I Made Them Rich, Then They Fired Me

On the day of the annual evaluation, Hayden and I sat together in the front row.

Stefan spotted us and sauntered over, Alicia clinging to his side, sarcasm already thick in his voice.

"Caitlyn Sinclair, not only did you steal Alicia’s project, but now you’re cozying up to Mr. Forever-Second himself. If the company ends up firing you, at least try to land someone with a future. Oh, wait—I forgot. Our company is the best. There is no better place."

Alicia chimed in with a smirk. "Just wait until the Hawthorne Family reclaims the top spot and secures that investor partnership. When that happens, we’ll dominate the market. You’ll be lucky to scrape by on crumbs."

Just the sight of them made my stomach turn. Ever since Stefan broke off the engagement, he had dropped all pretense. Now, he openly showed off his relationship with her.

"Alicia’s work makes yours look pitiful," he said smugly. "She whipped up a brand-new proposal for a interprovincial cooperation. This time, there’s nothing for you to steal."

I nearly laughed. Was he talking about that wrinkled draft I had tossed in the trash?

So, Alicia Remington made a habit of dumpster-diving. How elegant.

If Stefan was serious about pushing that plan forward, I honestly couldn’t wait to see the mess it would become.

Meanwhile, a crowd of executives gathered around them, falling over themselves to flatter him. "Do we even need to announce the award? With Stefan Hawthorne here, the winner is obvious."

"Exactly. That Best Company of the Year trophy means nothing to him. Especially now that the new investor’s backing is practically guaranteed—the Hawthorne Family is about to soar."

"Of course it’ll go to the Hawthorne Family."

Their gazes shifted toward me and Hayden.

"Unlike certain people who think sitting in the front row actually matters. In this industry, only results speak."

Soaking in their praise, Stefan grinned from ear to ear as they escorted him toward the stage.

Hayden and I remained still, undisturbed. After all, nothing was final until the results were officially announced.

The host stepped up to begin the ceremony.

Stefan rose confidently and strutted toward the stage, basking in the spotlight as if the trophy already had his name engraved on it. Across the room, he cast a mocking glance at Hayden and flicked his wrist like he was brushing off an annoying insect.

Then came the shock.

"Congratulations to Hayden Aldrich from the Aldrich Group for securing first place in this year’s industry evaluation and earning a one-on-one meeting with our top investor, Simon Alexis!"

The entire room fell silent.

Stefan froze mid-step, stuck halfway up the stairs. His mind went blank.

Hayden stood with quiet composure, his smile polished, but his eyes glinted with unmistakable disdain. As he passed by, he leaned in and said in a low voice, "Mr. Hawthorne, forgive me for stealing your first place this year. But don’t worry, you won’t get the chance to catch up again. After all, you’ve already thrown away your trump card."