My leaving stirred up nothing. They went right on ordering food and eating, dragging me out now and then for their amusement.
Back home, I washed off the day's exhaustion.
A wine bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, I sank into the single armchair on the balcony, poured myself a glass, and sipped it slowly.
That was when my phone buzzed.
I glanced at the caller ID, saw it was Tom, and didn't pick up.
He seemed to enjoy it, calling again and again.
I'm not the hot-tempered type. If he wanted to call, he could call to his heart's content.
When he finally got bored of being ignored, he sent me a video and a voice message.
There, on Amanda Harding's bed, he had his arms around that woman, kissing her wildly, doing things I won't describe.
He thought provoking me would let him watch me lose my temper. So I downloaded their little trophy on the spot and forwarded it, one by one, to every single person in the company.
I'd assumed my heart would ache, at least a little. To my surprise, it didn't.
The next day I went back to the office, and everyone shot me strange looks.
"Did you all get it last night?"
"Mr. Gilbert actually sent me a video of Ms. Harding and Assistant Delgado in bed. Hahaha!"
"You got it too?! Damn, I got one as well!"
"I got it too…"
"How does everyone have it? What is Mr. Gilbert even playing at?"
"His own fiancée rolling around with another man, and he isn't angry? He's even got the nerve to send that kind of video to every employee."
"Quiet, Ms. Harding's here."
The words had barely faded when Amanda Harding came clicking toward me on her heels.
The instant she got close, her hand flew up to slap me.
I caught her wrist. "First thing in the morning and you're already this worked up."
"Is it because you can't perform? Is that why you never satisfied Amanda?"
Tom's face went scarlet in an instant. My counterattack had clearly enraged him.
"Jude Gilbert, you're disgusting."
"Why would you send every employee in the company photos of me in bed?"
I laughed and shook her hand off, then smoothed my collar.
"Want to guess how I ended up with a video of the two of you in the sheets?"
The lobby fell dead silent. Everyone was dying to know.
"It's all thanks to Assistant Delgado, of course."
"He's the one who sent me the footage of your romp, and he didn't bother explaining himself. So I thought, a perk this good, surely I shouldn't hoard it all for myself, right?"
"So I made sure every employee in the company got their own copy."
Amanda stared at Tom in disbelief, while he just wore a mournful face and denied it.
Right then, the shareholders in the conference room sent word.
They'd been waiting a long time. If we didn't go in soon, they were going home.
Tom certainly wouldn't let them leave. After all, he hadn't officially taken my seat yet.
The moment I walked into the conference room, I became the center of attention.
Amanda strode to her place with Tom in tow, chin high, and pointed at the seat that was mine.
"Tom, from now on this seat is yours. Go on, sit."
"You got it!"
Tom hurried over, beaming, and dropped into the chair without a second's hesitation.
"A vice president's chair really is something. So comfortable."
The chairs were all identical, yet everyone in the room caught the deeper meaning behind his words.
One person couldn't help standing up to ask, "Ms. Harding, you're putting an assistant in the vice president's chair. Then where is Mr. Gilbert supposed to sit?"
Amanda smiled. "Exactly. That's the whole reason I called all of you here."
Tom straightened his clothes at once, and Amanda promptly made her announcement to all the shareholders.
"Everyone, I have something to announce today."
"I'm dismissing Jude Gilbert and letting Tom Delgado formally take over as vice president."
Aaron Finch, the old shareholder who had spoken up, was the only one in the room who looked surprised.
So last night, between the sheets, the two of them had also found time to buy their loyalties.
Aaron didn't like the verdict, and his clash with Amanda boiled over.
Tom snatched up a teacup and hurled it straight at the old man's head. "You useless relic. If you can't bear to lose Jude Gilbert, then get out with him!"
"Sell your shares and go! Harding Corp will be better off without one stubborn old fossil!"
I stepped inside and helped Aaron to his feet. For the first time in a long while, my calm cracked, and the anger I'd swallowed for so long finally surfaced.
"So all of you back Ms. Harding's decision to fire me. Is that it?"
"Yes!" The answer came back in unison, crisp and forceful, as if terrified I might somehow miss it.
"Fine. Then let me give you all a gift in return."
I raised a hand and clapped twice. "Come in."
The door swung open, and several men in sharp suits walked in, their faces cold and severe.
In their hands was a contract. The partnership agreement between Harding Corp and the Gilbert Group.
"Amanda Harding, I can lift you to heaven, and I can drag you straight to hell."
"I hereby announce that the Gilbert Group will never again do business with a small-time outfit like Harding Corp."
