Chapter 29 Put on a Show
Juniper was generally amiable, but that didn't mean she was a pushover.
"Mr. Christopher," she tried to reason calmly, even though she was the new kid on the block, "Mr. Abbott was my client, and he was planning to sign with me. I was supposed to continue servicing him. If we switch now, it might seem odd to him..."
But before she could finish, Christopher cut her off, standing his ground. "Juniper, you know you're the new one here, so you should realize it's the property that attracts clients, not us. Anyone can serve Mr. Abbott, and with my experience, I can offer him a finer experience."
"Mr. Christopher, but that was my sale," Juniper protested weakly.
"The name on the contract secures the deal. It's done. If you think it's unfair, Juniper, go talk to Mr. Boris."
Workplace politics were nothing new to her; she had seen plenty at her previous gig in television, but such blatant poaching of her hard work was a first.
That property was worth twenty million. With Christopher boasting about a two percent commission, the deal would rake in four hundred thousand.
Four hundred thousand... That was more than enough to cover Jennifer's surgery costs several times.
Juniper's first day at Sycamore Group wasn't supposed to stir up trouble, but that kind of money could solve a lot of her urgent problems. She got up and headed straight to Mr. Boris's office.
Christopher snorted dismissively, showing his indifference, "Getting all high and mighty on your first day, Juniper. Don't say I didn't warn you — keep a low profile."
In the office.
"Juniper, what's up?"
"Mr. Boris, I went with a colleague to the sales center earlier, and a client was ready to purchase a 1,900 square foot luxury condo. This was my lead, and the client was set to sign with me, but I had to step out for a moment because Joseph needed me, so I asked Christopher to step in and assist the client for a bit. But now, Christopher went ahead and signed the contract with the client himself. I just wanted to know, whose sale is this counted as, mine or Christopher's?"
"Oh, is that the case? Whose name is on the contract now?"
"Christopher."
Mr. Boris nodded knowingly, pondered for a bit and said, "Juniper, in our department, indeed, the sale goes to whoever's name is on the contract. You left when you were about to close, and that's on you. Next time, be careful. Let's call this a lesson from Christopher."
Reading between the lines of Mr. Boris's words, Juniper realized the sale was lost.
Juniper showed sense and didn’t make a scene. "In that case, manager, I’ll get back to work."
"Juniper, today's your first day in our department; there are some rules you'll need to learn."
"Rules?" Juniper was puzzled.
"You're still an intern, and the clients you handle technically aren't yours yet, even if they are set to sign with you. Your name can't be put on the contracts until after your probation period."
Is that so?
But when she signed the labor contract that morning, she was sure it didn't say anything about that.
Or, is this just the cutthroat world of real estate sales?
Juniper returned to her desk.
Christopher, having poured himself a coffee in the break room, walked past Juniper with a smirk.
After Christopher passed, a colleague swiveled over to Juniper's side.
She warned Juniper kindly, "That Christopher, he’s Boris’s nephew. He often steals sales from newcomers, and Boris tends to turn a blind eye. From now on, play smart and steer clear of him."
"Boris?"
"Yeah, that's our Mr. Boris. Don't play the fool and whine to him anymore. How could an uncle not back his own nephew? Watch out, he might just make your life difficult!"
Juniper couldn't help but smile and shake her head.
Some people, no matter where they go, always have their connections in high places.
Her spirits low, Juniper's phone pinged with a new WhatsApp message.
Ophelia: How's your first day at Sycamore Group?
Juniper: Not great. My colleague swiped the deal I worked on.
Ophelia: You're letting that slide?? Confront your boss!
Juniper: The manager's the guy’s uncle... I didn't know that and made a fool of myself asking for fair play. I bet the manager thinks I'm an idiot.
Ophelia: And they call themselves a Fortune 500 company? What a joke! They're as disorganized as a backyard business with no professional standards!
...
After her rant, Ophelia turned and sent screenshots of her chat with Juniper to Robert.
Our corporation really needs to get its act together!
About five minutes passed.
Robert’s WhatsApp lit up: Holy smokes! Juniper is working for our company?
Ophelia rolled her eyes: You’re way behind on the news. How do you not know this?
Our company isn't that disorganized. Who told Juniper her contributions wouldn't count as an intern?
With her own agenda, Ophelia asked Juniper for details, then directly reported it: A manager named Boris and a guy named Christopher stole her achievements.
...
The next morning, Boris and Christopher were both fired.
Carrying a box of his belongings, Christopher passed Juniper with fury in his eyes, "You backstabber, running to the execs and playing your games!”
Juniper was baffled, "Christopher, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t go to any execs. Maybe you got fired because you’ve made too many enemies around here.”
"Don't play dumb! I know about you and Joseph!"
Christopher’s accusations rang out, attracting the attention of the entire sales department.
Joseph was a married man.
And so, the way everyone looked at Juniper shifted.
"I knew it, no wonder she was brought in by Joseph on her first day!"
"So she's Joseph's girl. That explains the arrogance, strutting straight up to Mr. Boris to argue her case yesterday. Talk about having a powerful connection!"
"It's a shame, such a pretty face, and she has to be a homewrecker."
"First day at work and already making waves. Hope she didn't climb the ladder this way."
The whispers swarmed around in a cacophony of disapproval.
Before Christopher stormed off, he spat out venomously, "Juniper, quit your preening. Someone's gonna put you in your place!"
Ever since the morning's debacle, Juniper noticed her colleagues' faces beamed with smiles, yet in secret, they unanimously distanced themselves from her.
Sycamore Group boasted an expansive cafeteria.
Juniper lined up, paid for her meal with her lunch card, and turned to find a spot to sit.
But as she turned, her tray was knocked out of her hands and scattered across the floor.
Gravy splashed all over Juniper.
"You..." Juniper began, Frowning, but she was cut off before she could finish.
Lifting her gaze, she locked eyes with Patricia, who stood unapologetically before her.
Patricia, brimming with contempt, said, "Look what we have here, Juniper thinks she's good enough for Sycamore Group. Magnus probably just couldn't bother to reject you, but you really had the gall to show up and work here!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
