He Fired Me, Then Learned Who I Was

Synopsis

My name is Callum Phillips. I work in the Administration Department at Delimbia Group. Employee ID 1782. Monthly salary was 3000 dollars Three years in, most people still didn't know my full name. To them, I was just "the Administration guy married to Mrs. Phillips from Marketing"—the one who orders bottled water, fixes printers, and occasionally helps move desks. My presence in the company was roughly equivalent to the potted plant in the lobby. Nobody would notice when it got watered. Nobody would notice if it dried up. Today was the annual performance review conference. Over three hundred employees sit neatly in the group's multipurpose auditorium. I sat in the third row from the back, by the window, a cup of warm water in front of me, quietly debating whether lunch will be braised pork or sweet-and-sour ribs. On stage, David Clarke was giving the year-end report. He wore dark blue suit and a perfectly knotted tie. His hair was slicked back so neatly that it caught the light. When he spoke, there was a faint overseas cadence, subtle, but deliberately polished, the kind that made people grind their teeth. Every time he mentioned a performance figure, the room responded with applause. A few women from Marketing are visibly transfixed. He was David Clarke, the vice president of Delimbia Group. He had a MBA from Shyrannion University. He was the only son of the Clarke family. He was also the third-largest shareholder of the company. At thirty-two, he was unmarried and impeccably attractive. He has topped the company's "Most Wanted Husband" poll for three years running. He was also my wife's first love. He said, "Next, I will announce the list of employees eliminated for underperformance this year." His tone shifts slightly. A faint smile touches his lips. His gaze swept past the front rows and landed squarely on me.