After I was Laid Off, I Acquired the Company

I walked out with almost the entire tech department. Our dramatic exit turned heads throughout the building.

Heading down the stairs, I paused to stare at the towering Cloud Land logo and silently swore to get back everything I'd lost.

I treated everyone to dinner. The tech crew was seriously pissed, letting off steam by screaming and belting out tunes at karaoke.

Halfway through the song "Backstabber," someone suddenly screamed.

Robert rushed over, livid, flashing a headline at me: Cloud Land CEO Matthew Claims Victory for Homegrown Games.

I clicked the video. There was Matthew at the launch, smooth-talking and phony.

He took all the credit for Cloud Land's success in the video, talking up his struggles without mentioning me once.

A reporter asked sharply, "We've heard about a mysterious figure crucial to Cloud Land's start. Can we meet them today?"

Everyone in our room burst out, "I can't wait to see how he'll lie his way out of this one!"

Matthew's used to dodging bullets. He flashed a fake smile at the reporter and said, "Of course, I couldn't have done it without her. She's my assistant and girlfriend."

Ivy walked onto the stage shyly, and together, they shamelessly claimed all my hard work as their own in front of the cameras.

Everyone's anger boiled over. Someone shouted, "I'm going to expose him right now!"

Another added, "I'm taking him to court!"

And another said, "I hate seeing this creep win!"

I clenched my fists but stayed calm, took charge, and asked, "Do you trust me?"

Everyone nodded.

"Alright then, listen up. Go home, take a break. I'll call you when it's time to fight our battle," I said.

It was midnight by the time everyone cleared out. Instead of heading home, I headed to a friend's place.

I could hear video games as I approached. The door was already open, like he knew I'd come.

I entered his massive gaming room, decked out with all sorts of gaming rigs and streaming gear. It was a true gamer's haven.

Leo Clarke kept playing when I walked in, not stopping until he'd beaten the final boss.

Leo had been into gaming and making it big as a streamer since our college days.

"Hello, there. I've been waiting," he said.

I couldn't help but smirk. "What? Waiting to see if I'd crack?"

Leo looked a bit sorry for me. "I told you, man. Matthew's always been tricky. He finally got one over on you."

I wasn't in the mood to talk about it and grabbed a controller. "Game on?"

We gamed until dawn. Eventually, Leo asked, "Need anything from me? Just say it."

Gazing at the pale morning sky, with revenge simmering in my eyes, I said, "I want to do a livestream with you."

We set it up quickly. With Cloud Land's promo in full swing and Leo's huge following, his stream numbers skyrocketed, topping the charts.

As the views soared, Leo looked puzzled. "They kicked you out, and you're helping them promote the game?"

I didn't bother explaining, just told him, "Start the stream."