I didn't even look up.
"Blake, I'm not tech support. I can't fix your code."
He adjusted his glasses, his tone dripping with that habitual, command-giving arrogance. "Just take a look. It won't take five minutes. I have a meeting to get to."
"I really don't know how," I lied, my voice steady.
He opened his mouth to argue, then clamped it shut. Frowning, he tucked his laptop under his arm and stormed off, muttering loud enough for me to hear. "Why do young people these days have zero team spirit?"
The office settled back into a hum, but the peace didn't last. As lunch approached, the atmosphere shattered.
A major client under William's jurisdiction had suddenly demanded a preliminary proposal draft. The timeline had been slashed; the first draft, originally due next week, was now required by end of day.
William was catastrophically unprepared.
He spent twenty minutes frantically rifling through files, clicking through folders. With every passing minute, more color drained from his face.
Finally, he snapped. He marched over to my workstation and slammed his fist down.
Bang.
My pen holder rattled. A highlighter skittered across the desk.
"Alex! What game are you playing?" he roared. The entire open-plan office fell silent. "You have all the previous concepts and materials! Send them to me, now! If we lose this client, can you handle the fallout?"
Heads turned. Some colleagues watched with gloating smirks, others with morbid curiosity.
I slowly raised my head.
"William." I kept my voice low, forcing him to lean in. "That proposal is your project. From initial planning to client coordination, you've handled the entire process. I don't have any materials."
I paused, letting the silence stretch.
"As for the fallout... whoever owns the project owns the consequences. Simple principle."
"Bullshit!" He jabbed a finger toward my face, shaking with rage. "When have I ever done the grunt work? It's always me coming up with creative direction and you handling execution!"
"And now you want to change the rules?"
"I'm telling you, if this proposal isn't ready today, neither of us survives this!"
"In the past, I helped you," I corrected him, my gaze cold. "But it wasn't my duty. It was a favor. And I'm done doing favors. Now, please let me work."
I turned back to my monitor, dismissing him completely.
William stood there, chest heaving, glare burning into the side of my head. After a long, tense moment, he spun and stormed toward the executive suite, slamming the door behind him.
Less than ten minutes later, my line rang. The secretary's voice was pure ice.
"Alex, Ms. Pruitt wants to see you. Immediately."
Here it comes.
I stood, straightened my collar, and walked the length of the office. Dozens of eyes tracked my movement, waiting for the execution.
I pushed open the heavy oak door.
Willow sat behind her massive desk, face a mask of suppressed fury. William stood to the side, arms crossed, wearing a smug wait-until-mom-hears-about-this expression.
"Alex! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Willow slapped her palm against the mahogany. "Why aren't you assisting William? The client is demanding that draft—do you not understand the urgency?"
She didn't wait for an answer. "This project is worth over a hundred million! If this deal collapses because of your refusal to cooperate, can you afford the consequences?"
Her accusations fired rapidly, framing the entire chaos as my personal failure.
I waited until she ran out of breath.
Then I smiled. Faint, but sharp enough to cut.
"Ms. Pruitt."
I met her gaze without flinching. "Yesterday, in the general meeting, you stated quite clearly that I wasn't responsible for any major projects. You said I was 'usually quite idle.'"
I gestured toward William.
"So I'm curious. How did responsibility for a hundred-million-dollar order suddenly land on the company's 'most idle' employee?"
A short, dry chuckle escaped me.
"That's a massive accusation, Ms. Pruitt. I'm afraid I'm not important enough to accept it."
Willow's expression froze. As if I'd slapped her.
She opened her mouth to refute me, to scream, to fire me—but the logic was a trap she'd set herself. For a long, agonizing moment, she couldn't find the words.
My words cut through her hypocrisy with surgical precision.
William, sensing the shift, panicked. He turned to the CEO, his voice rising. "Ms. Pruitt, look at his attitude! He's just lying down on the job! He's giving up completely!"
Willow ignored him, her glare fixed on me. "You claim to be the project department's chief person in charge?"
I scoffed. "Chief person in charge? Please. For seven years, my 'responsibilities' have consisted of pouring tea, ordering takeout, signing for deliveries, and printing your materials. That is the extent of my leadership."
I met her eyes, my gaze steady. "Isn't that exactly what you said to me earlier?"
Her face flushed crimson—the precursor to a volcanic eruption. The reaction of a narcissist who had never been challenged by someone she considered an insect.
For a moment, she was speechless.
"Alex Dickerson!" she finally shrieked. "You are insolent! The company has supported you for seven years, and this is how you repay us? By talking back to your superiors?"
She slammed her hand against the desk. "If you don't want to work, then get out! Get out of my company right now! And don't you dare think you'll see another cent in wages or bonuses!"
Her voice cracked. "Don't delude yourself into thinking the world stops turning just because you're gone!"
I nodded calmly. A faint smile played on my lips.
"Thank you, Ms. Pruitt."
