June stormed up to me in a few quick strides and slapped the phone right out of my hand.
Smack!
My phone hit the floor, its screen instantly cracking into a spiderweb pattern.
"Summer, don't push your luck!"
She grabbed my collar and yanked it up forcefully.
"Mr. Gates has already spoken. What are you still doing here? Get out!"
From day one as an assistant, June had disliked me.
One day, as I passed by the CEO's office, I overheard her speaking loudly. "Mr. Gates, this company isn't a charity. Spending so much money to keep a slacker who does nothing but play games all day is completely unfair to the other employees."
Her voice wasn't thunderous, but it was just enough to be heard outside.
Brandon didn't respond.
But through the window, I noticed his hands pause briefly as he flipped through the documents.
After that, June Stone only grew bolder.
She started "casually" bringing up my so-called "outstanding achievements" during department meetings.
"Some people collect a high salary but can't even be bothered to attend meetings. I really wonder if they're here to work or just on vacation."
Soon, gossip about me started circulating around the company.
Some said I was a rich girl who got in through connections, others said I slept in the office all day and some even bet on when I'd be fired.
I knew about all of it. I just couldn't be bothered to care.
Unfortunately, the more indifferent I was, the more she overstepped.
This time, she seized the opportunity and became utterly arrogant.
I wasn't about to put up with her. So, I seized her wrist and gave it a forceful twist.
"Ah!"
June cried out in pain and instinctively released my collar.
As I broke free, her arm hit the edge of the meeting table. Her watch made a clear clinking sound against the solid wood surface.
She stumbled back two steps, looked down and her face instantly went pale.
A prominent scratch now marred the face of the pricey Patek Philippe on her wrist, catching the light unpleasantly.
"You … you … "
Her wrist trembled as she held it up, fury burning in her eyes.
"Summer, do you know how much this watch costs?"
"This was a birthday gift from Mr. Gates! It's a hundred thousand dollars!"
I calmly straightened my wrinkled collar.
"Whose fault is it when you can't stand steady?"
"Summer!" Brandon finally couldn't hold back and snapped, "You've gone too far!"
"Not only did you disrupt the meeting, but now you've intentionally damaged someone else's property."
"As CEO, I'm officially notifying you that you're fired."
"Now, pack your things and leave the company immediately!"
June shrieked, "Mr. Gates, you can't let her off easily! She has to pay for the watch!"
The meeting room went completely silent.
Everyone looked at me with pity or schadenfreude, as if waiting for a good show to begin.
"Fine, I'll pay."
"A hundred thousand dollars, right?"
I bent down to pick up my broken phone.
Although the screen was cracked, it still worked.
I dialed a number. Just as I brought it to my ear, June snapped, "What 100,000? It's 1 million!"
I paused and looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, I'm sure!" June said haughtily. "A gift from Mr. Gates is already priceless!"
"Only making you pay 1 million is already letting you off easy!"
"Ask everyone here, am I right or not?"
June didn't back down.
She knew exactly how much I earned—there was no way I could afford that kind of money.
This wasn't about compensation. She just wanted to humiliate me.
