"I knew it. You're always loyal to the company. Don't listen to the rumors out there. If something's bothering you, don't bottle it up," Kyle said to me after cutting me off.
A mocking smile appeared on my lips. Would saying anything change a thing? I then said, "Why don't we start with a promotion first, then? I think the position of departmental head suits me. Also, when are you giving me a raise?"
Kyle's smile remained, as if he had prepared an answer just for this. "I know things are getting hard for you, but there are so many young people in the company. We have to give them a chance to prove themselves, right? There's no rush on your promotion or raise. You're a senior employee. Do you really think I would mistreat you?"
Just another empty promise.
I crossed my arms and said, "Fine. Then I'll hand my projects over to them. I won't handle them anymore."
Kyle's smile finally faltered. "That won't do. You're the person I value most in this company. From now on, you're the sales manager. You can't only think about yourself in the future. You need to think about the team's performance, too."
I was a little confused. Since when did the company even have a sales manager position?
I did not dwell on it and asked my next question. "Then what about my salary increment?"
Kyle's smile completely vanished now.
"Dean, now you're just asking for too much. You must treat the company like your own home. We can discuss your raise slowly after this."
I lost all of my patience. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to leave now."
Suddenly, he grabbed my hand with a malicious smile on his lips. "Why the rush? The company still has a staff meeting after this. You can't miss it."
When I arrived at the conference room, my heart sank.
The entire room was packed. Kyle had probably called in every employee in the company.
He was giving a speech onstage at the moment. "Today, we're here to award bonuses to our outstanding employees."
Bob was one of the employees chosen. He received a five-thousand-dollar bonus.
The first part of the meeting went by quickly.
When the meeting was almost at the end, Kyle returned to the stage.
I instinctively knew something was wrong. Sure enough, Kyle turned his malice on me. "Lastly, there's one major highlight left in today's meeting. Let's invite our manager, Mr. Dean Rivers, up on stage."
I was hiding in the crowd, but he personally came down from the stage and dragged me to the front by force.
"Everyone, take a good look. This is our company's famous top salesman, Dean Rivers. Today, he suddenly came to my office and demanded a promotion to manager. Otherwise, he said he wouldn't work for the company anymore. But he's our top salesman, so I had no choice but to agree." As he spoke, he pinned a gaudy flower to my chest.
"Don't be fooled by how unimpressive he looks. Who would've thought he cared so much about status? Starting today, don't call him by his name anymore. Call him Mr. Manager. Come on, repeat after me. Hello, Mr. Manager!"
"Hello, Mr. Manager!" After everyone shouted along, Kyle looked at me with a dry smile. "Come up and say a few words, won't you? Weren't you acting so indomitable in my office just now?"
He was mocking me. He wanted to isolate me inside the company.
My hands trembled, and I could barely force a smile.
Kyle seemed very satisfied when he saw me like that and called the photographer over. "Let's take a photo today to mark the occasion!"
The moment the shutter clicked, something was placed in front of me.
Kyle took the photo from the photographer and handed it to me. "What do you think of this photo, Mr. Manager?"
