Chapter 137 The Root of Trouble
Seeing the time, Ophelia realized there was no chance of making it if she took the subway. She decided to let Finnegan drive her.
Any car in Finnegan's garage was worth a fortune. Today, he chose modesty, driving a Maybach instead of a Rolls-Royce, which was still quite impressive.
Ophelia couldn't expect Finnegan to be too low-profile; after all, his social stature and net worth were well known.
The morning rush hour in A City could drive anyone to despair, but Finnegan's chosen route was unusually clear.
"Finnegan, do you have some connection with the traffic department or something?" Ophelia asked, puzzled. "The roads are like your own personal driveway; so smooth. This is the first time I've ever experienced a rush hour without traffic jams."
Finnegan flashed a playful grin, half-serious, half-joking, "Maybe there really is a connection."
Ophelia truly believed him, "Really?"
"Fake." Finnegan smiled, "A person's fortune is related to their magnetic field, and the magnetic field to their mood. If you're in a good mood, everything goes smoothly."
Ophelia chuckled. "All I know is that someone's mood is solely dependent on whether they've had enough to eat or not. By the way, you can just drop me off at the corner before the office, I'll walk from there."
Ophelia was worried her coworkers might see her arriving in a luxury car, stirring up unnecessary gossip.
Finnegan understood her concern and dropped her off at the corner, "I'll have the driver pick you up after work; I might be busy today."
"No need, I'll take the subway." Ophelia waved goodbye, "I've got to go, I'm running late."
Ophelia had to run the last fifty meters to the company.
She made it to the office just in time to punch the clock.
After clocking in, she was in no hurry and leaned against the wall to catch her breath.
Then she looked up and saw Sybil coming in.
"Sybil."
Ophelia called out and walked over and said, "You haven't been here for a few days, is everything okay?"
Sybil dashed off during lunch the other day, and nobody's seen her. She didn't even respond to messages.
Sybil shook her head and said, "Nothing's wrong, Ophelia, got to hurry."
Ophelia wanted to say more, but Sybil was already on her way.
For some reason, Ophelia felt that Sybil seemed different upon her return; the usually talkative, smiling Sybil now had a face void of any expression, and her eyes lacked their former sparkle.
"Ophelia," a colleague came over to remind her, "Miss Niamh wants you in her office. Your phone was off after work yesterday, and Miss Niamh couldn't reach you. She wasn't in a good mood, so be careful."
Ophelia had an ominous feeling.
Her relationship with Niamh was just bad luck, and she didn't want to provoke Niamh, but it seemed she always managed to land in the hot seat.
Offending Niamh over a necklace was bad enough, and yesterday's mix-up with the old lady only made things worse.
Ophelia feared Niamh might try to find a way to force her out of the company.
Indeed, as soon as Ophelia stepped into the office, Niamh spoke haughtily, "Ophelia, you're fired. Just go to the finance department to settle your wages and leave."
Ophelia was prepared for this possibility and responded, "Miss Niamh, what is the reason for my dismissal? Without a valid reason, per our agreement, there are consequences for terminating my employment."
Niamh retorted furiously, "Where were you when I was looking for you yesterday? Why was your phone turned off? How dare you mention compensation to me?"
"After work hours is my personal time. I have every right to turn off my phone," Ophelia replied confidently, without losing her composure. "Miss Niamh, I'm aware that you've taken a disliking to me, but I assure you I've had no intention of crossing you. I just want to do my job well."
"Do you really believe you're so exceptional that Parks Corporation can't do without you?" Niamh thought about Dovie' admiration for Ophelia and her jealousy bubbled over into resentment. "Let me tell you, I don't like you, I don't want to see you, and if it's a settlement you want, I'll pay it myself. Leave my family's company this instant!"
Money could indeed bolster one's ego.
Niamh had offered compensation, and Ophelia had no reason to resist leaving.
Only a fool would turn down money, and the settlement was not insignificant.
She couldn't stay and wait for Niamh to make her life miserable.
Having offended the daughter of the corporate dynasty, gracefully exiting with a settlement was an opportunity not to be missed.
"Thank you for your generosity, Miss Niamh."
Without hesitation, Ophelia headed to the finance department to finalize her wages.
Seeing Ophelia leave without the abjection or begging she had anticipated, and instead moving promptly to collect her money, Niamh felt she had been tricked and became even more infuriated.
After settling her accounts at the finance department and receiving her compensation, Ophelia returned to gather her belongings. On her way through the hallway, she encountered Sybil.
Sybil had come out from the emergency stairwell, and as she approached, Ophelia detected the smell of gasoline.
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