I knew the artifacts upstairs didn't matter to me anymore.
I'd placed them there to suppress and stabilize the company's fortune. But the moment I left, those same artifacts would stop suppressing anything. Instead, they'd begin draining the company's luck like a siphon.
For the Hensons, it would only accelerate their ruin.
My original plan had been simple: even after getting fired, I'd retrieve what was mine. Old Mr. Henson had treated me decently enough back in the day, and I figured I owed him that much consideration.
But Toby wouldn't let me take them.
Since he'd made that clear, I had nothing left to worry about.
Still, before I left, I turned to him. "Mr. Henson, I've been terminated."
"I'll need you to provide me with a formal dismissal letter."
Before Toby could even respond, Abigail whipped out a termination letter and flung it at me.
"Already done."
"Celine, hurry up and leave. It's come to this and you're still trying to leech off company resources?"
I smiled, took the letter, and walked out without another word.
That same day, I called my mentor.
I told Mentor Elara everything about Toby firing me.
She sighed. "I owed old man Henson a favor. That's why, when he asked you to go stabilize the Henson family's fortune, I couldn't refuse."
"If the Hensons don't want you there, then come home."
She hung up after that.
I knew she was angry. She'd been reluctant to send me to the Hensons' company as their good-luck charm in the first place. She never expected them to not only take me for granted, but to fire me on top of it.
After the call, I started getting ready to head home. People might have thought I'd been doing nothing at the company all these years, but I'd never taken a single day off. I knew that as long as I was there, the company would run smoothly.
Now that they didn't need me anymore, I was free to go wherever I wanted.
I booked a flight to a scenic resort town. I planned to leave that very day.
I'd just finished packing and was heading for the door when I saw Abigail standing outside my apartment with a few people in tow.
"Celine! I knew you'd still be here."
She stared at me, her expression ice-cold. "I just found out this apartment was rented for you by the company."
"You're not an employee anymore."
"You need to move out. Now."
The look on her face was pure disgust.
I heard her out, then smiled.
"Sure."
"I was just leaving, actually."
"If the company's paying for this apartment, I don't want it."
I tossed the apartment key into her hand.
"There. Key's returned. I'll be on my way."
I turned to leave.
But before I could take a step, Abigail grabbed my arm.
Her eyes locked onto my suitcase. "Celine, I suspect there are things in that suitcase that don't belong to you."
"You can leave, fine. But not before I've inspected everything."
Her voice was sharp and cold.
I froze for a second, then spoke evenly. "Abigail, everything in here is mine."
"You have no right to search it."
"Besides, this is my home. What could I possibly be taking?"
