“No matter the past or the future, Clive is my brother. That’s not going to change!” Joanna was so furious that her usual icy composure completely fell apart, and her face flushed red.
“If you still want to stay in the Lewis family, apologize to Clive now!”
My cheek burned, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. "Apologize to him? Not a chance! Joanna, even setting personal feelings aside, are you being fair as a leader?
“For the past two years, I haven’t slept more than four hours a day just to close deals. I’ve been running between clients and production lines nonstop. The second an overseas client wasn’t satisfied, I’d get up in the middle of the night to revise proposals. Almost every month, I drank so much at business dinners that I ended up with stomach bleeding. I’ve had three critical condition notices issued.
“And by the end of the year, I brought in 30 million in sales, yet my bonus was only 250 dollars. Meanwhile, Clive sits in his office all day, enjoying the AC and sipping coffee, and his year-end bonus is 800,000 dollars.
“And you still want me to apologize to him? Tell me, on what grounds?!”
Joanna froze for a second, then grew even more embarrassed and angry. “Figures. You’re straight-up broke, and all you ever talk about is money. No class at all. Fine, I’ll pay you out of my own pocket. I’ll give you a 3,000-dollar bonus. That should satisfy you, right?!”
She spoke as though she were doing me a huge favor. I found it amusing.
“No need, Ms. Lewis. You should keep that three thousand and save it for the next sucker you hire. I quit!”
I picked up the box of files on my desk and was about to leave when Clive stepped in front of me.
“Lance, I know you’ve never liked me, but you shouldn’t let your emotions affect your work or lash out at my sister like that.
“Besides… Well, there’s something I didn’t want to bring up. I lost a Richard Mille watch today, and it just so happens that you were the only one who went into my office around that time…” he trailed off, looking hesitant and wronged.
“I know you’re unhappy with your bonus, so maybe you thought you’d help yourself to something from me. If it were any other watch, I’d let it go. But that one was a coming-of-age gift from my sister. It means a lot to me. I’ve always taken great care of it.
“I can give you money of equal value. I’m just asking you to return it, okay?”
He looked humble, but the way he smeared me was anything but subtle.
Watching him put on that act made me sick. “I was in your office for less than five minutes. I didn’t take anything. If you’re going to make things up, at least have some limits. Otherwise, I’ll sue you for defamation!”
Clive turned to Joanna. His eyes reddened, and his voice trembled. “Joanna, I’d like to believe Lance didn’t take it, but the security footage on my side shows evidence…”
“I said I didn’t—” Before I could finish, Joanna cut me off sharply.
“Enough! Guards! Search through his things!”
