After I was Laid Off, My Boss Regretted It

"Do you really want to kick me out? Are you sure you won't regret it?"

"You are nobody but just a lowly screw worker, why do you think you are indispensable to the company?"

At the welcome party of this new leader who had parachuted in, I had interrupted his passionate speech.

Hence, he held a grudge against me and found fault with me all the time.

After plotting for two months, he finally succeeded in forcing me to resign, on the grounds of my continuous absenteeism.

Later, my phone was ringing off the hook just because he tried to beg me to identify critical hidden dangers by checking out the data to ensure the safety of the chief who came to inspect.

——

Skin peeled in the burning summer sun.

My fieldwork colleagues and I returned to the office with sunburned faces.

Other members of the engineering department all stood up and applauded us.

It was all because the small team I led had found that the hidden danger in a road we had accurately located and drilled to verify this morning was a three-meter-deep hole.

Due to the heavy traffic on this stretch of road, there would be an immeasurable dangerous accident if the ground collapsed, so several chiefs in the region were alarmed.

To maximize the publicity for our company, the publicity department had immediately arranged for a live interview.

During the interview, I had given a detailed introduction to the possible causes of the problem and had provided some solutions, so the regional chiefs had praised me and our company's professional competence.

My young apprentice Sean stood in front of the air conditioner and lifted his clothes to fan himself.

He said with a smug grin, "The regional chiefs were all alarmed by the problem of the road and personally went to check it out. They highly praised our work and my mentor's capabilities."

I threw a bottle of mineral water to Sean and glanced at the office next door, signaling him to shut up.

The beam froze on his lips. He pouted and swayed back to his seat.

The next second, the door of the general manager's office next door opened. Will Wood, my immediate superior who had been parachuted in two months ago, walked out.

I reported to him with my computer.

"Mr. Wood, there have been many hidden dangers on Shuff Road in the Southern District due to the hurricane and the accumulated water. The problem we located this morning is only the biggest one I have found so far..."

Unexpectedly, Will interrupted me with a cold laugh.

"Engineer Lee, you don't need to participate in the subsequent inspection of Shuff Road. Go through the resignation procedures in the HR department now."

I was startled.

Almost everyone in the engineering department opened their eyes wide at the same time and fixed their gazes on me.

Sean sprang from his seat and rushed to me.

"Mr. Wood, my mentor has made great contributions to the company's success today. We don't accept her dismissal you unreasonably launch. Besides, no other one in the entire company can interpret data as accurately as she. Our future work will undoubtedly be greatly affected by her absence."

"Your work will only be affected in a good way. If you don't accept it, just leave with her!"

Will looked so serious that he didn't seem to be joking. Hearing what he said, other colleagues in the department could only remain silent with angry faces.

I gestured for Sean to stop him from speaking up for me and turned to stare at Will.

"Is it the company, or is it you, Mr. Wood, who wants to fire me?"

"I represent the company. Any decision I make is for our company's better development."

"For what reason?"

Will revealed a complacent look.

"I've checked your work logs over the years and found you didn't punch in for work for at least 12 working days among 22 working days per month. I have every reason to suspect that fieldwork is just an excuse for your absenteeism."

"What a joke! As a member of the fieldwork team, should I stay in the cool office and promise pie in the sky in meetings instead of working outdoors?"

Maybe Will had never thought that I, who had always been a dutiful subordinate, would be so sarcastic toward him, so he was speechless for a while.

In the early years, the punch machine meant nothing to the field team in the imperfect system of the company because of the team's unstable working time. We always left the office early and returned late, and working overtime until late at night was common. We could hardly punch in and out on time, so the company acquiesced in our omission of this procedure.

I lived quite far from the company, and thus sometimes I would go directly from home to the site for emergency missions to save time.

I would report it to the HR department in advance every time. The work log pictures uploaded every day could also prove it for me.

However, a week ago, the company's group chat for uploading work logs had suddenly been disbanded.

Right at this time, the HR manager, who had always been respectful to me, handed me a dismissal contract with a cold face.

She said with provocation, "Janice Lee, sign this agreement, and we part ways amicably."

I was so angry that I uttered a snorting laugh. So she had been waiting for me here. I couldn't help thinking, "Do they think I'm a meek pushover?"