Chapter 5
Rodney stared at the phone Bethany was holding, not sure if he should take it or not.
'Mr. Madison?' Rodney wondered. 'Which Mr. Madison? Could it be Mr. Madison from Riverstone Capital? No way. Bethany's a regular employee. There's no way she'd know someone that important.'
But even as these thoughts raced through his mind, he felt sweat bead on his forehead.
His coworkers' eyes were all on him, like spotlights.
If he backed down now, how could he ever command respect in the department again?
Rodney steeled himself, took the phone, cleared his throat, and tried to sound calm. "Hello? This is Rodney Aguirre, Bethany's supervisor. May I ask who's calling?"
"This is Shane Madison." His tone was calm but carried an unmistakable pressure that made it impossible to ignore.
Rodney's heart skipped a beat.
It was really him.
Shane was the man hailed as the rising star of the capital world in every business magazine.
During their company's last round of funding, Rodney, as a department head, managed to catch a glimpse of Shane from across the room at the afterparty.
Shane was the kind of guy who stood at the very top of the food chain. His presence was so overwhelming, nobody even dared to look him in the eye.
'Why would a guy like him actually call me for Bethany?' Rodney thought.
His legs went weak.
"M-Mr. Madison. H-How did you—" he stammered.
"Mr. Aguirre," Shane cut him off. "Bethany will be officially joining Riverstone Capital next Monday. I want her resignation paperwork finalized today. Any issues?"
It wasn't a negotiation or a request.
It was a statement.
It was an order.
Rodney instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
He couldn't believe that Bethany was going to work at Riverstone Capital.
The very idea struck him as an absolute joke.
If he tried to block Bethany now, he'd be messing with the guy who bankrolls the whole company.
Even their CEO would have had to treat Shane with respect, let alone a minor department director like him.
"N-No problem. Absolutely no problem." Rodney's attitude did a complete 180. A fawning smile spread across his face. "I'll take care of it right away. Personally!"
"As for the penalty," Shane's voice went cold, "Mr. Aguirre, our legal team would be more than happy to discuss with your company whether delaying an employee's resignation procedures without cause constitutes a veiled form of forced labor under employment law."
Rodney's face went pale.
This wasn't a threat anymore.
This was a warning.
If Riverstone's legal team got involved and things blew up, he'd probably lose his job as director.
"N-No. Mr. Madison, you've got it all wrong. I was joking with Beth. There's no penalty, nothing like that. Absolutely not!" Rodney wanted to slap himself.
"Good," Shane said, his voice giving nothing away. "I hope you mean what you say, Mr. Aguirre."
With that, Shane hung up.
Rodney held the phone like it was a hot potato, his palms slick with sweat.
He stiffly handed the phone back to Bethany, his face looking even worse than if he'd cried. "B-Beth, look how things got out of hand. It's all a big misunderstanding."
Bethany took the phone, her face completely expressionless. "Mr. Aguirre, so, what about my resignation?"
"Approved. Right now," Rodney blurted out, then spun around and shouted toward HR, "Lester. Get over here. Process Bethany's resignation immediately. Every single step needs to be finished today."
The surrounding colleagues were stunned.
This turnaround was too fast.
One second, Rodney was strutting around like he owned the place, and the next, after one phone call, he was practically groveling.
They couldn't help wondering what kind of connections Bethany had.
All eyes were back on Bethany.
But this time, it wasn't about mocking her or waiting for a show. It was all about respect and curiosity.
Myron was completely stunned.
He stared at Bethany, like he was seeing her for the first time.
He had no idea when she had gotten to know someone so powerful.
Rodney was working at lightning speed. It was faster than anyone had ever seen.
In less than half an hour, Bethany's resignation was all wrapped up.
Her salary and year-end bonus were paid out on the spot, every dollar she was owed handed over.
Rodney personally walked her to the elevator, wearing a big smile. "Beth, do your best at Riverstone. And drop by to see us once in a while."
Bethany merely nodded. She couldn't bring herself to say a single word to him.
It wasn't until the elevator doors slid shut, shutting out Rodney's phony grin, that Bethany let out a deep sigh of relief.
She leaned against the elevator wall, feeling like she'd fought her way through a war zone.
She was worn out, but it felt good.
Especially seeing the look on Rodney's and Myron's faces, like they had just swallowed something foul.
Ding. The elevator reached the first floor.
Bethany walked out with her box, and to her surprise, Myron was waiting for her downstairs.
He hurried over, a conflicted look on his face. "Beth, who was that guy now?"
Bethany stopped and looked at him. "A friend."
"What kind of friend?" Myron pressed. "Is he the boss at Riverstone Capital?"
"Yeah."
Myron swallowed hard, a flash of jealousy and resentment flickering in his eyes.
"When did you get close to someone like that? Did you..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the insinuation in his eyes said everything.
Bethany's heart went cold again.
She knew it.
In their eyes, a woman, especially one with no family or connections, could only succeed by playing dirty.
"Myron," Bethany cut him off. "Is that really how low you think of me?"
Myron couldn't meet her eyes, guilt written all over his face as he turned away.
"That's not what I meant," he muttered. "I-it's all so sudden. You're out there on your own. You need to be careful. Don't let anyone mess with you."
"Mess with me?" Bethany snorted. "By whom? The family that treats me like a cash machine, or the person who gave me a chance to stand on my own two feet?"
She didn't want to argue anymore. She grabbed her box and started to walk away.
Myron reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Beth, don't go!"
His grip was so tight it made Bethany wince.
"Come back with me. I'll talk to Mom and Dad. If you swallow your pride, they'll forgive you."
"Forgive me?" Bethany found it absurd. "What did I do that needs their forgiveness?"
"How can you say you did nothing wrong? You talked back to Grandma, made her sick, and made our whole family look bad in front of everyone.
"And now you've got some big shot backing you. How are Mom and Dad supposed to hold their heads up?" Myron's voice was getting louder with every word.
Bethany yanked her arm free and took a step back.
"Myron, let's get one thing straight. I'm not the one making a fool of the family. It's all of you.
"Grandma isn't sick. That was just a trick to get me to come back.
"And I don't have anyone backing me up. I got into Riverstone Capital on my own merit."
"As for your so-called family honor?" Bethany let out a cold laugh. "Ever since Dad slapped me, your honor has had nothing to do with me anymore."
She stared Myron down, her words sharp and final. "Go tell them this: I'm done with the Stephens family for good.
"From now on, my life is none of your business. And don't ever come to me for anything again."
Without another look at Myron's stunned face, she turned and walked away.
"Bethany!" Myron shouted after her. "You think you're so tough now? I'm telling you, without family backing you up, no one will care if you get chewed up and die out here."
Bethany paused for a second.
She didn't turn around. She held up her phone and gave it a little shake.
"I got severance pay. Actually, it's a penalty fee, but let's call it severance.
"It's enough for me to buy the best insurance out there. So you don't need to worry about me."
She hailed a cab and got in without looking back.
As the car pulled away, she caught Myron's silhouette in the rearview mirror, growing smaller and smaller as the distance widened.
Bethany looked away, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes.
She knew this battle was just getting started.