Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Happy Birthday—Not

“Javier… Let’s get a divorce!” It was to be Javier Kersey’s 24th birthday tomorrow and this was what Selena Lewis was telling him tonight. Even though Selena had been picking fights up and down and digging out flaws in their relationship, it had never crossed Javier’s mind that he would be receiving a “special” gift like this on the night before he turned 24. Seated on the couch in the living room, Javier tried to salvage the relationship after a momentary lapse. “Selena, my birthday’s tomorrow and I wanted to give you a surprise, you know, a special present for—”“No need.” Selena waved dismissively before Javier could finish his sentence. “I can’t bear to see you work so hard—an office worker in the day and part-time food delivery man at night. A surprise gift bought using your hard work and sweat? I don’t need it. That’s too much on you, too exhausting.” Javier looked hopeful, his gaze brimming with delight when he looked up. “I don’t think it’s hard at all. Selena, for you, it’s all worth it. I don’t mind working even harder—”“But I mind it. I do. I mind it, do you understand?!” Selena finally broke down shouting. With a stomp of her foot, she cut Javier off once again. “I don’t want to be able to smell the stench of sweat on every single gift I receive from you! “I don’t want my coworkers rubbing it in my face, saying that the delivered meal they had last night was sent by my husband! “I don’t want to get into the cramped bus after work every day and have to avoid those perverts who try to grope me! “I don’t want to have to come home and cook every day! I hate the smell of grease and smoke! “I want an enchanting nightlife and romantic candlelight dinners. I want a luxury car that people are envious of. I want branded purses that my coworkers will be jealous of. Do you understand?!” Javier had not known. He had thought that all those could be compensated with hard work and diligence, at least until the crucial age of 24. He had not expected Selena to be disdainful about the sweat of his hard work and efforts—it reeked, according to her. Considering his feelings for the girl, however, Javier told her honestly, “I can give you all these tomorrow…” But Selena just sighed with a shake of the head. “I’m tired of this. I don’t want to hear your fantasies anymore. That’s all. We’ll get a divorce tomorrow.” Without allowing Javier a chance to speak, Selena went toward the bedroom, shut the door, and then locked it with a click. Javier looked toward the sweet wedding photo that hung on the wall, then at the bedroom door that was shut tight. He huffed as a wry smile spread across his face. His love, indulgence, hard work, and diligence was not able to contend with materialism after all. About half an hour of wallowing later, Javier got up to turn in for the night. As he was heading toward the guest bedroom, the bedroom door opened to reveal Selena’s ever-charming but disdainful face. Javier was hit with a dose of hope, thinking that the latter still cared about their relationship. However, at the moment, she tossed a small black box tied with a pink ribbon at his feet. It was a present Javier had left in the bedroom for Selena but it was currently being thrown out. Crouching to pick it up, Javier smiled bitterly for the last time. He made a final attempt to ask Selena, “Don’t you want to see what I’m gifting you?”“There’s no need. I don’t want to smell the stench of sweat ever again.” The click of the bedroom door being locked once more came after these words were spoken. He dragged himself toward the guest room and sat on the bed, holding onto the small box. He pulled out a cheap pack of cigarettes from his pocket, fished out a stick that looked the least crooked before pinching it straight, and lighting it. It burned. He thought the cigarette had tasted fine previously but now, it seemed to burn his throat—and his heart. After a few deep drags, he perched the cigarette between his lips before opening the small box that Selena had thrown out like trash. A silvery-white bank card made of metal and a cellphone that had never even graced the consumer market laid in the box lined with golden velvet. The cellphone looked cheap, like an imitation produced from old parts in a small workshop. It did not even have a logo. Despite that, it was an exclusive dual-system cellphone. Instead of the android interface that would usually show up when a finger was pressed against the screen, this phone showed another operating system—Kersey Global Intelligent OS (KGI)—once the retinal scans had passed. This was an exclusive Kersey-family operating system. Other than communicating, notifying, and scheduling internal meetings among the Kerseys, it could connect to the world’s top underground market networks. The Messer-Reid Currency Marketplace, for example, was the most basic application available. Lifting the customized cell phone to his face, Javier pointed the front camera at his left eye. With a beep, KGI was activated. The moment it started, realistic, colorful fireworks lit up the screen before the text ‘Congratulations, Javier Kersey. Happy Birthday!’ blinked in greeting. The man checked the time. It was 12:03 am. Javier snorted, a puff of cigarette smoke escaping his lips alongside a low growl, “Happy birthday. Not.” He stubbed out his cigarette, threw it away, and tapped the inbox icon. Various congratulatory messages spammed his inbox but he did not know 90% of the senders. They were all his family members related by blood but not all of them shared the same last name and many of them were very distant relatives. As for the messages, Javier did not have to read them to know that they must all be obsequious congratulations. The only message that he bothered to open was from Messer-Reid Currency Marketplace. [Congratulations, Mr. Javier Kersey. You’ve come of age. Your Messer account has been automatically activated. Current balance: $10,000,000.] Ten million dollars. This was a small gift from the Kerseys to all of its descendants when they came of age. The Kerseys considered their younglings to only be an adult at the age of 24. Before this, they would not receive any financial aid or benefit from the family. Those who left the family, especially those who went to gain experience in the outside world, would not get a single cent in support. Once they turned 24, however, aside from the one-time ten million dollar gift, they would receive a monthly bonus from businesses all over the world that the Kerseys were involved in. The monthly bonus was the real treat as direct descendants received an even bigger amount than those who were not. But none of that really mattered to Javier for now. The ten million dollars was enough to flip his current life around. Pocketing the phone, Javier retrieved the silvery-white Messer card made of pure palladium. There was a nice weight to it. The man had weighed it back when he was younger—60 grams, just about double a regular bank card’s weight. According to the market of the metal, the card itself would have cost over three thousand dollars, and that was excluding the speckles of diamonds embedded into the card holder’s name. Many oil tycoons in the middle east did not even know of the existence of such cards. It was not that they did not acknowledge Messer cards, they were simply unqualified to obtain them. They were not even worthy of finding out about the cards’ existence! Twirling the Messer card between his fingers, Javier stared at the wall, in the direction of the bedroom next door that Selena was in. He murmured to himself, “I’ve paved the way of extravagance for you yet you choose to go on your own path. Great…” His phone rang while he muttered to himself. His younger sister, Ciara Kersey, had called. “Javy, happy birthday! I’ll celebrate with you tomorrow and meet my sis-in-law too. I’ve bought her a present!”“Save it, Ciara. She and I are divorcing tomorrow… Why? Hah! Because she says I’m too poor,” Javier sighed. “What? She said that you’re poor? I’ll bury her alive with money tomorrow!” Javier’s self-deprecating chuckle was met with Ciara’s rage.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2 You’re a Nightmare

Javier and Selena went down from their apartment together around nine the next morning. While they were waiting for a cab by the road, Javier offered her a last chance. “Do you want to reconsider your decision?” Selena did not even spare him a glance. “No.” Right after her prompt decline, her phone rang inside her brand new purse. When she pulled it out, Javier saw that it was a new phone. Judging by the logo on the back, the cellphone was a collaboration model with Porsche. Selena glanced at the name on the screen and walked off to the side. As she picked up the call, her voice dripped with honey and sounded incredibly sweet. That honeyed voice had once belonged only to Javier, but it was now enjoyment for the man on the other end of the line. Since they were over, Javier did not comment as he flagged down a passing cab. Opening the car door, he gestured for Selena who had just ended her call to get in. From when they had known each other, he had always been a gentleman. And now, even though things were over between them, he still kept his gentlemanly ways. It had nothing to do with romance and love. It was just the way Javier had been brought up. However… Selena, arriving next to the open cab door, looked at him with a gaze laced with sympathy, disdain, and even a hint of mockery. She said to Javier, “See, when we got married last year, we went to register our marriage in a cab. This year, we’re getting a divorce and we’re still taking a cab. This is the reason for our divorce.” After Selena got in, Javier closed the door and took his seat in the passenger seat upfront. Other than telling the cab driver their destination, he said nothing else. The cab drove toward the state court in silence. When they walked up to the registration counter for the divorce, the staff gestured for Javier and Selena to take a seat and took them through the procedure. They asked straightforwardly, “How will your shared assets be split? Have you discussed it between yourselves?” Selena was quick to answer, “We have none. Our house is a rental and we don’t have a car. I can return the clothes, the makeup, and whatever else he had bought for me. What’s left in our bank account, no more than 100 dollars I think, I’ll leave it to him.” She sounded generous. If only she did not look like she was handing out charity. From the superior air she exuded and the impatience in her tone, it was clear that she wanted to get the divorce over and done with. The personnel asked some other questions for formality and confirmed the intention of splitting up from both parties, making certain that there was no other disagreement, before pressing the stamp on the divorce papers and passing them to Javier and Selena separately. Getting married had been quite a hassle, taking more or less half an hour. But getting a divorce was pretty quick. In fact, it took no more than five minutes. As they exited the lobby and came to stand side-to-side at the entrance of the state court, Javier took a deep breath and extended his right hand to Selena with a smile on his face. “Even though we’ve broken up, we’re still friends, right?” Selena tucked the divorce papers into her purse and tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ears but did not extend a hand beyond that. “Sorry, I think it’s better we don’t remain friends, because that’ll just remind me of the past I don’t want to look back on. Your presence in my life was a mistake. I only see it as a nightmare. Now that I’ve woken up from the nightmare today, I feel relieved.” Nightmare huh… That comment crushed any lingering hope Javier had of Selena in his mind. When he retracted his right hand, he noted the revving of an approaching engine and allowed his gaze to trail after the sound. A white, 2-door, sports Audi TT, came to a halt by the side of the road. As the door opened, a smiling man with a pockmarked face limped out of the car. Javier recognized the man. He was the 35-year-old finance director of his company named Terry Hamer. Terry had been involved in a car accident a few years back and it had caused his legs to be different lengths. His wife had passed away in the accident as well. As Terry stepped out of his car, he headed straight to Javier and engulfed the latter in a hug. He was acting unusually friendly and warm. Then, he grabbed Javier’s hand with a pleased smile on his face. “Javier, thank you for taking care of my wife this past year. Thank you so much! You didn’t really do a good job but don’t worry, from now on, I’ll take good care of Selena. I won’t allow her to squeeze herself onto the bus or make her cook anymore. I’ll do everything I can to give her the very best. I’ll provide a brand new, blissful life for her. Don’t you worry!” It did not sound anything like a thank-you. It was more of a gloating taunt. Javier ignored him and cast an inquisitive gaze toward Selena. He thought that she would at least go for someone who was younger, better looking, and richer than him. So it came as a surprise that Selena had found a man who she presumed was richer than him but could not even walk properly. “You did this because of him?” he asked her as he raised an eyebrow. Javier’s question left Selena flustered but she raised her voice in retaliation. “Yes! Because of Terry. Terry loves me and can provide me with a better life. I’m no fool. I can’t possibly leave a candlelight dinner to share a cold bowl of ramen—a stale one at that—with you!” Perhaps the woman could only cover up the materialism and shame she felt by raising her voice. Javier had nothing more to say but Terry was relentless. “Bro, you love Selena, don’t you? You did the right thing. A capable man, such as myself, needs to hang on tight; I hang on tight to the woman I want. Incapable men, such as yourself, need to let go; let go of the woman you’re incapable of taking care of.” Terry shuffled forward and patted Javier’s shoulder proudly. “You’ve made the right decision. Good job!” Swatting the man’s hand away, Javier looked at Selena again. “Your choice of man to replace me is very disappointing.” This sentence shot its way straight into Selena’s sore spot. Growing angry with frustration, she shouted furiously, “You have no right to call my boyfriend that! Who do you think you are?! He drives an Audi, what about you?! You only have your legs! He earns close to ten thousand dollars a month, what about you?! “You work in an office during the day and deliver food at night and you still can’t make more than a couple of hundred dollars. And who knows which countryside your parents are living in? You didn’t even want them to show up at our wedding. You were worried they’d expose their country-bumpkin ways and humiliate you, right?! “Who says my boyfriend is your replacement? Check yourself in the mirror and see what’s so good about you! You won’t even get the chance to place your behind into a genuine leather seat of an Audi in this lifetime. You’re condemned to be poor and to struggle your whole life!” After throwing that barrage of insults at Javier, Selena linked arms with Terry and sweetly called him darling just to annoy Javier. Terry grinned. “Selena, how could you say that he’s condemned to being poor all his life even though it’s the truth?” The way they mocked Javier back and forth truly sealed their sshole status. As the trashy couple made their way to the white Audi TT, the rumble of an engine could be heard from afar before a large SUV—a USSV Rhino GX—came skidding toward them. The vehicle did not even step on its brakes as it ran over the Audi TT that Selena was so proud of, crushing the luxury car into a cake of steel. The trunk and driver’s compartment were squashed, the windows smashed, and the tires blew out from the sudden overbearing weight. The suave sports car now looked more like a toad. A flattened toad. Terry and Selena who stood nearby felt like they had been struck by thunder. The USSV Rhino GX was an absolute tank of a vehicle: a large SUV around six meters in length and 3.5 tons in weight. With a 6.7-liter twin-turbo, this big boy was a steel beast priced at around 650 thousand dollars. After running over the car a few times, the Rhino GX finally got off the poor Audi TT that no longer looked like a car. The luxury SUV parked at the side of the road and switched off its engine, revealing a pair of slender legs in black tights as its driver-side door opened. A young woman with long hair hopped out of the monster of a vehicle, wearing sunglasses that covered a good half of her face. She wore a pale blue, off-shoulder dress that was detailed with a thin layer of black lace on the upper half of the garment. There were no shoulder straps in sight but the young woman’s curves made sure that the dress stayed on her person. Terry, who was furious at the bstard who had crushed his car, could not help but gulp as his eyes went wide the moment he saw the hot girl who stepped out of the SUV. Unfortunately for him, the girl with the sunglasses did not even glance at him. She instead sashayed up to Javier. As she reached him, she pulled off her sunglasses and revealed her pretty face. Despite not wearing any makeup, her skin was supple like a baby’s and her features were breathtaking. Her fair arms went around Javier’s neck in a hug as she puckered her plush lips for a kiss. Feeling the warm softness against him, Javier was speechless. “Ciara, you’re a big girl now. Can’t you watch how you behave?” Ciara, his younger half-sister with whom he shared the same father but was born to different mothers, did not care and pressed a kiss onto Javier’s cheek before she relented. She then walked up to Terry and Selena with an icy look on her face. “Selena Lewis, I recognize you. My brother sent me your wedding photos. But what the f*ck is up with the crater face next to you? “He’s the man who’s supposed to pick up after Javier? Your pillar of wealth? So you think my brother is poor and can’t bring you happiness? Do you think this man who drives a car worth a couple of tens of thousands of dollars is rich? “Hah! You silly, silly woman. I’ll let you know just what it means to be rich. I’ll make sure you understand what you’ve actually lost!”

Chapter 3 Chapter 3 You’re Really Something

Terry was intoxicated by Ciara’s beauty but once he heard what she had said, he was infuriated, especially after seeing his beloved car being squashed into a pancake. But before he could say anything, Ciara walked up to him with her long legs which were cladded in a pair of black tights. Stunned, Terry fell under the bewitching gaze of the lady’s eyes. It was as if they were sucking his soul away. When the girl reached him, she said threateningly with a grin on her face, “Keep staring and I’ll dig your eyes out, yeah?” She was smiling but Terry felt chills running down his spine and he unconsciously averted his gaze. No longer bothered with Terry, Ciara went to Selena and pinched the girl’s chin while raising her face like she was teasing the latter. After some scrutiny, Ciara giggled. Her gaze was mocking. “My brother said that you’re beautiful, inside and out, and married you despite our family’s protest. We offended the Soroys because of this and grandpa got so angry that he banned everyone from attending your wedding. My brother’s done so much for you and this is how you repay him?” Selena did not understand what Ciara was saying but she did not like the girl holding her chin. She reached out a hand to swat her away. Just as she raised her arm, Ciara had let go of her and landed a harsh slap on Selena’s face. “Who do you think you are? How many women could only dream of marrying into the Kerseys? But you didn’t appreciate it and complained that my brother is poor. On top of that, you hooked up with some other man when my brother only had eyes for you? Wow, you really are something!” Following that, Ciara pulled out the same cell phone that Javier had and made a call after she passed the retinal scan. “Mackenzie, come here right now. Come get rid of two pieces of trash for me. They’re at—” A large hand snatched Ciara’s phone away before she could finish her sentence. “Mackenzie, it’s me. It’s nothing, ignore Cici.” Hanging up, Javier glared wordlessly at Ciara and confiscated the custom cellphone. Ciara rolled her eyes and threw another slap onto Selena’s face without any forewarning. “My brother doesn’t have it in him to get petty with you but I’m not that nice. You don’t like my brother being poor, right? Okay, I’ll show you how poor he is!” Ciara marched toward the USSV Rhino GX, pulled out a box, and threw it toward Selena. In the box were at least a dozen luxury packages with their brand names and logos printed on their fronts—Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, and whatnot. Recognizing the brands was not a challenge to Selena who frequently browsed luxury brand websites. “Before last night, these were presents that I had prepared for you. They’re all custom-made orders, you won’t find these anywhere else in the world. But now, I ask you, Selena Lewis, do you think you will deserve them?” Crouching to shove the luxury goods to one side, Ciara rummaged through the box and pulled out bottle after bottle of luxury branded perfume. She tore open the packages, twisted the caps open, and poured all of the bottles of perfume, each worth one of Terry’s Audi TT, all over the box. She then pulled out a cigarette from her purse, lit it up, and threw the lighter right to the box. When the perfume met the flames of the lighter, sparks flew and a raging fire came to life within the box immediately. Selena was so shocked that she took several steps back. Ciara who caught Selena’s reaction scoffed, “Looks like you still have a sense of self-awareness and know that you’re unworthy.” With the cigarette between her fingers, Ciara climbed into the tank that she had driven here. Patting the car, she introduced it to Selena, “The latest Rhino GX. Its official starting price is 657 thousand dollars. Personalized and modified in USSV Cali, this baby was specifically flown in an exclusive jet in celebration of my brother coming of age. After all the modifications it has gone through, it’s worth at least 1.1 million dollars and it’s not for sale.” Hopping down from the car, Ciara walked up to Selena again. Ciara smirked as she asked, “Why, I also heard that you’ve tossed the gift my brother gave you. Do you even know what’s inside? That’s the reputable Messer card from Messer-Reid Currency Marketplace! “You don’t even know what a Messer card is, huh? I guess I don’t mind being patient and explaining it to you. It’s—”“Alright, alright. Ciara, let’s go!” Javier interrupted Ciara and tugged her hand to leave but the latter yanked her hand back and continued telling Selena with a grin on her face, “My brother’s stopping me from speaking but I still want to let you know what you’ve actually missed out on. Ten million dollars was banked into the Messer card at midnight yesterday and several more ten million dollars will roll in every month from now on. This is what my brother has and what you call poor?! “Selena, Selena, have you gone blind? That must be why you abandoned a fat cat like my brother, thinking he’s some stray and hooked yourself onto a little mouse?”

Chapter 4 Chapter 4 A Herd Of Rabbits

Ciara went back to Javier’s side after sneering at Selena. When she saw the man’s blank face, she stuck her tongue out at him and hugged him as a peace offering. She burrowed her head in Javier’s embrace and asked softly, “Javy, I was wrong, okay? Save me some pride, don’t scold me in front of outsiders…” Javier was honestly powerless against his younger sister. Ruffling her hair, he slung an arm around her shoulders, and together, they walked toward the Rhino GX. Selena had always thought that Javier did not know how to drive but it was today that she realized the man could drive and he could drive rather smoothly. With a step on the accelerator, Selena watched as the large tank sped off into the distance. For some time, she stood there stunned, her cheeks throbbing from the slaps she had received. Suddenly, she threw herself at Terry, who stood equally stunned beside her, and shook his shoulders fervently. “Terry, he was acting, right? He must’ve emptied his pockets to hire that pretty girl to act with him to try and trick me back to his side, right?” Terry who was bewildered before was struck with a sudden realization when he heard what Selena said. “That must be the case. I’ve never heard of whatever USS or whatever Rhino. Who knows? It could be some dodgy company trying to imitate luxury cars. And those paper bags too. They just have brand logos printed on them. Who knows if it’s all trash inside?” Selena clapped her hands together. “You’re right! Why else would she burn them so easily? They must all be fake. I’m always browsing the luxury brand sites and at first glance, I knew those bags were fake. She must’ve burned them because she’s worried I’d see through her con!” Both of them had been startled by Ciara’s words and actions earlier and now, as they muttered to themselves, they concluded that Ciara must be a paid actress. Otherwise, why was she his younger sister and not his girlfriend? Pretty girls like her would never have eyes for peasants like Javier! Thinking that she was sharp enough to see through Javier’s little trick, Selena was secretly relieved. Fortunately, She had managed to hold herself back just now and was not tricked by their performance. God knew how much she wanted to throw herself at Javier, with full-on tears of remorse streaming down her face. Hugging Terry’s arm, she was currently very pleased with herself. It was like Selena could already see her wonderful life driving an Audi and carrying a Gucci. But Terry’s feathers were still all in a ruffle. His beloved car had been crushed into an immobile pancake. On the other hand in the Rhino GX, Javier had his hands on the steering wheel while Ciara sat in the passenger seat. She kicked off her heels and propped up her long legs which were wrapped in black tights on the dashboard in a sexy display. Glancing at Ciara who was becoming increasingly prettier as the years went by, Javier was slightly, indescribably troubled. He could only put on a poker face and nag, “Ciara, put your legs down. Behave yourself!” With a reluctant “okay”, Ciara withdrew her long legs and put her heels back on. She did not think much about it and continued to ask, “Javier, we’ll be celebrating your birthday, yeah? The Kerseys will hold a large-scale coming of age ceremony for you since you’re the direct descendent but that’s only going to be three months from now. I’ll celebrate it with you today, and to commemorate your new life too.” Javier was not in the mood but since his sister had specially made her way here and looked ever so hopeful, he could only agree to it. Ciara waved her hands excitedly at Javier’s assent. “Yes! I’m going to f*cking throw you a big *ss party tonight!” Javier turned to glare at Ciara and the girl covered her mouth immediately. “Nothing, you heard nothing. I said I’ll be throwing you a big merry party tonight!” Arriving at Javier’s company building, Ciara drove off with the SUV while Javier went in to resign from his job. He worked in the same company as Selena and Terry, but with what had just happened, he did not want to stay in the same office any longer. Moreover, the ten million dollars in his Messer card was enough for him to decide that he did not bury his nose into his computer anymore. Just as Javier stepped into the office, his coworker Sean Johnson walked up to him. “Hey Javier, didn’t you take the day off today? Why are you in the office? You wouldn’t be…” With a sudden glint in his eyes, Sean made sure to raise his voice as he asked, “You wouldn’t be coming to the office just before lunch break so you could grab yourself some takeout and save a few dollars on lunch, right? That’d be silly of you. You’re in food delivery. You could’ve just stolen a few bites from the meals you deliver!” Sean’s words stirred a bout of laughter from their coworkers. Not many people in the office had a good impression of Javier because they were ashamed to be acquainted with a delivery man. Some of their clients were often found asking curiously, “Are you guys a food delivery company? Why else would you recruit a delivery man?” All of them thought that being a delivery man was a step down from their status. They were office workers. How offensive was it that they had to work with a lower-class being. Hence, all of them were happy to throw in a barbed remark or two when it came to Javier, wishing they could alienate and drive him away. Well, their wish was coming true today. Javier went to clear out his desk. Even then, Sean was relentless. “Oh, Javier, are you quitting? Are you making big money delivering food?” He then turned to their coworkers and said, “Guys, look. What did I say before? It’s definitely far more tiring and smellier to work as a food delivery man but he must be making good money. See! Javier’s quitting! He’s running for a place in the Forbes ranking!” It was a joke to say that a delivery person was striving to get ranked in the Forbes list, so everyone guffawed. A handful of them even waved as they laughed and mocked, “Mr. Kersey, Mr. Kersey, don’t forget me in the future. Give me an electronic bike or something so I can follow your steps into the Forbes list of the region!” And with another joke cracked, laughter rang out through the entire office, making the place sound so merry like the company was distributing year-end bonuses in advance. Javier scanned the faces surrounding him, none of them close to him despite the two years they had all spent working together, and said nothing. He was more like a lion lazing on the ground as he watched the naive rabbits prance and hop around in delight. Was he angry? Not at all. He was not bothered to stoop so low as to bare his canines at a herd of rabbits. Calmly and silently, he packed up his things and was ready to leave. “Javier, you lowlife, f*cking say something when so many of us are speaking to you. What kind of act are you trying to put on? Did your parents die when you were a child? Did no one teach you any manners?” Sean thought that Javier was a pushover. The latter was about to leave anyway so Sean did not care about offending him and jabbed harder. “Haha, this guy must have been dumped on the side of the street. His parents must have had years deducted from their lives from raising this guy,” someone quipped to rub in the humiliation. When the group of vulgar people mocked Javier for being rude, the man’s expression hardened instantly. He did not want to get petty with these guys but if they started dragging his parents into this, he would not take that lying down. He was not planning to put up with the ragging anymore. He wanted these idiots to know that a price had to be paid for insulting his parents.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The Lion Rises

They then suddenly heard a folder being slammed against a glass door. The sound was not loud but it immediately quieted the commotion. The noise was followed by the appearance of a woman in a white, short-sleeved, business suit and skirt holding onto a folder. As she walked in, she chided, “Are all of you so free? Good chat huh? All right then, I’ll be withholding your pay for this morning except for Javier’s. We can use that money to organize a tea party next time, so you all can chat as you snack!” It was Jade Odell, a 27-year-old with a pretty face and a rocking body. The tight-fitting business suit somehow looked sexy on her. Nonetheless, no one dared to try anything funny with her because she was the general manager of their company, Beacon Tires. Upon being criticized, the employees promptly ducked their heads and swallowed back the indignation they felt no matter how resentful they were. The most they could do was grumble in their mind, ‘This is all that lowlife Javier’s fault!’ Jade’s gaze raked through everyone and finally landed on Javier who was still packing up. She rapped the glass door with the folder in her hand once again and said, “Javier, come to my office.” As the situation stood, Javier wanted to go to the woman to put in his resignation as well, so he dropped what he was doing and followed her to her office. As he walked into the jasmine-scented room, Jade gestured for Javier to sit and picked up a glass to fetch him some water. The water dispenser was a little low so the woman had to bend over a little to fill up the glass, causing the back of her skirt to stretch over her perky bottom. Javier fought back his wandering thoughts as he accepted the glass of water from Jade with a curt thanks when she sauntered over to him. Taking a sip, he heard the woman’s question from the opposite of the desk. “You’re going to quit?” Javier put the glass down and nodded at the woman who was sitting in the large swivel chair. He had been packing his personal items earlier. It was no surprise that Jade guessed that he intended to quit. But Javier also guessed that Jade must have misunderstood that he was quitting because he could not take the taunts from his coworkers any longer. “My resignation has nothing to do with my coworkers, I—”“I understand,” Jade nodded and cut him off before he could finish with his explanation. “They’ve crossed the line with what they’ve said to you. But I hope you understand something, Javier. You live for yourself. Don’t mind what others think of you. If you care about what others say too much, you’ll become one of them in order to blend in.” Javier was surprised. He did not expect his usually aloof and pretty boss to be talking about this with him today. He was grateful and he acknowledged what Jade said but he was not resigning from his job because of the herd of rabbits out there. He was about to speak up to try to explain himself again but Jade beat him to it. “I know that you and Selena are married and that you work very hard. Working in the office during the day and sending food delivery during the night. They don’t appreciate people like you, but as your boss, I do. “I like your determination and effort, as well as your commendable sales in the company. So before you formally put in your resignation, I have made a decision that I want to tell you about first. I’ve decided to promote you to the position of Director of the Planning Department, with a monthly salary starting from 1,100 dollars. “The position will keep you up over time and drain your brainpower, so it’s only for those with great ambition and tenacity. I don’t think there’s anyone in the company who fits the post better than you, so I hope that you can stay and produce even better results in this important position. “It’ll elevate your individual skill set and allow you to leave the delivery gig to concentrate on your job and unleash your full potential. Most importantly, you could use this to silence your coworkers out there, don’t you agree?” The slight quirk on the corner of Jade’s lips reflected her confidence. She was convinced that her persuasion would definitely make Javier stay and even move him emotionally! To her disappointment, the man’s reply burst her air of confidence with a loud bang. “Thank you for the offer, Ms. Odell. But I only have one goal in mind coming to the office today, and that is to quit.” Jade was puzzled. She believed in her own judgment. There should not be any reason for Javier to reject her. She was about to pursue the matter when her phone rang. She picked up to check who was calling and got up to answer the call by the window. Javier could not hear what the caller said but he heard Jade loud and clear. “Mr. Warnock, you can’t play me like this. I’ve checked with you on multiple occasions before this and you promised to invest. I’ve poured everything I have and now you’re telling me this? It’s not quite appropriate, don’t you think so? “Yes, we didn’t sign a contract but isn’t this based on the trust we’ve established from our previous collaboration? Now that you’re saying you don’t want to invest? This is unacceptable. “Mr. Warnock, you… Hello? Hello? Mr. Warnock? B*stard!” With a loud thud, Jade’s phone met the floor and the screen cracked. The next instant, Jade who had recovered from her fury quickly went to pick up the device. She tapped the screen to light it up and tried scrolling before heaving a long relieved sigh. “Thank goodness, it’s just the screen protector that cracked.” She was not concerned about the phone breaking as much as the fact that she would not be able to contact Albert Warnock if that happened. As she stood up to leave, Jade instructed Javier who was in the office, “Don’t go yet. Wait for me, I’ll be back.” As he watched the woman leave in a hurry, Javier’s mind began to turn. He had heard about the matter. Their company was starting a new project and was lacking funds, so Jade had gotten Albert to invest in it. The man had promised rather swiftly but glossed over the contract and made Jade put in her money during the early phase based on the trust they had built from previous collaborations. Now that things had come to a critical juncture, Javier realized that Albert must have had an ulterior motive to back out so suddenly. Javier did not have to think hard about the motive. It was either for Jade’s money or her beauty—or both. He contemplated and decided to give Jade a hand. It was not just because the woman had offered him a word of encouragement today, it was also because she was capable and strong-willed. A few hundred thousand dollars was nothing to Javier anyway. Javier ran after Jade, hoping to stop her, but the woman had already stepped into the elevator and was heading down the building when he got to the door. By the time he got to the ground floor, Jade would probably have already driven several kilometers away, so he went back to wait in her office. When Javier returned to the office, an angry mob came at him. “Javier, not bad… You got on the boss’ good side and caused all of us to have our salaries deducted. We were just joking. Did you have to go after us so relentlessly?”“Exactly! We’ve been coworkers for almost two years now. Where did the rapport go? If I were to spend two years with a dog, it would at least wag at me when it sees me—you’re less than a dog!”“Whatever. Javier, you need to reimburse me for this morning’s pay cut. Try to get yourself out of it and you can try my fists!”“Javier Kersey, you piece of trash. I’m ashamed on behalf of your parents!” Rabbit after rabbit pranced in front of him as they berated him selfishly and dragged his parents into the insult once again. They finally provoked the lion enough to rise. Javier was now determined to invest in the company and he would make sure that he was the major shareholder. And when that time came, oh, he could not wait to see if another rabbit would dare provoke him.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6 A Blame Game

Javier stayed behind in the office, waiting for Jade to return and to become the company’s biggest shareholder. But before Jade had returned, Selena and Terry walked in first. Once Selena stepped into the office, Sean went up to her all huff. “Just in time, Selena. Pay us back on behalf of Javier. That scum snitched on us to the boss and pointed the finger at us when we were just cracking a harmless joke. Now, we have to take a half-day pay cut because of him. You should be responsible for this! Give us back the money!” Selena was stunned from being shouted at the moment she stepped in. It took her a while before she understood the entire situation from her noisy harping coworkers and her blood boiled. They were already divorced but the impoverished man was still embarrassing her! She yanked open her purse, pulled out her divorce papers, and raised them up high so everyone could see them. “Look here, okay?! I’ve gotten a divorce from Javier and this is the cert. From this today forward, I have nothing to do with him!” The clamorous office area gradually quieted after Selena pulled out her divorce papers. No one was expecting this turn of events. Sean took the papers and scanned through them. “They’re really divorced. It was this morning…” Stuffing the papers back into her purse, Selena looked aggrieved with tears streaming down her face. “You guys come after me for a half-day pay cut. Who should I go to with my grievances? During the year I was married to Javier, I’ve never had any enjoyment and I had put up with your taunts and mockery because of his embarrassing part-time job. Who am I to complain to? “Earlier, right after our divorce, he pulled a trick on me. He hired a woman and rented a stupid imitation car to put up an act, claiming that he has ten million dollars and that the car costs several hundred thousand dollars. He even burned a bunch of fake bags telling me that they’re luxury goods. “Who am I to tell all my grievances to? Have you thought about my feelings? You’re only taking a half-day pay cut but what about me? It’s my marriage and my happiness!” A woman’s tears were a powerful weapon—the prettier the woman, the more lethal the weapon. The coworkers had wanted to ask Selena to compensate them but once they heard her tearful confession, they were filled with indignation once more. Even though they clearly saw the woman coming in with her arms linked through Terry’s, none of that stopped them from turning a blind eye and targeting their hostility toward Javier. Sean, especially, rushed up and pointed a furious finger at Javier’s nose. He spat, “Javier Kersey, you scum! You’re good for nothing, you piece of trash! “It was such a waste for Selena to be with you before this. Talk about putting a flower on a toad. Never mind that you can’t appreciate her, how dare you try to be sly during your divorce? Hiring an actress and claiming to have ten million dollars? Why don’t you go ahead and claim that Bill Gates is your father?” It was not just Sean. The other coworkers joined in as well, hurling an insult or two, ragging on Javier with all their might. It was as if the man had committed a heinous sin that warranted him to be shot to death. Javier slowly scanned the rotten group and his gaze landed on Terry’s pockmarked face that was currently pulled into a gloating grin. “You choose to overlook the fact that Selena betrayed me and cheated on me with Terry? Just because he’s the finance director, you decide to join Sean’s groveling *ss and rag on me?” Javier’s questioning was a jab straight to everyone’s sore spot and they became even more livid and their insults intensified. It was as if the louder they shouted and the more vehement they sounded, the more it proved that they were on the side of justice. Then, Terry raised a hand and everyone shut their mouth. The man limped to Javier and pushed himself so close to Javier that he could reach his ear. With a smirk on his face, he said in a low voice, “That’s right. What you said is absolutely correct. Sean’s my lackey and I’m the one who asked him to instigate the derision against you. I wanted to take Selena away from you. I wanted you to end up with a divorce, delivery trash. “You should’ve had a bit more self-awareness and realize that you don’t deserve a beautiful woman. You’re not worthy! “What? Are you angry now? Frustrated, aren’t you? Want to beat me up? Come on, hit me!” Terry gloated, a proud and insolent look on his face. After the mockery by Javier’s ear, he took half a step back and raised his voice to berate Javier. “Javier Kersey, I’m not done with you about my car. That Audi TT of mine is a second highest spec car costing over tens of thousands dollars! I don’t care if you’re selling your kidneys or your heart, pay me for the loss. Otherwise, I’ll report it to the police and sue you for property damage!” Sean turned to Selena and asked what this was about. When she told them the story of Terry’s car being crushed, it brought on another wave of ragging and berating that nearly drowned Javier in the sea of flying drools. A few minutes passed when suddenly, someone shouted, “Ms. Odell’s back!” This prompted everyone to shut up and hurry back to their desks. They quickly pretended to be hard at work. “Just wait to go behind bars if you don’t repay me! Scum!” Terry retreated into his office after leaving Javier with the threat while Selena did not spare her ex-husband even a glance throughout the entire ordeal. She was feeling a little guilty. She knew better than anyone her true goal of getting together with Terry and she knew that Javier was innocent of all the accusations against him today. She was well aware that the man had spent all the money he had made on her. It did not stop her from playing the blame game earlier though. She comforted herself in her mind, ‘Selena, you deserve a better life. Javier Kersey is trash, he’s a lowlife. He doesn’t deserve you. What is happening to him is exactly what he deserves!‘ Looking at Selena, Terry, Sean, and everyone else’s response, Javier chuckled to him. It was a huff of anger. He originally had no intention of getting even with these silly rabbits but they were getting too full of themselves. If they were not taught a lesson, they would forget their place! A while later, Jade got back to the office and headed for her room. Javier got up to follow her. When he passed Sean, the latter laughed at him like he was teasing a fool, “What now? Going to tell on us?” Javier’s attack was sudden and abrupt. He held onto Sean’s head and slammed it down on the table with a bang, making the latter’s nose bleed profusely. “Bootlicker, you should start thinking about how you’ll beg me for mercy and start preparing your speech. You’ll be needing it!” Javier walked straight into Jade’s office, leaving the other coworkers stunned in his wake. Wait…was this still the doormat Javier whom they could bully and push around without him ever fighting back? They suddenly felt that Javier seemed quite different today. As the person who was the most familiar with the man in the entire office, Selena felt it even more. Javier had indeed changed. If Javier had been a piece of rusty steel prior to this, he had currently gotten rid of the layer of rust and revealed himself to be a sharp, glinting blade—one that was truly lethal!

Chapter 7 Chapter 7 This Isn't Appropriate

Jade stood in front of the window of her office, shaking in anger as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill over her red-rimmed eyes. She was livid. Albert Warnock dared to blackmail her into that kind… that kind of relationship?! Jade would never agree to something like that. She was running an enterprise, she was not selling herself! At the same time, she blamed herself for not being experienced enough and for falling into such a despicable trap. Despite that, after wallowing in self-regret, she still had to face the current predicament she was in… For the later stages of production, she was short of 950 thousand dollars. How was she going to fill the gap? Would she have to watch this tire company go bankrupt? As Jade furrowed her brows in misery, someone knocked on her door and entered the office. She wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand and took a deep breath to calm herself, trying to conceal as much of her inner turmoil as possible. When she turned around and saw that it was Javier, she put up an air of nonchalance and asked with a smile, “What do you think? Have you decided, Mr. Kersey?” Javier did not reply to her question. Noticing the tears that still clung to her lashes, he instead grabbed a piece of tissue off the table and handed them to her. Jade was taken off guard for a moment before she gingerly accepted the tissue and patted her eyes dry. Watching Jade act tough despite being caught in a difficult situation, Javier felt some unknown emotion stir within him. He offered her some comforting words. “It’s not easy being a female entrepreneur, more so a pretty one. It’s not just your rival’s traps over business profits you have to look out for, you need to be careful of sexual exploitation as well. Ms. Odell, you should give yourself a pat on the back for surviving till this day.” Tossing the tissue into the trash can, Jade muttered under her breath, “Like you would know everything.” Javier shook his head. “I don’t. But I could more or less guess what had happened and your red eyes just confirmed it for me.” A self-deprecating smile appeared on Jade’s pretty face. “Even you saw it, but I didn’t. What kind of boss am I?”“You can’t put yourself down like that. You were just blinded by the promise of profits,” Javier answered. Jade nodded. What Javier said made sense. It affirmed the judgment she had made of Javier in her mind. Even then, she looked up and questioned the man, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Javier asked back without any hesitation, “Why should I?” The curt retort made Jade pause. Well, he was not wrong. Why should he poke his nose into her business affairs and advise her when she did not pay him to do so? After a brief pause, she continued to question, “Then, why are you comforting me now?” Javier took a seat in front of Jade and toyed with his phone. As the phone twirled in his hand, he told the woman, “I’m not just comforting you. I want my business partner to learn from the lesson and grow wiser. In the future, keep an eye open and don’t fall into the same trap.”“Business…partner?” Jade only wanted to promote Javier to the position of Director of the Planning Department; that meant an increase in salary without any intention of allocating him any company shares. Javier did not even look up as he continued telling Jade, “I’ve made the estimation for you. 950 thousand dollars will allow you to complete the project, barely. With 1.1 million dollars, you could finish it easily. But in order to perfect it, you’ll need at least another 300 thousand dollars on top of that for marketing and publicity.” Jade was stunned. She had only ever considered these digits in her mind and had never brought it up to anyone before. How did Javier know? As she was taken back in surprise, Javier finally peeled his eyes off the screen of his phone and asked seriously, “I’ll invest 1.5 million dollars and take over 51% of the company share. Would you agree to this, Ms. Odell?” Jade sprang up to her feet in shock. “Is this a joke? Javier, have you lost your mind? Do you think 1.5 million dollars is just some number you scribble on paper? That’s 15 thousand 100-dollar bills! 15 thousand, Javier!” Javier’s brows knitted together. “Yes, it’s only 15 thousand 100-dollar bills. The stacks of bills won’t even be enough to fill up your office. Why?” His nonchalance infuriated Jade. She thought that this was too much of a brag. “Only 15 thousand 100-dollar bills? Okay, I’d like to ask how many of those 100-dollar bills have you earned from working in this office and delivering food during the night?” Javier finally understood. He must have unintentionally sounded dismissive of the 1.5 million dollars and triggered Jade who was worried sick about money right now. It was not like he did it on purpose though. Back when he was a child, he had once piled up the house with stacks of 100-dollar bills when he had been bored and had used over 120 stacks of them to fill up a small porch. But he gave up soon after, it was far too tiring. That 120 wads of bills? It was not much at all… Straightening up, Javier told Jade sincerely, “Ms. Odell, believe me. I’m not pulling your leg. Honestly, I can transfer the 1.5 million dollars to you but I’m serious about my request as well. 1.5 million dollars in exchange for 51% of the company. Deal?” Jade let out an exasperated sigh and plopped back down onto her swivel chair. She really had not expected this. She had thought that Javier to be rather decent and capable so his bragging and blatant lying took her by complete surprise. What was she thinking, trying to make Javier the Planning Department Director. Thank goodness the promotion had not gone through. Otherwise, the whole company might have gone to Loony Town with him as well! As she fumed in silence, Javier asked again, “Ms. Odell, do you agree to the deal?” With a loud slam of the desk, Jade lashed out, “You’re quite persistent with your lie, aren’t you?!” Exasperated, Javier could only repeat himself with what he hoped was absolute sincerity, “Ms. Odell, I’m not joking with you. This is serious business!”“Okay, alright. Serious business, you say?” The woman turned on her computer and pulled up the investment contract she had prepared for Albert Warnock. She revised a couple of the terms and hit print. The printer on the side squeaked continuously until it had coughed up the complete contract. Grabbing a pen, Jade was swift and unhesitant as she signed her name on the contract before tossing it to Javier. “Here, a 1.5 million dollar investment in exchange for 51% of the company shares. I even added an extra term for you—if you can fulfill the contract today, I, Jade Odell, will be yours! “Go ahead, sign it. You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? Okay, I agree with your terms. It’s a deal then! Sign the contract!” Javier was stunned. The sum and shares were fine but… “Ms. Odell, this isn’t appropriate, is it?” The corner of Jade’s lips tugged into a sneer. “Nothing right or wrong. I’ll have you know, I’m also still a virgin. So that’s a big bonus for you. Hurry up! Sign your name then transfer the money to the company account. Then we can leave and complete the deal. Go on!” Hearing Jade’s explicit choice of words, Javier stayed silent. With a flick of the wrist, he signed his name on the contract as well. He then picked up his phone and, following the account number printed on the contract, deposited the 1.5 million dollars into the company’s bank account. Watching Javier’s act, Jade found it too much effort to even scoff at him. Despite that, the man who was seated opposite of her had the cheek to tell her, “Check the company account.”“Fine, I’ll do that now. Let’s see how much of a con you are, Javier.” With a click and a clack, Jade’s fingers flew across the keyboard furiously. Jade logged on to the company bank account. After keying in her credentials and hitting enter, she looked up and mocked Javier, “Hold onto your horses, I’ll be with you very soon!” She did not skip a beat as she said that but the instant she looked back at her computer screen, her eyes grew wide in disbelief. The six zeros lining up after the numbers one and five made it very clear that it was indeed 1.5 million dollars. Her gaze traveled to the name of the sender—Javier Kersey!

Chapter 8 Chapter 8 The “Scandal” in the Office

Jade’s pretty face froze in shock. Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed that Javier was actually serious and would transfer 1.5 million dollars to the company account. It took her a good ten seconds before she came back to reality and asked in disbelief, her eyes wide open in shock, “Where did you get so much money?!”“The wind blew them to me; the rain showered them on me; they grew out of the pot plants too…” He rambled off some nonsense then tapped the index finger of his right hand on the additional clause printed on the contract. Javier continued, “There are actually many ways I can get the money but, right now, I think we should focus on another topic, shouldn’t we?” Looking at where Javier’s finger was pointed, Jade immediately understood what he meant. A delicious pink flushed over her fair cheeks as a look of embarrassment appeared on her face. Now, she felt that her actions earlier had been too hasty. She should have let Javier brag all he wanted just now. Why the heck had she been so foolish to add such a ridiculous term? Now, look at what has happened! She shot herself in the foot with her own gun! She had just dug her own grave and jumped into it! Jade looked down awkwardly and kept her eyes on the additional clause in the contract. She stammered in a voice barely above a whisper, “J-Javier…”“Hmm, what’s the matter, Ms. Odell?” Javier feigned confusion and asked with a face of pure curiosity. Mortified, she choked out, “W-what I added just now wasn’t appropriate...” She felt as horrible as her stutter. “If Javier Kersey deposits the agreed-upon sum of 1.5 million dollars to the designated account stated in the contract within 24 hours in full, I, Jade Odell, shall be his girlfriend and will not pursue any legal action against anything that may happen thereafter. Signed, Jade Odell.” Reciting the additional term on purpose, Javier asked with a smile, “Ms. Odell, do you mean this additional clause?” The woman who was red in the cheeks nodded in embarrassment. “Yes, that one.” Javier made an “oh” sound. “It’s okay. The day is still early. The sun hasn’t even set yet. There’s no hurry.” This only served to redden Jade’s cheeks even further. What did he mean there was no hurry? He made it sound as if she was the one eager to do that thing with him. “I didn’t mean it that way. I mean, can we forget about the additional term?”“Of course…not!” As the both of them were discussing this in Jade’s office, Terry stood at the company entrance, looking very much like a dog wagging its tail at its owner. The person he was fawning over was Zack Dilley, the heir to a local automotive seat manufacturer. Zack had met Jade last year at an annual year-end party for automotive suppliers. He had been captivated by the woman’s beauty and voluptuous figure and had spent a good half a year pursuing her. It was just that…Jade was not interested. The man was sadly in for unreciprocated love. When he arrived at Zack’s side, Terry bowed slightly in an obsequious manner, like a minion ready to serve his master. “Mr. Dilley, I’ve done what you’ve asked. Jade’s investment has been cut and it’s the perfect opportunity for you to save the damsel in distress!” Zack wore a pleased grin as he patted Terry’s pockmarked face. “Not bad, not bad. Your limp and pockmarks are kind of off-putting but you’re rather resourceful. Alright, send me your bank account number after this. I’ll transfer the payment to you.”“Thank you, Mr. Dilley. Thank you!” Even though Zack had insulted his looks, that did not stop Terry from thanking the man profusely. In his head, Terry rejoiced at the thought of the eight thousand dollars he was about to receive. After that, Terry silently guided Zack to the general manager’s office. Just as he was about to knock on the door and announce Zack’s arrival, they heard Jade and Javier’s voices coming from inside. There was a whiny hint to Jade’s voice, “We’re in the office! If the others were to see us, it wouldn't look good!” Javier sounded indifferent, “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. No one will see us.”“I’ll take it off myself!” Jade’s voice said in a shy voice. “It’s all right. I’ll take it off for you.” Javier replied insistently. This short snippet of conversation caused Terry’s hand to pause in midair as a dark look overcame Zack’s face. With gritted teeth and his jaw clenched tightly, Zack questioned with a glare, “Who’s that man inside?”“J-Javier Kersey, a lowlife in the office,” Terry answered in shock. Before he could make any further introductions, the pair in the office spoke up again. Jade was heard whimpering, “Ah! Go softer.”“It’ll be fine,” Javier coaxed gently. Without another word, Zack kicked the office door open as Terry gloated and cheered inwardly. For getting it on with Jade right in front of Zack, the man would at least rip that piece of trash a new one if not kill him. Javier was definitely a goner this time! “Trying to take what’s mine? Go to hell!” To make sure that Javier suffered, Terry did all he could. Once Zack kicked the door open, Terry immediately shouted, “Javier Kersey, you b*stard! How dare you lay a finger on Mr. Dilley’s woman? Who do you think Dr. Dilley is?!” Right after him, Zack’s voice boomed in the office. “Jade, how could you sleep with another man? You…disappoint…me?” His exclamation had started loud and indignant but the last few words came out in an unconvincing squeak as they left Zack’s lips. The reason? It was simple. Zack saw Javier kneeling by Jade’s feet and massaging the woman’s ankle. A glittery silver high-heel shoe had been tossed casually onto the floor. From the looks of it, Jade had probably sprained her ankle. The reality that lay before their eyes was evidence that what happened in the office was nothing as Zack and Terry had imagined. The two men were flabbergasted. As they stood frozen by the door, they looked dumb and dumber. Jade, who was seated in her chair, flushed a red so deep that it looked like her cheeks were about to drip blood. The next second, a fire grew in the pupils of her eyes as she questioned incredulously, “Terry Hamer, who are you calling Zack’s woman?!”“And you, Zack Dilley! Coming to my office and accusing me of such nonsense! What’s the meaning of this?!”

Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Mr. Dilley and His Money

Jade’s furious questioning caused Zack and Terry to stammer. They did not know how to answer her. Despite that, Jade could not lash too harshly as Zack had once pulled some strings behind the scenes and landed her some sizable contracts. That was how the office fell into an awkward silence for the next half a minute. Wanting to put a stop to the awkward situation, Terry spoke up and suggested, “It’s almost noon now. Let’s have lunch together and we can discuss the issue about the investment.” This suggestion was met with approving nods from Zack and Jade as they wanted out from the bubble of awkwardness, but Javier caught a crucial point in what Terry had said. “Ms. Odell has just found out about the issue with the company’s investor. Terry Hamer, how did you know?”“Huh?!” Terry had not even noticed his slip of the tongue and started panicking at Javier’s unexpected question. He put on a tough front and raised his voice to question the man back instead of explaining himself, “What gives a lowly employee like you the right to question me?!” At this outburst, Jade recovered from the awkwardness and cast a serious look at the man. “Terry, Javier is now—”“I’m now the vice general manager because I managed to pull in some funding for the company. Ms. Odell has promoted me based on this merit.” Jade was slightly taken aback, not understanding why Javier had chosen to lie. But after a few moments of contemplation, she figured it out. She had overheard her employees arguing earlier and was aware that Javier and Selena had gotten a divorce this morning. The 1.5 million dollars that Javier had invested into the company must have been part of his premarital asset so if he were exposed, he would have to give half of it to Selena. He must be hiding this fact because he was reluctant to share 750 thousand dollars with her! Considering that Selena was not innocent either, Jade quietly went with Javier’s statement. She then told Terry, “That’s correct. Javier is the vice general manager now. He’s not lying. As for you, Mr. Hamer, I’d really like to know how you found out about the investment issue!” Javier being suddenly promoted to vice general manager was a hard pill for Terry to swallow. Faced with Jade’s interrogation, he explained halfheartedly, “I overheard you guys talking in the office just now.” The answer made Jade and Javier exchange a look but both of them decided to not question it. Terry went silent as well, afraid that he would slip up the more he talked. Zack took the opportunity to divert the topic. “Let’s go for lunch. I haven’t had breakfast this morning and I’m starving.” Jade got up, agreeing to Zack’s prompt and as if believing Terry’s explanation. It made the latter sigh in relief but he secretly cussed Javier out in his mind for nearly exposing him. He looked at the man with a chuckle. “Mr. Kersey, congratulations on being promoted to vice general manager. I think you won’t be able to escape buying lunch today. Don’t try to run away now. We’d all love to share in your delight.” Javier immediately saw through Terry’s plan. The man must be trying to embarrass him again by forcing him to pay for lunch with money Terry assumed he did not have. Too bad though, Terry was going to find out that bullying him will prove much more difficult than before. He was about to reply when someone else next to him spoke up. “So what if he’s been promoted to vice general manager? Did you think just anyone could pay for this lunch? One has to be qualified to do so. Today will be my treat!” Zack acted like he was the richest one in the room and walked out the door proudly without giving the others a chance to speak up. Javier glanced at Jade’s sprained foot while the latter shook her head to tell him that it was fine. He then told her that he did not wish to go, but upon Jade’s insistence, he relented and went along with them. … They decided to have lunch at the most luxurious hotel in town—Duxom Hotel. All the patrons of this hotel were either affluent or influential. It was said that obtaining a membership to this hotel required at least 15 thousand dollars and the restaurant declined any non-members. Zack looked as proud as a peacock as they were seated at a table in a lavishly decorated room. “Go on, order whatever you like. No need to feel bad for my pocket. To be frank, this is nothing to me!” Right after Zack said that the cogs in Terry’s mind turned quickly and he suggested, “Mr. Dilley, Mr. Kersey has just been promoted. Why don’t we give him some face and let him order the dishes? Besides, he’s never been anywhere this classy before. Just look at it as fulfilling his wish of becoming a wealthy man and allow him order.” Zack understood the meaning behind Terry’s words. Terry was trying to set Javier up! Viewing Javier as an obstacle—pulling in investments and spoiling his plans when he had purposely created an opportunity to save the damsel in distress—he waved generously. “Sure. Let’s give Mr. Kersey the chance to feel like a rich man then. Go ahead, Mr. Kersey!” A female server stood to the side, an iPad in her hand and a smile on her face, waiting for Javier to make the order. Zack and Terry watched with a snicker, waiting for Javier to embarrass himself. No menu had been given to them. They watched and waited to see how the man who had never been here before was going to order. It would be hilarious if the pauper only ordered salad and lettuce! Jade, noticing the situation, spoke up, “I have a few dishes I would really like to have. Let me order them!” She was mindful of her words, careful to eliminate the embarrassment factor and not letting anything slip so that it wouldn’t cost Javier his pride. Javier appreciated the kind gesture but he did not think making a lunch order would hurt his pride. “Allow me, see if what I order fits your taste, Ms. Odell.” Terry could not help but be amused when he heard Javier’s insistent words and him declining Jade’s attempt to save him. What an idiot! Could he not tell that Jade was trying to salvage the situation and he was foolishly insistent on making the order himself! Zack was sneering as well, waiting for Javier to humiliate himself. As for the man in question, he turned to their server with a smile on his face. “Hi, we’d like to have some sake-steamed abalone and scallops, four pax; white escargot caviar over white truffles, four pax; foie gras pate drizzled with a cherry gastrique, four pax; lobster and avocado french toast, four pax; some Coffin Bay King Oysters on the side…” The mocking smirks that Zack and Terry had been wearing slid off their face and were replaced by looks of shock when they heard the dishes Javier had ordered. The dishes he had just ordered were at least 200 dollars per portion and Javier was still going, ordering a whopping total of eight dishes which summed up to about six to eight thousand dollars! And Javier was still ordering! Terry panicked. He had dug the trap for Javier but it seemed like he had thrown himself in it instead! “Javier, are you a glutton? Can you really finish all those dishes?” Javier turned to look at the man and asked innocently, “Didn’t you say not to feel bad for your pocket just now and say that nothing was too much for you? Why? Is this too much, Mr. Dilley?”“Bullsh*t! I have all the money in the world, nothing’s too much! Go on, keep ordering!” There, see, Javier liked dumb*sses like him who felt like they were the richest man in the world when they only had a dime or two in their pocket. He went on to order another four more items—nothing expensive, they were only about 1,500 dollars. After that, Jade quickly stopped Javier. Otherwise, he would probably end up ordering all of the most expensive dishes the restaurant had to offer. Zack calculated in his head. That was already eight to ten thousand dollars out of his pocket and they had not even ordered wine yet! He was instantly disgruntled. He had planned to spend around 1,500 dollars just to show off to Jade but their lunch ended up being as expensive as a regular sedan. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. The plan was to make Javier look like an idiot but he was the idiot that got tricked in the end. Looking at Terry who had a meek and embarrassed look on his face, Zack felt his rage come to a boiling point. If Terry had not suggested this, he would not have suffered such a loss! He spoke up, “Right, Mr. Hamer, I heard that you’ve got a girlfriend and you’re getting married soon? That’s great news! I think you’re the only one qualified to buy lunch today, so I shall step out of the way and stop hogging the limelight. Congratulations, by the way!” Terry had done nothing but stay seated on his chair and seemingly out of nowhere, the bill landed on his head. Terry was flabbergasted.

Chapter 10 Chapter 10 It’s Nothing at All

Just two sentences from Zack and a bill costing eight to ten thousand dollars hit Terry in the face. He dared not reject the man because Zack had yet to send him the eight thousand dollars he had promised him for sabotaging the investment. Even if Terry was fuming internally, he could only plaster on a smile. “Of course, thank you, thank you…” When the dishes were served, Terry was irked by Javier’s presence. Who knew where the latter had scouted the names of these dishes from and put up such an act, causing him to lose so much money. The more he thought about it, the more disgruntled he grew, so he spoke up with a fake grin, “Mr. Kersey, you must’ve had a hard time in the past, working in the office during the day and sending food delivery during the night. I bet you’ve never tried these delicacies before. Have more of them. Who knows if you’ll ever get another chance.” Javier ignored him, like how he had ignored the cutlery on the table, but Terry did not stop there. “Don’t worry, help yourself. I won’t ask you to foot the bill. Not everyone’s like you, you know? So poor that your pocket is emptier than a beggar’s bowl. I’m not like that. I can still afford to buy a meal for you. It feels like giving charity. “There was once, I took some burgers out to the streets and these stray dogs kept barking since they were starving, so I did some charity and fed them those burgers.” Terry was not planning on stopping his stream of abuse but Jade interrupted him, “Mr. Hamer, the dishes are quite decent. Please, try them.” Terry scowled but kept his mouth shut after Jade’s intervention. After that, however, he still made occasional indirect remarks that were targeted at Javier. The latter said not a word in retaliation and was instead focused on his cellphone, which seemed like a rude thing to do during lunch, but Javier was actually scrolling through the black market app in the exclusive OS on his phone. Illegal items were not the only things for sale in the black market. There were services as well, including finance hackers which Javier currently required. As lunch went on, the fact that Javier busied himself on his phone without taking a single bite displeased Zack greatly, especially because he was still resentful about Javier’s expensive orders that had ended up backfiring on him. Although he had transferred the grievance to Terry, he was still miffed. Unable to help himself, he slammed his cutlery on the table. “Javier Kersey, who are you trying to show your scowl to? No one owes you anything here!” Terry, that groveling ss, was quick to side with Zack despite just being ripped off by him, and made another jab at Javier. “Sigh, don’t remind him, Mr. Dilley. I owe him. He’s taken care of my wife for years, and he did it well too.” Zack was momentarily stunned before his face lit up with delight. “I heard that you snatched your current chick from someone but I didn’t expect it to be him! “I see, that’s understandable now. Look at your sour and sullen face… “Alright, I allow you to keep wearing that ugly look on your face. Keep it on, you look quite good with it, haha!” After the mocking laugh, Zack continued telling, “Seriously though, Mr. Kersey, we men can be without anything but not money. You can be healthy, yes, but being poor is a debilitating condition! If you’re too poor, that’s not just a condition, it’s a crime. And if this crime were to be penalized… Well, let’s just say you’d be shot seven times. Hahaha!” Zack seemed to get a kick out of taunting Javier as he was about to speak up after guffawing but Jade cut him off. “Terry, you’ve stepped over the line.” Although Jade had said Terry’s name, everyone at the table knew whom her words were meant for. When Zack turned to Jade, he had put on an entirely different expression, beaming brighter than the sun. “Aww, Jade, don’t get mad. I’m just joking with him. No need to be so serious.” He then looked at Javier. “No offense, yeah. It’s a joke. If I wish to kick a dog, I have to check who its owner is, right?” Javier, who had not even spared Zack a proper glance, finally focused his gaze on the man’s sneering face. “Zack Dilley, you having fun ribbing me huh? Just because of those pricey orders I made? Do you feel bad over a handful of pretty pennies? “Man, you shouldn’t have to feel that way. Mr. Dilley and his money, right? It wouldn’t make sense if you’re feeling the pinch. “It’s just a simple meal and look at how miserable you’re acting. That’s very ‘successful’ of you!” Being poked in his sore spot in front of Jade served to charge Zack’s rage and embarrassment. He slammed a fist on the table and sent his cutlery flying. “Bullsht! I’m upset over money? That’s the funniest joke in the world, ever!” Zack waved for their attending server immediately. “Go, get your POS machine here. I’m reloading 1,500 dollars to the member card. Let’s show this peasant what a rich man is!” Javier leaned back in his chair and smirked. “You deny it when I say you’re butthurt over the dimes and want to reload a mere 1,500 dollars? Stop embarrassing yourself and turning yourself into a joke for the staff.” Zack was shaking in anger as he pointed a shaking finger at Javier. “You sound smug, don’t you? Fine, you think 1,500 dollars is too little? You reload an amount you deem suitable then. I’ll double however much you’re reloading—even the same amount would be an offense to me. Go on!” Zack was officially at loggerheads with Javier and Jade could not help but be worried for the latter. She had asked him when he was massaging her ankle earlier and he said that he had won 2 million dollars in the lottery. After the 22% tax deduction, he was only left with 1.6 million dollars. After the investment he had made this morning, he was now left with 60 thousand dollars. He could barely win Zack with…a mere 60 thousand dollars, right? Jade gave Javier’s leg a light kick under the table with her high heels to warn him but the man dismissed her with a smile. Opposite of them, Zack was ready for a showdown, his spirit high and burning. “Come on! Do it if you’re a man! Do the reload if you dare or get your *ss out of here!” Javier gave Zack no reply and turned to smile at the server. “Hi, please bring your card machine here. I’d like to sign up to be a member.”“Tch, mindlessly bold huh!” Zack patted Terry’s head and chuckled. “Make sure to keep your eyes open and watch how he shoots himself in the foot later!” Terry promptly responded with a servile grin, “Of course. You’re so rich, Mr. Dilley. Anyone who dares challenge you is seeking their doom!” Every line of their back and forth served to mock Javier and both men seemed to revel in doing so. Javier could care less about them, swiping his card when the server brought over the machine and a new member card. “30 thousand dollars, please.”“How much?!” Zack asked in surprise before the server had even confirmed it with Javier. He realized that things were unlike what Terry had told him on the way to the hotel. Terry had said that Javier could not even produce three thousand dollars as he was penniless. That was exactly why he dared to bluff about going double however much Javier decided to put in the membership card. Now that the bluff was too much and he could not just bullsh*t his way out of it, he could only retrieve his bank card in feigned generosity. “Only this much? What a waste of effort. Here, 60 thousand dollars!” The beeping of the payment terminal as it printed out the receipt sounded like the erratic beat of Zack’s heart which was bleeding inwardly. While it was true that his family had four to six million dollars, there were all fixed assets. It was not like the family factory had been sold off and was cashed into his card. The 60 thousand dollars he was swiping on his card had been obtained through insistent pleading and whining, squeezed out of his old man’s hands in the name of buying a car. Well, look at what had just happened. The receipt came out easily with a few beeps but his Audi A8 was turning into an Audi A4. And he still acted nonchalant and proud! “It’s only 60 thousand dollars. This is nothing at all to me, like a drop in the ocean!” A drop in the ocean, huh… That would be the best. Javier was going to test the water today. Let’s see how deep Zack’s ocean was!

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Not a Very Deep Ocean

After Zack had finished gloating, he glanced at Jade in hopes of seeing an impressed or admiring gaze. Unfortunately for him, Jade’s head was turned toward the window and she was paying him no mind. Zack decided to speak up some more and attract the woman’s attention. “60 thousand dollars isn’t much to me actually. This sum is like a drop—”“Another 30 thousand dollars,” Javier cut in and told the server, not even giving Zack even an inch of opportunity to brag. The words “in the ocean” died in Zack’s throat as a bewildered look overcame him. Again? Where had the man got another 30 thousand dollars from? Zack's head snapped in Terry’s direction with a questioning gaze. The latter was on pins and needles. He had no idea either! He heard from Selena that Javier was close to being penniless yet the man was somehow pulling out 30 thousand dollars left and right… With a loud clap, Terry thought that he had figured out where the money had come from and whispered into Zack’s ear, “Mr. Dilley, I saw him being intimate with a woman this morning. He claimed that she’s his younger sister but now thinking back, he’s most likely her toy boy. “Being a gigolo doesn’t bring that much, 60 thousand dollars should be the limit. I’m sure this is Javier’s last run!” Fueled by the boat he had made in front of Jade and bolstered by Terry’s confident guarantee, Zack allowed his bank card to be swiped once more. His Audi would just have to become a Suzuki, that was fine. “Okay, okay. Another 60 thousand dollars then. Your dawdling is really boring to me. 30 thousand dollars once, 30 thousand dollars twice...with the way you’re going about this, God knows how long will it be before you finish all the money on my card.” Look at him shooting his mouth off! It was as if Zack had billions in his bank card. Javier did not care to give him a reply. Once Zack had swiped another 60 thousand dollars on the payment terminal machine, lazily and languidly, he pushed the man’s button again. “Here, another 30 thousand dollars.”“You’re reloading again?!” Zack exploded instantly and he turned to stare at Terry, his eyes shooting daggers at the cowering man. Terry felt wronged. He thought that his guess had been rather accurate. Who knew how Javier could afford another 30 thousand dollars? Suddenly, a possibility struck him and he told Zack softly, “Go on. I think he’s bluffing this time.” Realizing the same thing, Zack urged the server to charge Javier’s card. But the reality was that…no one was bluffing here. The machine beeped as it coughed out yet another receipt. When the third receipt from Javier was placed on the table, Zack was stunned. The charged amount was printed on the three receipts, clear as day: 30 thousand dollars each. Zack only had two receipts with him, 60 thousand dollars each. He wanted to produce a third one as well, but he had no more money! He had only managed to squeeze his old man for 150 thousand dollars. Even if he added on whatever he could scrape together by himself, he could not possibly produce a third receipt which required another 60 thousand dollars. Javier finally spoke up, “Mr. Dilley, it hasn’t been very long yet. Is it possible that you’ve spent all the money on your card already?” The jab to his sore spot enraged Zack. “Bullsh*t! All I have is money, more than you could ever see in your life. This sum is just a drop in the ocean for me!” Javier knocked on the payment terminal machine placed on the table. “I won’t argue with you. Pay up if you have the money, shut up if you don’t.” Zack was infuriated. He had never been this insulted in his entire life but he did not know what else he could do. The remaining balance in his card stopped him from taking this farce any further. He turned to look at Terry, gesturing at the man via a hooked finger behind his back. He was asking for Terry to foot the next 60 thousand. While Terry had some money saved throughout the years, he had recently bought a house and a car and was not very liquid at the moment… “Ha!” After half a minute of silence, Javier scoffed at Zack and turned toward Jade, turning his back on Zack. “Ms. Odell, please excuse me. I still have some things to attend to. Please collect the reloaded card on my behalf. You may keep it for company use. “Oh yeah, and don’t pay for today’s lunch. I’m not about to steal the limelight from Mr. Hamer.” Javier would much rather grab a cheap burger from a fast-food chain restaurant than sit down to lunch with Terry and Zack. A drop in the ocean? That was not many drops at all! Three times and the ocean was already emptied. It was total bullsh*t! Zack only yelled in retaliation when he saw Javier turn the corner at the end of the walkway, “Don’t leave if you dare! I have the money. Let’s swipe our cards again! I’ll suffocate you with all my money, you piece of trash!” The hotel server reminded him with a smile, “Sir, Mr. Kersey has left but if you need to speak to him, I can inform the lobby and have the front desk relay your message to him.” Well, this was awkward. Zack was only yelling to salvage whatever was left of his pride. He had not expected the server to be so naive. On top of that, the server was not just saying it. She picked up the walkie-talkie pinned to the back of her hips and brought it up to her lips. “Lobby, lobby, we’re—”“Hey! Hey, there’s no need. No need to relay anything.” Zack quickly stopped the server and turned to Jade with a shameless grin. “He’s your worker after all. I ought to save you some face!” Jade nodded with a courteous smile. “Thank you, Mr. Dilley. I have something to attend to as well, so I’ll be taking my leave now.” The moment Jade turned to leave, the smile on her face vanished and was replaced by a look of complete disdain. How much money a person had never mattered to Jade, but people who loved to bluff and exaggerate about the depths of their pockets put her off her appetite. This sole reason alone was enough for Jade to never give Zack a chance! After Jade left, Terry tried to excuse himself as well but Zack was not letting him off the hook so easily. Instead, Zack dismissed the server and closed the door to their room. Zack then grabbed a chair and stalked over to Terry. “Terry Hamer, good job there putting me on the spot and telling me that Kersey only has 60 thousand dollars. Wonderful job!” Terry inched his way into the corner and finally stammered out an explanation when he had nowhere left to go. “Mr. Dilley, Mr. Dilley, listen. I really saw him this morning— “Ah! Don’t hit me, no! Ow!” After lunch, Jade called for a management meeting at work to announce Javier's promotion to the position of vice general manager. Those in attendance were Jade, Javier, the HR manager, the heads of the various departments, and the finance director, Terry. The man’s head had been wrapped up. The bandages covered over his right eye, while his exposed left eye was bruised and swollen. After Jade made the announcement, the others clapped in congratulations for Javier’s promotion. The applause was deafening despite the unknown extent of sincerity. Terry was the only one who did not even lift a finger. His exposed and swollen eye dripped with resentment. If it had not been for Javier, Zack would not have beaten him up so violently. That man had broken three, solid wooden chairs in the process. And the most infuriating part? As he was gingerly stepping up into the ambulance that had come to pick him up, the hotel staff had gone after him and requested that he settle the bill first! After a few more communal announcements, Jade was about to signal for the end of the meeting when Terry suddenly stood up and boomed, “Ms. Odell, I want to request a raise!” He then went on to list his contributions to the company over the years, talking about how hard he worked, offering his current state of insisting to stay on and work despite having his head bandaged as proof. He whined and tried his best to garner the pity of his audience. Finally, he threw out an ultimatum. If he was not given a raise, he would resign. As the company was in need of workers at the moment, Jade had to accept the man’s threat despite how irritated she felt. She reluctantly agreed to Terry’s request. Terry still was not satisfied. He pushed further and requested remunerations that matched the vice general manager’s. Jade was ticked off. She slowly scanned the rest of the people in the meeting room. “What do the rest of you think?” No one dared to meet her eyes as she swept her gaze across the room. They either stared at the ceiling or under the table. Some even covered their eyes with their hands. It seemed that everyone wanted a boost in their salary and payment package, given the chance. This made Jade’s blood boil. There was an entire room of people but no one was taking her side. “I disagree!” As disappointment and even despair filled her, Javier spoke up. It felt like a torch in the dark.

Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Ruthless Mr. Kersey

Javier’s promotion to the position of vice general manager ruffled Terry’s feathers. It prompted him to snatch the opportunity and show off his hard work and accomplishments, even requesting an increment and better benefits in the process. He believed that everyone at the table shared his sentiment, so he felt that he would definitely have their support. Reality proved that he was right but he had not expected Javier to step up in the final moment and voice out his disagreement. “What right do you have to disagree? You got promoted to vice GM with that meager investment you managed to pull in based on your sh*tty luck. Did you hear us say anything about that? “Ask everyone here today. Which of us hasn’t worked diligently all these years? Which of us hasn’t put in hard work and the merits to show for it? The total contributions from any one of us are greater than yours! “And you want to voice a disagreement? Did you even ask if we agree with you becoming the vice GM?!” Terry’s words brought with it a chorus of assent from the other executives present. The calm of the meeting room broke as people began complaining about their displeasures aloud and joined the side that asked for increments and better benefits. Jade repeatedly asked for them to quiet down but even as general manager, she could not suppress the collective fervor Terry had instigated because everyone wanted to look out for their own. The meeting turned into a denouncing rally and things got out of hand. Javier scanned the group and finally landed on Terry. The latter’s gaze glowed with victory and even a hint of a challenge. It was as if he was telling Javier, “Let’s see if Jade eliminates you to appease everyone, or gives us all a raise!” Terry’s farcical, silly taunt of a trick made Javier scoff and stand up. He strode toward the printer in the corner of the meeting room and connected his cellphone to the machine. After a few swipes, he had printed out a small stack of documents. As everyone continued arguing their case, he distributed said stack of papers. Everyone except for Terry received a set of documents. This caused the man to be taken aback as he had no idea what Javier had printed. What was even more shocking was that anyone who was done browsing the document clamped their mouth shut and proceeded to remain seated in silence. It did not take long before the meeting room fell into a state of pin-drop silence. “What are you guys rea—”“Terry Hamer!” With a slam of the table, Jade sprang up, not giving Terry a chance to finish his question. Enraged and shaking, she pointed a finger at him. “I trusted you and this is how you treat me and the company?!” Alarmed, Terry snatched the document from the person beside him. As his eyes scanned the document, he felt his legs giving out from the panic that was starting to rise once he realized what was written in it. The embezzlement of company funds he had been involved in, bribes and commissions he had accepted, the accounting numbers that he had manipulated, and whatnot were recorded in detail on the document before him. All of it was real, including some older entries that even the perpetrator himself had forgotten. Terry had kept all of this information to himself and had never mentioned a word to anyone before. How did Javier manage to find them? “Hamer, what else do you have to say for yourself?!” Terry, who was inwardly panicking, forced himself to maintain his composure and cried loudly in defense of his innocence despite Jade’s shout. “This is slander! Someone’s framing me! I’ve toiled for years in this company, making many contributions, if not accomplishments. My conscience is clear, you can’t humiliate and defame me like this!” Javier was not in the mood to fight Terry’s vehement denial, so he turned to Jade and said, “Ms. Odell, please call the police. Who knows, the police might actually find Mr. Hamer innocent.” Jade nodded and picked up her phone to do just that. At his wit’s end, Terry tried to run toward Jade but got tripped by the leg of a chair and fell to the floor. As he heard the sound of numbers being dialed, he wailed, “Don’t call the police! Don’t call the police!” The man was fearful. He did not want to be put behind bars. Staying on the floor, he begged for mercy, “Ms. Odell, Ms. Odell, I’m in the wrong. I admit it. I got greedy and it blinded me. I’m sorry, I’ve disappointed you, I’ve broken your trust. I’m guilty toward the company. I’m scum, I’m worthless. Please… Please don’t call the police…” Jade shook with fury. It had never crossed her mind that her company was keeping such a rotten apple. “Enough! Keep whatever you have to say for the police!” Hearing that Jade insisted on calling the police, Terry scrambled to his knees. He pleaded and begged tearfully, even bringing up a sob story about his limp in an attempt to score pity points. As he got on his knees, he was indeed a pitiful sight. Jade’s heart softened and she put down her phone. She decided not to call the police. Instead, she told Terry to put the money he had embezzled back into the company account and leave. “Oh, and bring Sean Johnson, your accomplice, out of this company as well!”“Yes, of course, yes. Thank you, Ms. Odell, thank you.” Terry scurried out of the meeting room as quickly as he could. Javier was not bothered to watch the man leave. Instead, he turned to look at those who were still in the meeting room. “Ms. Odell won’t allow me to put everything up here but that doesn’t mean that I have no proof. A sincere word of advice to you guys, get a clear conscience, and do your job as you should. The company won’t mistreat you, your reward will go up with the results you produce. “But if you try to execute any nefarious plan you may have in your head… Well then… Ha!” The last word came out as more of a scoff that sounded so grating to the ears that it put everyone on pins and needles. When Jade finally dismissed them, they all left the meeting room like they were fleeing for their lives. After Javier had used Terry to set a precedent, it was obvious that they were all afraid of the man. As someone at the management level, no one dared to say that they had no hidden dirt. What happened today had truly alarmed them, making them realize that their new vice general manager, Mr. Kersey, was ruthless! After the others had scrambled off, Javier was about to leave the meeting room as well but Jade stopped him. “Javier, hold on for a minute. I’d like to talk to you.” At the same time, Sean stood outside the meeting room in the common area, boasting to his coworker. “I knew about Javier’s promotion to being vice general manager right after lunch. Don’t worry. He won’t last. Who knows, maybe he’ll even be sacked today? We have Mr. Hamer, y’know. He is Beacon Tires’ head of finance. Do you think that Ms. Odell would dare offend him? Hah! “Let me tell you. There’s no use bootlicking anyone else in the office. You gotta be like me, just pander to Mr. Hamer.” As he spoke, Terry walked up to Sean and said, “Let’s go!”“Sure!” Sean tossed a preening gaze to his coworker and got up to follow Terry. “Where to, Mr. Hamer?” Terry ignored him and kept marching ahead with a glower on his face. But since his face was mostly covered in bandages, Sean did not realize the ugly mood the man was in. Eager to know where they were headed, Sean kept repeatedly asking Terry where they were going. Annoyed by the constant questions, Terry turned to growl at the man, “We’ve both just been fired! We have to get out of the office right now. Are you happy?” Sean was astounded. He was just bragging to his coworker about how wonderful it was to follow Terry and now they were fired? Snapping back to reality, he continued to ask Terry why but the man paid no attention to him. When they reached the company entrance, Terry pulled out his phone to call Zack. After some pleading humbly and servilely for a few minutes, he got himself a new job and would be starting immediately at Zack’s company. As he thanked the man repeatedly, Sean kept poking Terry’s chest to remind him, “Me, me. What about me?” Once Terry hung up, he shoved Sean away. “F*ck off! P*ss of wherever you want!” Sean froze from shock. After a few moments, Selena exited the building and came after Terry. The man left with an arm around the woman. He had lost his job, but lucky for him, he still had a beauty in his arm. As they walked away, Selena asked, “Was Javier…really promoted to vice general manager?”