Chapter 2
Some folks started shooting each other looks.
Some people were secretly snapping photos.
A few of the old-timers in the tech department frowned, like they wanted to say something, but in the end, they kept quiet.
After all, Cherry was the one calling the shots now.
"We're done here." She finally spoke.
She didn't waste any time.
She didn't bother with any small talk.
The room exploded into chaos.
Chairs screeched everywhere.
I grabbed my spaghetti and headed out, and everyone just parted to let me through, like I was contagious or something.
"I heard he used to be the backbone of the tech team?"
"Seriously? If he was really that important, would they dump him in the Document Destruction Department?"
"The boss's husband falling this far? Man, that's rough."
"If I were him, I'd have walked out ages ago."
I kept walking, never slowing down.
I made my way back to the tech department.
The office was eerily quiet.
The old hands who'd been with me for years kept their heads down, avoiding my gaze.
My desk was tucked away in the very back.
It was a mess—three cups of instant spaghetti piled up, and a pothos plant that looked like it was on its last legs.
Half the leaves were yellowed.
I reached over and nudged the soil.
It was so dry it had turned hard.
One of the programmers next to me whispered, "Mr. Howe..."
I replied with a quiet "yeah."
He looked like he wanted to say something for ages, but finally managed, "Don't take it to heart."
I smiled.
"I mean, why should I care?" I said with a shrug.
And with that, I just bent down and started tossing my things together.
I took my sweet time, like I was actually planning to retire in the Document Destruction Department.
But only I knew the truth.
These past three months, I wasn't slacking off at all.
The company's system was riddled with vulnerabilities.
Someone was quietly launching attacks on our database.
I spent more than a dozen sleepless nights just to keep the system secure.
Those "videos" they saw on the surveillance footage? They were actually security testing videos.
And that so-called "nap"? I hadn't slept for a full twenty hours the day before.
Cherry never bothered to ask me about any of it.
She just took Jett's performance report at face value.
Thinking about it, I couldn't help but feel it was all meaningless.
Then, my phone buzzed.
HR pinged me with a message.
[Mr. Howe, make sure you check in at the Document Destruction Department before 9 AM tomorrow.]
I looked at it for two seconds and deleted it.
Then I pulled up the flight booking app.
Destination—Amberisle.
2 PM, ticket confirmed.
I leaned back in my chair and let out a quiet sigh.
Outside the office, people were still whispering about me.
Some were smirking, taking pleasure in my downfall.
Others were just enjoying the spectacle, soaking up the drama.
But honestly, I just tuned it all out.
Right before clock-out, Jett actually showed up in the tech department.
He stood in the doorway, putting on a show of regret.
"Mr. Howe, honestly, I feel bad for you," Jett said, his voice oozing fake sympathy.
"But you know how it is—company's gotta have rules."
I looked up at him.
He kept up the polite act, but the smug look in his eyes was barely hidden.
He never liked me, not from the very first day he set foot in the company.
All because Cherry used to totally depend on me.
And his favorite thing was always trying to prove he was better than me.
Pity.
Some things just couldn't be pulled off by throwing on a suit and churning out a few PowerPoints.
I lounged back in my chair.
"Done?" I said.
Jett's smile stiffened for a moment.
"Mr. Howe, what's with the attitude—"
"Oh, right," I cut him off. "Leave the tech department servers alone for the next few days."
He frowned. "What are you talking about?"
I picked up the pothos plant from my desk, my tone easy and relaxed.
"Just what it sounds like," I said, not bothering to explain.
Then I walked right by him without another word.
He stayed put, his expression soured.
7 PM.
I rolled my suitcase out of the building.
The receptionist shot me a shy glance, like she wanted to say something.
But in the end, she just lowered her head and softly said, "Goodbye, Hayden."
I smiled and waved.
The elevator doors slowly slid shut.
The numbers slowly ticked down.
18th floor.
17th floor.
16th floor.
Suddenly, I remembered.
From the servers to the security system, I set up everything in this company myself.
The top-level password? My birthday.
Except for me, nobody else had a clue.
*****
When the plane landed, the breeze in Amberisle was salty from the ocean.
I rolled my suitcase out of the airport, phone still switched off. All that crap back home? Not my headache right now.
At the hotel front desk, while they confirmed my booking, I caught my reflection in the glass door nearby.
I hadn't even bothered to shave, and there were dark circles under my eyes.
I didn't look like I was here for a vacation—more like I'd just made a run for it.
I smiled, checked in at the front desk, and went upstairs for a shower.
As the hot water poured over me, the tension in my shoulders finally started to melt away.
That night, I slipped on a floral shirt and found myself a beach chair by the shore.
The coconut juice was sweet.
The waves rolled in, tourists dashed across the sand, and laughter mingled with music in the air. I closed my eyes and, for once, got a full night's sleep.
*****
The next morning, I woke up to the sun shining in my face.
The hotel server brought me breakfast, and I'd just taken a bite of my fried egg when my phone started buzzing like crazy as soon as I turned it on.
Missed calls.
HR had called seven times.
The tech department had called over a dozen times.
There were a few unknown numbers, too.
I just glanced at them and ignored it.
Messages kept popping up one after another.
[Mr. Howe, did you really quit?]
[The company's security system is totally screwed. No one can get inside.]