Chapter 79 Workplace Nemesis
In the labyrinth of Holden's thoughts, he had already begun to envision himself in the role of an uncle. He mused that perhaps by the year's end, the Flores family tree would sprout a new branch, a baby to be cradled in their arms.
The elevator hummed its way to the top floor, its doors parting to reveal Fiorello. He sauntered out, his voice echoing in the confined space as he uttered, "Almost."
"Almost..." Holden echoed, his excitement deflating like a punctured balloon. "So you didn't succeed? I was under the impression that I would soon be an uncle to a little niece."
Fiorello made his way into the CEO's office, where William, the ever-efficient assistant, handed him the day's schedule. As his eyes skimmed over the packed agenda, Fiorello's gaze strayed to Holden, who was engaged in light banter with the employees outside the office.
A thought crossed Fiorello's mind - he needed to groom Holden well, to delegate some of his responsibilities. This would afford him more leisure time, time he could spend with his beautiful wife, Maggie. The monotony of work could never compete with the allure of his wife's company.
Today, Fiorello's mind was not entirely on his work. Even during the meeting, his thoughts wandered, lost in a daydream. The employees, however, dared not voice their observations, fearing they had somehow erred. Their anxiety levels spiked, their nerves fraying at the edges.
In his nervousness, the employee presenting the report faltered, making a mistake. He quickly stammered, "Sorry, Mr. Flores, I..."
Everyone in the company was well aware of Fiorello's ruthless reputation. A single mistake in his presence could result in immediate termination. As the employee teetered on the brink of tears, Fiorello waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's okay, continue."
The senior managers exchanged astonished glances. This was a first - a mistake had been made in Fiorello's presence, and the culprit had not been dismissed. It seemed their boss was in an unusually good mood today.
Meanwhile, Maggie had been swamped with work since her arrival at the company. She multitasked, eating the breakfast Fiorello had ordered for her while working. Yesterday, she had been a mere errand girl, but today, Selena had upped the ante, assigning her the challenging task of delivering design drafts that would satisfy Glory Entertainment Company's Miss Lily by month's end.
Word of Selena's harsh treatment of Maggie reached the ears of the branch general manager, Jones. Concerned about potential complications, he personally visited Selena's office to caution her.
"Selena, you are the company's chief designer. Why trouble yourself with a newcomer?" he asked.
Selena looked surprised. "Jones, you rarely visit my office. Today, you've come to reprimand me over a newcomer. What's so special about Maggie?"
Jones sipped his coffee, his tone official as he replied, "You're being unnecessarily harsh. I'm doing this for your own good."
Selena glanced at Maggie, who was engrossed in her work outside, then turned her gaze back to Jones. "Just tell me, what's her background? A high school graduate bribes the interviewer to get into the company. What's her motive?"
"Bribing the interviewer? How is that possible? Our company is very careful in selecting talent. I'm not speaking for Maggie, and I don't know her background. I only heard about the argument in the office yesterday, which reflected poorly on you and damaged your image."
Jones thought to himself, 'The person who is protecting Maggie is the big boss. Does she still need to bribe an interviewer?'
Selena snorted dismissively, "I've heard it all. She got in by bribing, without any talent. I don't keep useless people around. If she has the talent, then I'll accept her. Otherwise, she's not even worthy of fetching my shoes."
"Selena, watch your words," Jones warned. "You weren't so sarcastic before. She's just a newcomer, is it necessary for you to be like this? If you don't like her, I can assign her to Amy as an assistant."
"No need, I made a bet with her. If she can win over Lily as a client, then she can stay. Otherwise, she'll resign and leave on her own."
Jones attempted to reason further, "Selena, you..."
"No need to say more," Selena interjected confidently. "If we set this precedent, will middle school students also be able to work at the company? Then what about us, highly educated graduates? It's not fair to us at all."
Jones knew Selena was not open to persuasion and said, "I've said all I can. You can decide for yourself."
Unable to reveal Maggie's influential backer, Jones left Selena to ponder her situation. Once he had left, Selena sank into her office chair, her dissatisfaction mounting. She dialed the company's internal phone line and summoned Maggie to her office.
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