Chapter 3
Daniel's words rang out with authority.
Every word was like a spark, rekindling something inside me I thought was dead.
"An insult?"
I repeated the word under my breath, tasting the bitterness of it.
"That's right. It's an insult."
Daniel didn't hesitate for a second.
"I just shot your anonymized project highlights over to a few CTOs I know.
"One of them is CoreTech Dynamics, the company that tried to recruit you before."
The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped inside, still cradling my plant.
In that tight little space, the shiny metal walls showed my calm face staring right back at me.
"So, what did they say?" I asked.
"Their reaction?" Daniel let out a laugh.
"James Carter over at CoreTech Dynamics started cursing right there on the call.
"He said if someone could pull off the kind of optimization you did for the Skyline Platform, they'd hand over the Chief Architect position on the spot.
"Starting salary is 400 thousand dollars a year, and that's the floor."
Four hundred thousand dollars.
That number hit me like a bolt of lightning, shattering everything I'd believed about myself over the past five years.
I was making 3,300 dollars a month.
That came to forty thousand dollars a year.
It was a tenfold gap.
I always thought my abilities were only worth that much.
It turned out, it wasn't me who was undervalued, it was the company.
"And that's just CoreTech Dynamics."
Daniel's voice came through the phone, cool and in control, like he was already mapping out my next move.
"Pinnacle Group's Innovation Lab, GlobalTech's AI division, and a bunch of hot new unicorns, they're all scrambling to hire right now.
"They're hunting for people like you, core talent with real-world experience on big projects, someone whose skills have been proven in the market."
"Julia, it's not that you can't find a job.
"It's more like jobs are lining up, fighting for a chance to be picked by you."
My grip on the plant tightened a little.
The elevator reached the first floor.
I walked out of the elevator, and the afternoon sun hit me right in the eyes.
I squinted, catching sight of the massive Voyager Solutions logo at the entrance.
[Voyager Solutions.]
Such an energetic name, full of promise.
But all it ever gave me was suffocating pressure and betrayal.
"Mr. Mason, what should I do next?" I asked.
"It's simple," Daniel said.
"Go home, catch up on some sleep, and forget all those bad vibes from that crappy company.
"I'll polish up your resume and project portfolio, make them look world-class.
"By next Monday, I'll have at least three interviews set up for you.
"You just need to bring your A-game, chat tech with their CTOs, and let them hear your thoughts on the industry.
"Leave the rest to me."
His words made me feel genuinely at ease for the first time in forever.
This was what it felt like to be seen and treated as top-tier talent.
At Voyager Solutions, I'd been a replaceable part.
"Alright," I replied.
I said yes.
"Oh, and one more thing," Daniel suddenly added.
"What is it?" I asked.
Daniel said, "Whatever you do, don't let it slip that you got laid off.
"Especially not to anyone from Voyager Solutions."
"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"Because pretty soon, your stupid and ruthless Mr. Brooks is going to regret it," Daniel said, his voice carrying an icy edge.
"I'm going to make him pay the most painful price for his stupidity.
"I want the whole industry to know he let go of a three million dollar asset to save himself thirty thousand a month."
There was a cold, chilling undertone in Daniel's voice.
I understood what he meant.
This wasn't only my revenge.
It was a top headhunter making a public example of a company that didn't respect its people.
"I understand," I said.
I hung up and called a cab home.
When I got home, I set the plant out on the balcony.
Bathed in sunlight, its leaves glowed with life, looking more vibrant than ever.
Just like how I felt right now.
No more suffocating pressure, no more feeling wronged.
All I felt now was that rush, the sense that I was about to break out of my cage and start a whole new life.
I kicked off my heels and collapsed onto the soft couch.
I pulled out my phone and opened the Voyager Team Chat.
There were over three hundred people in there.
The chat was buzzing, and everybody was talking at once.
Emily from HR had just tagged everyone with a company-wide announcement.
Emily: [Announcement: Julia Evans, former Tech Lead, has resigned today for personal reasons. Thank you for your five years of dedication. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.]
Right after, a bunch of people chimed in with the usual "Good luck, Julia!" and other polite well-wishes.
Some coworkers I was close to reached out to me in private, asking if I was okay.
They wondered what happened and why I left so abruptly.
I didn't reply.
Because the real drama was about to kick off.
Victor, the guy who lifted me up, then tossed me aside.
He dropped a message in the group chat.
Victor: [It's a pity to see Julia leave, but for the company to grow, we need to keep injecting fresh blood.]
Victor: [I've got a big announcement for everyone.]
Victor: [We're about to bring in an industry superstar, someone who's going to take our tech department to the next level!]
Victor: [To show we're serious, the company is offering this new leader top-of-market pay and real decision-making power!]
Victor: [Get ready. This one is going to be big!]
He was grandstanding, sounding all passionate like he was delivering some big speech.
Like the company's future was all sunshine and rainbows.
The chat instantly blew up with flattery.
[Mr. Brooks, you're a genius.]
[Can't wait for the big shot to join.]
[Voyager Solutions is about to take off.]
I stared at all those bootlicking emojis.
Expressionless, I opened up the group settings.
Then I hit the "Leave Group" button.
And just like that, the world went quiet.