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3
"According to company policy, I'm not your direct superior. I have neither the authority nor the obligation to help you with supervisor-level work."
"You said it yourself yesterday. Follow the rules, respect the line you don't cross. Overstepping my role, breaking regulations. I can't do it, and I wouldn't dare."
I handed his own words right back to him.
Humphrey froze where he stood.
"Edwina, are you still sore about yesterday?"
"That's awfully petty of you. Besides, this is me consulting you on a work matter. If I sign off on it, it isn't overstepping."
He was certain I'd cave and do whatever he asked, the way I had for the past six months.
Too bad. He was the one who'd cut every thread of goodwill between us.
I waved him off, my tone flat and final.
"I wouldn't dare. I'm afraid one more word and I'll get reported again. Go find someone else."
His face went white then blotchy, and he slunk away.
From that day on, he targeted me at every turn.
When he handed out assignments, he piled the most tedious, most thankless grunt work on me.
When he divided up clients, he gave me the most difficult ones, the messes buried in after-sales complaints.
Everyone in the office could see Humphrey was deliberately squeezing me out.
But no one dared say a word.
Nobody wanted to cross the newly promoted supervisor and lose their own job.
I stayed unbothered through all of it.
The work others found impossible and tangled, I took over and cleared away with ease.
Ten years in this field. My skill and experience were nothing a green newbie, freshly made permanent and half-empty at that, could ever match.
The calmer I stayed, the more it choked and infuriated Humphrey.
That afternoon, Rose Dickerson, the new girl in the department, was carrying a thick stack of printed materials when she lost her grip and scattered them across the floor.
Her eyes went red with panic as she scrambled to gather them up.
I happened to be passing by and picked up a few pages for her.
A short distance off, Humphrey happened to catch the whole thing.
Not long after, the disciplinary committee was crowded around my desk again.
In front of everyone, they didn't ask, didn't investigate, didn't give me a single chance to explain.
"According to an anonymous report, Edwina Chavez was previously subject to a company ruling that expressly forbade her from privately instructing across departments or passing along job materials."
"Yet she has shown no remorse, once again publicly instructing an employee across departments and improperly reviewing materials outside her own role."
"Upon company verification, Edwina Chavez's violations are confirmed. She knows she's in the wrong and refuses to change, offending repeatedly, gravely disrupting the company's management order."
"The final penalty is now issued: termination, effective immediately!"
Director Finch watched me, smug and pleased with himself.
"Edwina, you're fired. Please leave the work area."
Everyone was stunned, looking at me with pity.
And the looks they turned on Humphrey were full of wariness and fear.
I didn't so much as glance at him. I dialed the president directly.
"I just picked up some papers a girl dropped on the floor, and the company wants to fire me over it?"
The line went silent for a few seconds. Then the president let out a soft sigh.
"Edwina, I know you feel wronged. But the company's grown big and strong now, the rules and systems are all in place. It hasn't been my call alone for a long time."
"The disciplinary department verified it, so it's not exactly unfair to you. You've had it too smooth all this way. Taking a small loss now can toughen you up."
"I respect the professional department's judgment. I've got a meeting, I'll hang up now."
What was there left to not understand.
They simply thought my achievements outshone theirs, and now they wanted to work the mule to death and slaughter it.
Humphrey's betrayal was nothing more than the excuse they'd used to ride the moment and cut me loose.
What they probably didn't know was that eighty percent of the company's clients stayed for me.
There are always other places for a person who isn't wanted here.
I was just about to leave when Humphrey suddenly called out to Rose.
"You. You're fired too."
Rose's eyes rimmed red as she fought back tears and pleaded.
"Supervisor Harding, why?"
"My mom's still in the hospital on chemo. She's counting on my paycheck to stay alive. Please don't fire me."
There wasn't a trace of pity in his eyes. His mouth curled coldly.
"You think you didn't do anything wrong?"
"Your mistake was colluding privately with an employee who broke the rules, damaging the company's culture and interests."
"I'm the one in charge here now. Pack your things and get out."
Looking at that arrogant, bullying, ugly face, fury blazed up in me.
"Humphrey, remember this."
"People do things, and heaven is watching."
"Climbing over the person who helped you, profiting off malicious reports. It'll come back on you sooner or later."
He gave a scornful snort, his face full of contempt.
"Edwina, so you can't stand losing, and now you're playing the moral guilt card?"
"I acted by the rules and cleaned up the workplace. My conscience is clear."
