Chapter 8
Richard stayed silent for a full minute.
All the anger and commanding presence he'd shown moments ago seemed to drain from him, leaving behind nothing but deep, weary exhaustion.
He looked like he'd aged ten years in an instant.
He slowly sank back into his chair, his gaze shifting from me to David and Samuel.
That look in his eyes wasn't anger anymore. It was a cold, crushing disappointment that seemed to freeze the air.
"David," Richard finally spoke, his voice rough and hoarse. "You said you fired Charles because he was stuck in his ways and couldn't keep up with the pace of the younger crowd?"
David flinched, his lips trembling, but he couldn't get a single word out.
"Let me ask you again. Was that your own idea, or did someone feed you that line?" Richard's voice was flat, completely devoid of emotion.
Cold sweat streamed down David's temples.
He knew this was his last chance.
If he tried to hide anything now, he wouldn't even know what hit him.
Survival instinct took over. He didn't care about rank or professional ethics anymore.
"It was Henry," he blurted out. "It was Henry from Sales. He submitted the report.
"He said Charles was stuck in his ways, that his training methods were outdated, and that keeping him in charge would only hold the whole sales team back.
"He even claimed he had more advanced ideas and could lead the team to even greater results.
"Mr. Lane, I was confused for a moment, fooled by his performance and his report. I thought it was a normal transition. I had no idea what was really happening behind the scenes."
David was babbling, desperately trying to pin everything on Henry.
Samuel, clinging to a lifeline, quickly jumped in. "Yes, Mr. Lane. David's telling the truth.
"That optimization proposal was drafted by Henry, and after the sales department signed off, it was sent over to the HR department.
"We were following orders. We're the executors."
Listening to these two top executives, scrambling to shift blame and sell out the very "new guy" they'd promoted, like a pair of clowns, desperate and pathetic.
Not even a flicker of emotion crossed my mind.
This was the place I'd poured eighteen years of my life into.
These were the so-called "family" I once took pride in.
Richard listened in silence, his face showing nothing.
When they finally finished, he spoke slowly, "Henry."
He rolled the name around in his mouth.
"I remember now. He was Charles's protégé." He nodded, as if he were confirming something to himself.
Then he turned to David. "David, as CEO, when it comes to big decisions about staff, especially those about veteran employees, you didn't even bother to check the facts.
"You believed whatever some young newcomer said, and now the company's suffered losses we can't even begin to count.
"You're not fit to be CEO anymore."
David's face went ghostly pale.
Richard's gaze shifted to Samuel. "Samuel, as HR Director, not only did you fail to protect our core talent, but you also became an accomplice in pushing out a key contributor, and you personally handed him that termination letter.
"You're not qualified to handle any HR work anymore."
Richard's voice stayed calm, but every word hammered down on their skulls like a death sentence. "From this moment on, you two are fired.
"Get out of my sight right now. The company's legal team will contact you to handle the aftermath.
"And so you know, forget about any severance package. For the damage your negligence caused, the company reserves the right to pursue legal action against you."
With that, he didn't spare them another glance, as if they were nothing but air.
David and Samuel slumped in utter defeat.
They never imagined their downfall would come so fast and so mercilessly.
Just a moment ago, they were big shots calling the shots, lording it over everyone.
They were kicked to the curb like stray dogs, left to face a mountain of compensation they could never pay off.
A few seconds later, David went crazy, crawling toward Richard. "Mr. Lane, I messed up. I really messed up. Please, give me one more chance. I've been loyal to the company for ten years. I'm begging you. Please."
Richard didn't even lift his eyes.
"Security," he called, flat and cold.
As soon as the words left his mouth, two bodyguards in black, who'd been waiting outside, stormed into the coffee shop.
They grabbed David, who was bawling his eyes out, and dragged him out like a dead dog, one on each side, not even bothering to be gentle.
Samuel, still slumped in his chair, was so terrified that he looked like he'd seen a ghost.
He scrambled to his feet, his face ashen, and bolted out of the coffee shop like the devil himself was on his heels.
Finally, the world was quiet again.