He Claimed My Aunt, I Called His Bluff

My message might seem like a compliant confession to my mistakes, but it hit the company group chat like a drop of cold water plunged into a pan of searing oil.

On the surface, it looked like submission, but in reality, it carried every ounce of an employee's disappointment toward the company.

I immediately logged out of all corporate accounts, revoked my access permissions, and began my suspension for reflection in earnest.

Warner cited his favorite motto, "Do not meddle in affairs outside of your jurisdiction," and cast me off to a desk right next to the restrooms. I was forced to sit there day after day, enduring the dismissive sneers and pitying glances of colleagues passing by.

Meanwhile, Hayden triumphantly sat at my desk and barked orders over employees in the department.

But my seat wasn't an easy one to fill. I had personally handled every project before this and knew every detail inside out—from design to production.

Hayden, on the other hand, knew absolutely nothing.

Within just a few days, more than ten clients filed complaints and demanded that I personally resume handling their projects, or they would cancel their partnerships.

The company suddenly faced a fortune in breach-of-contract penalties.

At last, Warner couldn't take it any longer. He swallowed his pride and came to my desk.

"Flynn, you were responsible for these projects. Some technical issues have come up, so coordinate with the clients and make sure they're satisfied."

I lazily looked up and gave him a puzzled look. "I think you've got the wrong guy, Mr. Maxwell. I'm suspended pending reflection."

He paused awkwardly, then stiffly continued, "There's work that needs to be done, even if you're suspended. Company policy states that whoever starts a project is responsible for it until the end."

I spread my hands. "But I've revoked all my access permissions and can't follow up anymore."

His expression faltered, then anger brewed in his eyes. "You were just suspended, not fired! Why would you log out of your accounts? Reapply for your permissions at once."

I calmly looked at him and replied, "Mr. Maxwell, you were the one who said, 'Do not meddle in affairs outside of your jurisdiction'. I was simply executing your orders."

Warner was visibly embarrassed, though he forced himself to stay patient.

"Tell you what—you'll get back to work right now. Immediately get in touch with the clients and stop them from canceling the partnerships."

I smiled. "Mr. Maxwell, shouldn't you assign this task to your more capable Top Sales Performer? I'm just a gigolo who relies entirely on my looks to hit my sales target, so I'm not capable of doing that."

His face flushed crimson as he struggled to suppress his rage. "That was just a joke between colleagues, Flynn. Are you seriously taking it to heart?"

I maintained my smile, though it turned cold and icy. "In that case, was stripping my title and robbing me of my 800-thousand-dollar bonus a joke, too?

"Was calling a 20-dollar dish lavish dining a joke too?"

Each word landed like a slap squarely on Warner's face. His face shifted from furious red to deathly pale, then to a bruised purple.

Still, he stayed silent.

I knew he was inwardly fighting with himself. After all, wanting a high-and-mighty CEO like him to bow his head and apologize simply didn't come naturally to him.

Just then, Hayden ran over excitedly. "Mr. Maxwell, Avenel Group agreed to invest in us!"

Warner's face immediately lit up with a triumphant grin. "Excellent! You really are the company's lucky charm, Hayden. With Avenel Group backing us, clients will be begging to work with us."

Then, he turned around and shot me a vicious glare. "You're fired, Flynn. Hit the HR department for your exit processing immediately!"

I calmly nodded. "Understood. I expect the company to compensate me per company regulations."

"You still want compensation?" he furiously roared. "You've caused catastrophic damage to our company! Just you wait; we'll sue you!"

Hayden shot me a malicious look and chimed in, "I'll make sure you're blacklisted across the entire industry, Flynn."

I gave a light nod. "Perfect. I'll be waiting."

After quietly packing my belongings, I walked out of the office where I had devoted an entire year.

I had poured all my passion, energy, and talent into this place. Instead of relying on connections or resources, I built my success on pure merit, and my capabilities are what made this company thrive.

Yet, it earned me nothing but a termination notice.