Chapter 4
Suddenly, Arthur's tone took a sharp turn. The mask of courtesy was ripped away, exposing his real self underneath.
"Caryl, you really don't know your place, huh?" Arthur snapped. "Do you think you're important? Without the company, you're nobody.
"Just give me Mr. Torres's private contact info, and maybe we'll throw you a consulting fee. Otherwise, I won't be responsible for what happens next."
His threats and insults were like toxic static, polluting my ears.
I opened my phone and called security.
Neighbors in the hallway, startled by the noise, cracked their doors open to see what was going on.
When they saw Arthur making a scene at my door, they gave him looks of utter disdain, whispering and pointing at him.
Soon, security showed up.
With the neighbors whispering and security urging him to leave, Arthur slunk away, humiliated and defeated.
As I listened to his footsteps fading away and his angry curses echoing down the hall, I slumped against the door, feeling nothing but pure disgust.
This was the last straw. The harassment pushed me to make up my mind.
I pulled out my phone and gave Gerald a call.
"Gerald, I've made up my mind," I said. "I'll join Isom Group."
Gerald was thrilled. "That's fantastic. Caryl, on behalf of Isom Group, welcome aboard. You won't regret this, I promise."
He got things rolling and started getting me set up right away.
The next day, I shot off a sharply worded email to my old company's HR department.
In that email, I spelled out that I'd be joining Isom Group next Monday, and they'd better quit with the harassment. If they didn't, I'd get my lawyer involved, no hesitation.
That email was like a bomb going off in the old company's management.
When Brandon saw it, he was so furious that he swept all the papers off his desk in one angry motion.
He never expected me to land a new job so fast, especially with their biggest rival.
To him, this was nothing short of a blatant betrayal and a direct challenge.
"Get the legal department to send her a cease-and-desist letter. Sue her for violating the non-compete agreement," he roared at his secretary.
The lawyer's letter landed in my inbox soon after.
I didn't even bother to open it, simply forwarding it to Gerald.
Isom Group's legal team was lightning fast and aggressive.
They shot back a legal notice, shredding every one of those baseless accusations point by point. They made it clear that my old company's termination process was a joke, that their "forced resignation" held zero legal weight, and that the non-compete agreement was basically worthless.
At the end of the letter, Isom Group's legal team flipped the script and warned them to quit the slander and harassment immediately, or they'd be hit with a lawsuit for unfair competition and defamation.
With no way to win on the legal front, Brandon resorted to even nastier tricks.
He used his family's media connections to quietly push some sneaky smear articles onto a few industry gossip sites.
Those posts made me out to be a selfish traitor who betrayed the company for personal gain and ran off with their core secrets.
They never dropped my name, but given all the recent drama in the industry, anyone in the know could instantly tell who they were talking about.
Some of my former coworkers who had no clue about the real story totally fell for those posts.
They started whispering about me behind my back, saying I was disloyal, that I'd been plotting my exit from the very beginning.
If enough people talk, even the wildest lies start to look like the truth.
When I heard those rumors from a former colleague I got along with, rage burned in my chest.
It wasn't being misunderstood that really got to me. It was seeing how heartless and stupid these people could be.
I sent the links to those hit pieces straight to Gerald.
Gerald called me back right away.
"Don't stress, and don't let it get to you," Gerald said, his voice steady as ever. "Your old firm is desperate now and out of moves, so all they've got left are these petty tactics.
"If you respond now, you'll be playing right into their hands and blowing things up even more."
"Trust me, Caryl," Gerald's voice was full of conviction. "The best way to deal with people like this isn't to stoop to their level. Show them what you're made of. Win with integrity and skill."
I gripped my phone and took a deep breath.
The anger burning in my chest was replaced by something even stronger: resolve.
He was right.
Words were useless now.
I'd reclaim everything that belonged to me, where it truly counted.
On Monday, I officially joined Isom Group.
Compared to the stifling, dead-end atmosphere at my old company, Isom Group's office was open, lively, and had a real spark to it.
Gerald took the time to show me around himself, introducing me to the key players on the team.
Everyone greeted me with real warmth. It was the kind of genuine kindness I'd almost forgotten existed.
I didn't get buried in work right away.
Sitting in my bright, spacious new office, I fired up my personal laptop, logged into my private email, and quickly found Jared's email address.