts. My laptop has been with me all day. Someone must have helped her. I bet she couldn’t have pulled all that off on her own. Who could it be?
She just succeeded in making me look bad in front of the entire company. Why would she do such a thing knowing it will be detrimental to the growth and success of the company? This just proves how much she hates me and how desperately she wants to get rid of me. All because of her, we were on the verge of losing a million dollars worth of the deal. That is if we haven’t lost it already.
I thought of confronting her and letting everyone know the type of person she was. She was a poison not only to this company but also to Robert. But after what happened earlier today where she’d lied about me hitting her on the stomach, I was literally counting my teeth with my tongue to avoid Robert getting angrier than he was with me already. Surely, he won’t believe me when I say she caused all this.
The door suddenly flung open, catching me unawares as my heart skipped a bit in shock. Robert flounced in, his face red with rage and fury.
I wanted to plead for mercy and explain to him that it wasn’t my fault. I wanted to promise I’d do anything to fix it, to make it up to him and the rest of the board members and clients but he unleashed all that pent-up anger on me without holding back.
“Do you care to explain to me the meaning of what you just did in the conference room?… Do you realize the gravity of your actions? What your foolishness has cost us?”
“I’m sorry Robert…” I begged, tears forming in my eyes and drenching my voice. “I swear I am… I’m willing to do anything to make it up to you, the clients and the board members. Please let me. If you can just give me another chance, I swear I’ll…”
“Don’t you understand?” He scoffed incredulously and looked at me like I was the most difficult person on earth. “It’s over,” he reiterated. “Sorry is not going to bring back the millions of dollars we just lost. This is our biggest campaign of the month and you blew it with your stupidity and nonchalance. You were hardworking and dedicated from the time I employed you, this was the least I expected from you. The clients are so angry they didn’t only ask for an immediate refund but also threatened to sue if we don’t compensate them for the incompetence and time wasted.”
Hearing him say all that caused my eyes to sting, tears streaming down my cheeks. I could only imagine the pain and disappointment he and the other board members must be feeling and the toll this has taken on the entire company. If he could just let me explain and give me another chance to make it up to him, I swear he won’t regret it. I swear I won’t let Scarlett sabotage it again.
I wanted to fall on my knees and plead some more, letting him know this pained me as much as it did to him. But he quickly splayed his hand to stop me.
“Just stop!” he exclaimed irritably. “You look utterly pathetic shedding those crocodile tears. I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately but it’s obvious your actions were deliberate…”
“No…” I grimaced in bewilderment as his last words stung me but he continued coldly, showing no trace of empathy.
“I’m not wrong, no employee in her right senses will display such rubbish during an important meeting such as this,” he addressed sternly, leaving me disoriented the more. “You have caused the company a huge loss and succeeded in giving us a bad name. As such, you are hereby fired. You have thirty minutes to turn in your membership card, pack your belongings and leave the premises. If you don’t, then I will be forced to order the security to throw you out.”
That news came at me like a wrecking ball, shattering me to pieces. Momentarily, I lost myself. I never expected it. Robert can’t fire me like this. Not now. Not after how hard I worked to get to this level and all the sacrifices I made for him and the company. Most of our clients came through my connections and scouting. Under my guidance, we launched some of the most successful campaigns, helping start-ups and foreign businesses gain the recognition they needed to thrive. In short, I made this company more money than anyone else ever has.
Not only that, I needed the salary that came with this job. I couldn’t just depend solely on the money that came from the contract marriage agreement to take care of myself and my mum. Her treatment cost a whole lot.
Just one mistake that was orchestrated by his ex was all it took for him to get me fired after all these years of loyal service to him. I couldn’t believe it. Didn’t all those years of hard work and loyalty matter one bit to him?
He was about to walk out the door when I went after him and held him by the arm to stop him. That was when I noticed my colleagues were standing outside his office, watching the whole scene play out. Robert just fired me in front of the entire company and they probably also knew the reason for it. I felt like the ground had slashed open beneath me and swallowed me whole.
They quickly dispersed on seeing him about to step out of the office. But Scarlett didn’t. She was standing just a few metres from the doorway, her lips twitching with a satisfyingly wicked smirk at me whenever Robert wasn’t looking at her and an innocent sweet smile when he was looking. What a snake. If only I can prove that to Robert then we’ll be alright. The entire company will be alright.
“Robert you can’t fire me like this…” My voice cracked as I held the top of his arm. “Not after how hard I have worked and all the sacrifices I have made for this company after all these years. You can’t deny that I have helped this company achieve a lot and reach their target countlessly. Please don’t throw all that away. Please reconsider… give me another chance to prove myself.”
He scowled at me before forcefully freeing his arm from my grip, causing my balance to falter a bit.
“It’s too late, Lily,” he said stone-heartedly. “You should have thought about all this before you chose to screw things up. I wasn’t the only one that decided on this. It was unanimously decided on by the entire board members. There is nothing I can do. Just pack your stuff and leave. Ten minutes have passed already. Scarlett will be taking your place.”
My heart clenched painfully in my chest, the weight of his revelation crushing me to a breaking point. I was breathless with a shocking silence.
When my eyes met Scarlett’s, she was grinning triumphantly. She did say she’d kick me out of this company and Robert’s life for good, and she was gradually achieving her aim.
It was at that moment that I blurted out, “She did it!” as Robert was about to leave.
“What?” Robert’s face crinkled with confusion as he turned to stare at me.
Breathing loudly, I pointed at Scarlett. “Scarlett did this. She tampered with my slides and put those embarrassing data. She is the one responsible for us losing this deal.”