Chapter 2
Just then, the candlestick chart on my screen suddenly nosedived, dropping off a cliff.
The alert blared nonstop.
I whipped my head around, scrambling for the mouse.
It was too late. Just three seconds of losing focus, and I missed the best chance to exit the trade.
The system triggered a forced liquidation.
The account page flashed with glaring red numbers.
It was down 250 thousand dollars.
My hand froze in midair, a chill running down my spine.
The internal phone on my desk started ringing like a death knell.
I hit the answer button, and the director's roar nearly shattered my eardrums.
He barked, "Kelsey Reed, what the hell are you doing? You had three seconds to react! Are you blind or what?
"250 thousand dollars vanished! The client's already blowing up my phone at home!"
I tried to speak, my voice raspy. "Mr. Ford, I..."
The director snapped, "Shut up! I don't want to hear any excuses!
"Show up at 8 am tomorrow with your resignation letter! The company's legal will make sure you pay for that 250 thousand dollar loss!"
He hung up.
The dial tone echoed through the empty trading room.
I stared blankly at the screen, my fingers trembling uncontrollably.
Grace pushed the door open and walked in, still holding that thermos.
She said, "See? Doesn't hot cocoa make you feel better? Honestly, you gotta listen to your body. When it's time to crash, just crash..."
I grabbed the cup of hot cocoa from the desk and slammed it down at Grace's feet.
The glass shattered, and hot cocoa splashed across her pant leg.
I shouted, "Are you happy now? That's 250 thousand dollars down the drain! And my job's gone too. Touch my stuff again, and I'll kill you!"
Grace let out a terrified scream, dropped to the floor, covered her face, and started bawling her eyes out.
Her crying was so loud it brought Fiona Lambert, the night supervisor, rushing into the room.
Fiona stormed in wearing slippers, and when she saw the chaos and Grace sobbing on the floor, her expression turned grim.
"Are you out of your mind? It's the middle of the night!" Fiona barked.
Fiona hurried over to Grace, helped her up, and patted her back.
Grace collapsed against Fiona's shoulder, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.
Grace said, "Fiona, I was just worried she'd keel over from staying up all night, so I gave her some hot cocoa instead...
"She didn't just throw the cup. She said she'd kill me... I was just trying to look out for her health."
Fiona spun around, jabbing her finger right at me and yelling. "You're so ungrateful!
"Grace stayed up all night with you, worried about your health, and this is how you treat her? Do you even have a heart?
"You screw up, lose money, and then blame your coworker? You're toxic in this workplace!"
I stabbed a finger at the trading records on the screen, my voice trembling with anger.
I snapped, "Fiona, I'm the one running these trades. I need coffee to keep my head clear!
"Every day, when I go to the bathroom, she sneaks over and pours out my coffee, swapping it for water!
"Just now, because of that hot cocoa, I got drowsy and zoned out. I missed the key moment!
"Now the director's firing me and wants me to cover the 250 thousand dollar loss! Is that what you call caring?"
Fiona scoffed, her face dripping with disdain.
She said, "Quit blaming coffee for your mess. You stay up all night and then whine about being tired. That's on you.
"So, a cup of hot cocoa made you lose 250 thousand dollars? Seriously? If that's all it takes, you must be a joke of a trader.
"Tomorrow, you deal with the director yourself. Don't make the whole department pay for your screw-up!"
Fiona helped Grace toward the door, but paused as they reached the entrance.
"Sweep the floor. Don't treat the office like a dump," Fiona said sharply.
I stood there, watching them walk out the door.
Rage boiled inside me, but I had nowhere to let it out.
That 250 thousand dollars loss would wipe out all my savings from the past few years.
I couldn't afford to get fired, and there was no way I could shoulder that debt.
Early the next morning, I knocked on the director's office door.
I pulled up all the security footage to prove that Grace had repeatedly swapped out my drinks, throwing off my concentration.
The director watched the footage, his face clouded, uncertain, and conflicted.
In the end, he didn't fire me. Instead, he gave me a chance to redeem myself.
He said, "The non-farm payroll data is coming out tonight, and the market's gonna go wild.
"Fiona is managing a VIP client's private account. It's got a huge balance and is leveraged ten times. She recommended that you take the lead on this trade."