Chapter 2

At that moment, an overwhelming sense of disappointment and disgust toward Madison surged up inside me. I didn't even want to say another word to her.

"That's it then," I said, standing up and shooting her a cold look. "The company needs to give me written notice and pay me what I'm owed according to the law and my time here.

"If not, I'll fight for my rights. No way am I backing down to heartless managers like you."

"Suit yourself." Madison scoffed, completely unfazed. "Arbitration, lawsuit—bring it on. The company's ready for you."

Without another word, I turned and walked out of the conference room, heading straight to my desk to pack up my things.

But Madison wasn't done being disgusting. She called over two security guards and stood there, smirking as she gave them orders. "He's been fired. Keep an eye on him while he packs his personal stuff.

"And make sure to check everything he takes out. We don't want any misunderstandings about company property."

With that, she strutted away without even glancing back, her high heels clicking against the floor.

The sudden incident sent shockwaves through the entire sales department.

After all, I was the manager of the department, a mid-level leader in the company, yet I was fired without any warning.

And to make it even more unbelievable, my wife herself came forward to handle the whole thing, not showing me a shred of mercy.

The hidden secrets behind instantly sparked the curiosity of almost everyone in the department.

Someone asked, "Mr. Sanders was doing just fine. Why did he suddenly get fired? What are we supposed to do now? He was our direct supervisor."

Another chimed in, "Isn't Madison Wells his wife? Why isn't she standing up for her husband at all? Her husband just got fired, and she actually looks pleased and proud about it."

The first one whispered, "You have no idea what's really going on. Let me fill you in."

The two subordinates immediately lowered their voices, whispering in hushed tones.

As I listened to everyone gossiping around me, I kept quiet, my face blank as I packed up my personal stuff.

By now, not a single one of my subordinates had come over to comfort me. They wouldn't even come near me, let alone say a word. They were scared I'd drag them down and get them fired too.

And this was after all the times I'd looked out for them.

I'd taught them everything I knew, step by step, and argued my head off with other departments just to get them better benefits.

But now that I was the one getting laid off, the same people who used to crowd around me, buttering me up and acting all concerned, didn't even bother to say a word, let alone speak up for me.

I wasn't even out the door yet, and everyone was already acting like I didn't exist. That was just how the world worked.

Honestly, I'd heard all those gossip and rumors about Madison too.

I just never wanted to believe any of it.

I loved and trusted her so much, so I kept lying to myself, convincing myself she was just insanely devoted to her career, not the type to ever betray our relationship.

But after the way she treated me today, I finally realized just how wrong I'd been.

It was about time I faced the reality.

Finally, I finished packing up all my personal belongings and put them all into a cardboard box.

Just as I was walking out the company's front door with the box in my arms, I heard a familiar voice call out from behind me. "Mr. Sanders, wait a second."

I turned around and saw Cecilia Summers, the new girl who had just passed her probation and officially become a full-time member of our department.

Cecilia was fresh out of school. She had a killer figure and was sweet-looking. Pretty much every guy in the department had a crush on her.

She was also sharp, ambitious, and picked things up fast. I'd made her my top protégé, often giving her some one-on-one coaching whenever I could.

At a moment like this, the fact that she actually had the courage to come after me and say something really made me feel comforted.

At least she had more backbone and decency than those gutless wimps inside who didn't even dare to make a peep.

"Why did you come out here? You should be careful. Don't let yourself get caught up in my mess," I warned her.

Honestly, whether she talked to me or not didn't really matter at this point.

Madison had announced that our entire department was being laid off.

The project was finished, and the company just wanted to save a huge chunk on project bonuses.

When it came to profit, all those so-called relationships just had to take a back seat.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Cecilia said, looking totally unconcerned. "It's just a job, right? If I lose it, I'll just find another one.

"Though you're fired, they should at least throw you a farewell party. You've worked here for so many years.

"If they're really going to fire me just for talking to you, then this place really isn't worth it. The sooner I get out, the better."

Cecilia looked indignant as she continued, "Besides, you've always looked out for me. There's something I have to get off my chest today. I've been keeping it bottled up for a long time.

"If you don't mind, how about we grab a coffee downstairs?"

A wave of warmth washed over me, and I smiled at her. "I'm not your manager anymore, so you don't have to be so formal with me. And actually, I have something to tell you, too."

*****

We sat down in the café, and Cecilia added some milk to her coffee, stirring it with a spoon as she spoke tentatively. "Actually, I've been keeping a secret for a while now. I've been debating whether or not to tell you."

When I heard her say that, my heart gave a jolt. I already had a vague idea what secret she meant, but I forced myself to play it cool. "A secret? Go ahead."

She said, "Well, one night I was working late, and through a crack in the conference room door, I saw Mr. Landon and Ms. Wells from HR making out, like, really going at it. I even secretly recorded a video."

At this point, Cecilia trailed off, watching my face carefully to see how I'd react.

When she saw that I stayed totally calm, she looked a bit surprised. "Wait, did you already know? I've been struggling with whether to tell you or not.

"If I told you, I was afraid it'd break your heart; if I didn't, it just felt wrong to keep it from you."

At that moment, it felt like my whole heart was twisting with pain. My brow furrowed, and I couldn't stop my body from trembling just a little.

Cecilia's eyes flashed with worry as she frowned slightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I forced a smile, trying to hold myself together.

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath. "Since you just told me a secret, I guess it's only fair I tell you one, too.

"Everyone in our department is going to get laid off this time. You should start preparing now, so you're not caught off guard.

"And just so you know, the company isn't planning to pay any severance this time. You should be ready for that, too."

"It's fine." Cecilia waved her hand, still looking totally unconcerned. "After what happened today, I've really seen through this company. This job doesn't matter to me at all anymore. But what about you? Are you really okay?"

Cecilia paused, her eyes full of concern as she went on, "If you want to cry, or go out and get a drink, I'll be right there with you. When you're feeling down, you've got to let it out. Bottling it up is bad for your health."