Generosity Cost Me My Job

After I hand over my five-million-dollar commission to my departmental colleagues, they drag me to a hotel and celebrate with me for three days straight. But when I walk past the bathroom, I overhear a conversation between two of my colleagues that stops me cold. "Have the results of the vote been released yet?" What vote? Confused, I check my phone and find that I've been removed from the Project Department's group chat. "Who else could it be? Our hero, Zane Carter, received 11 votes. It was unanimous, and the motion was passed." "Serves him right. I've never liked him anyway." I freeze. I can't believe that my colleagues would betray me after what I've done for them. After taking a moment to calm down, I immediately decide to resign. The next thing I know, I receive a call from the company chairman, Wilson Smith. "Have you made up your mind? Quitting now would breach your contract. As a result, your five-million-dollar commission would be revoked. "You're also a key technical staff member. If you leave, your entire department would most likely be dismissed. Once that happens, your colleagues will end up unemployed. Are you sure about this?" I lower my gaze and let out a cold laugh. "Absolutely." Chapter 1 I heard laughter and conversation coming from the private room well before I reached the door. "Thank god we get to vote on who's getting laid off. I have no idea how we're going to deal with Zane otherwise," one of my colleagues said. Another person laughed and added, "Serves him right! We all put in the same eight hours every day, so why is his commission so much higher than ours? He's already pocketed a fifth of the five-million-dollar commission." "Right? All he does is stare at his laptop all day. What's so great about his stupid algorithm anyway?" "I bet he's lying about the actual amount. He's not that generous. There's no way he would've agreed to share the money with us if that's all that he's been given." All of my colleagues' comments were laced with jealousy, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. What was there to be jealous about? Was it my balding head and glossy forehead? The project only succeeded because of the work I'd put into it. I worked tirelessly to improve the product so our company could stand out from its competitors and impress our clients. While I was working on the project, I barely slept for almost an entire week. In order to secure more clients, I even utilized the connections I'd made over the years. I emailed multiple senior industry figures and asked them to put in a good word for our team. Thanks to my efforts, we managed to get to where we were today. I'd poured everything into this project. So, initially, my company only planned to award the commission to me. However, I knew that my colleagues had families to support. So, I spoke with my boss and volunteered to give my commission to the rest of the department instead. My colleagues were only able to receive the five-million-dollar commission because of me. But unfortunately, no good deed went unpunished. Instead of acknowledging what I'd done, they were spreading rumors about me and stabbing me in the back. Their actions made me feel incredibly disappointed. The room fell silent as soon as I walked inside. After a moment of awkward silence, my colleagues began to look at me with concerned expressions. Chapter 2 "Where did you go? We were looking everywhere for you!" several of my colleagues gathered around me and exclaimed in an exaggerated manner. Subsequently, Sam patted my shoulder. "I need to tell you something, Zane. Just remain calm and hear me out, okay?" he said with feigned sadness. I glanced at the smirk on his face and pretended to look puzzled. While he observed my reaction, he cleared his throat and declared, "I think you're on the layoff list this year." Then, everyone proceeded to blame the decision on our company. "I can't believe it! How could you be included on the layoff list? What are the higher-ups thinking?" "She's right! You should be the last person they fire. What a stupid decision." "Our supervisor is an idiot!" A couple of them voiced their complaints almost simultaneously. They were incredibly good at putting on an act. If I hadn't already discovered the truth, I would've assumed that they were actually sticking up for me. To my dismay, the very people who were pretending to comfort me were actually the ones who got me fired. Now, their phony behavior only disgusted me. "It's okay, Zane." A seemingly earnest voice rang out from behind me. Upon turning around, I discovered that the voice belonged to Michael Lynch. Michael was practically my apprentice; he'd been shadowing me since his first day on the job. Our company had a fast-paced work environment, and initially, he struggled to keep up. So, I sacrificed almost all of my personal time in order to guide him through the business processes. I helped Michael look for housing options when he had trouble renting a home. When he hit a rough patch in his love life, I kept him company over drinks and cheered him up. He was like a brother to me, and I'd regarded him as someone I could trust. Even if the entire department had voted to lay me off, I'd naively assumed that Michael would never cast his vote against me. Unfortunately, I was sorely mistaken. After everything, I found out that Michael was the first of our eleven-member team to cast his vote. In fact, he didn't even hesitate in doing so. He casually patted me on my shoulder and flashed me a demeaning look. "It's just a job," he said nonchalantly. "The watchdog at my uncle's factory was poisoned two days ago. So, he currently needs someone to help him guard the place." He continued with a condescending smile, "What do you think? If you're interested, I'll get you that job immediately." Picking up on what he was implying, another one of my colleagues, Ben, couldn't help but chime in. "I can't believe you're asking him to be a watchdog," Ben teased. "Have you forgotten that he used to be your mentor? That aside…" After a moment of silence, he burst into laughter and continued, "Remember not to skimp on his salary. Otherwise, he's going to be worse off than an actual dog." With a proud expression on his face, Michael replied, "Of course. I'll see to it that Zane receives at least 800 dollars a month. That should be more than enough to cover his basic needs." Chapter 3 I scoffed inwardly. I couldn't believe how obnoxious Michael was being. When I didn't react like Michael had thought I would, he grew slightly upset. "You should be grateful, Zane Carter! The economy is terrible right now. Do you know how difficult it is to find a job? "Countless fresh graduates are unemployed right now. You should be thankful that I got you a job at all!" When I remained expressionless, he changed his tone and pretended to be thoughtful and considerate. "Tell you what—I won't do you this favor for free. You just came up with a brand new algorithm, didn't you? "How about you give me that algorithm in exchange for a dollar and a job? Doesn't that sound like a great deal?" he asked. I stared at him in shock. I was furious. I'd worked on this algorithm myself for a considerable amount of time. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask for it so blatantly. I had invited him to work with me from the very beginning. However, every time I approached him, he'd claim that he was busy with work or that he was feeling unwell. Michael had never contributed anything at all. And yet, he was now trying to get involved when the algorithm was almost complete. He was just trying to take credit and benefit from my work before I quit my job. When I didn't respond to him, he snapped irritably, "Why are you still hesitating? I'm doing this for your best interests!" He continued, "Stop being so impudent. Don't come running to me for help when you're unemployed and living on the streets. By then, it'll be too late!" I glanced at him emotionlessly. "A dollar?" I spat coldly. "I was once offered a million dollars for this algorithm. If you want to buy it from me, you should at least be offering me this much." Subsequently, I held up five fingers. Michael scoffed and said arrogantly, "Half a million dollars? Have you lost your mind? Are you still hungover? What makes you think I want that useless algorithm of yours anyway?" When they saw how agitated he was becoming, my other colleagues hastily said, "Just ignore him, Michael. He's such an ungrateful man. He'll probably come to his senses when he's homeless and starving." I scoffed inwardly as I watched them make fun of me. "Let's see who gets to have the last laugh," I thought to myself. … The following morning, I headed straight to the human resources department and processed my resignation. Then, I went to my table to clean up my belongings. By the time I got back to the office, my colleagues were enthusiastically talking about how they were going to spend the commission. "I've been eyeing this limited-edition Louis Vuitton purse for the longest time. Once I receive the commission, I'm heading to the store to buy it immediately!" one said. "I'm going to go on a vacation with my girlfriend. She's been talking about wanting to go on a trip for the longest time. I'm finally able to make that happen." "What about you, Mike?" Everyone turned to look at Michael. Chapter 4 "I've already gotten what I want," replied Michael. As it turned out, Michael wanted me gone so he could get a promotion and take my place. When he saw me entering the room, he raised his voice and continued, "Working for this wretched company is so exhausting. I'm so jealous of the people who get to leave this nasty job." When the rest of the group caught sight of me, they instantly realized what Michael was trying to do. "Maybe you should make an instruction manual for the rest of us, Zane. How does one get themselves laid off? It sounds like such a difficult feat…" someone else mocked. Subsequently, they all began to laugh even louder. I sighed inwardly and gently shook my head. Initially, I'd wanted to head over and give them a casual reminder. However, judging by how things were at the moment, I didn't think I needed to do so anymore. Just as I was about to walk away, someone started yelling after me. "Hey! Hey—you! I'm talking to you here. Are you deaf?" I turned around and saw Veronica Goldberg. Veronica, who was relatively close to Michael, walked toward me with a frown. Then, she impatiently flung a piece of paper at me and spat, "Here's the bill from last night. Do remember to pay your share. Your total is three thousand dollars." Three thousand dollars? I scanned the receipt and frowned. "From what I remember, the total cost of drinks, dinner, and the venue rental last night couldn't have been more than nine thousand dollars. "Our department consists of 11 people, so the bill should've been about seven hundred and fifty dollars per person. Why am I suddenly being asked to pay three thousand dollars then?" Was the receipt even legitimate? Upon hearing my comments, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. With an arrogant expression, she retorted, "The bill has always been split this way. Your pay is a lot higher than ours. So, doesn't it make sense for you to pay a bigger share?" What? This was the first time I'd ever heard of team-building costs being split according to each employee's salary. On top of that, Veronica looked so entitled that I almost thought that I was being unreasonable. Had I been paying a bigger share of our team-building expenses this entire time? "You're not arguing with me over such a small amount of money, are you?" she asked with a look of disdain. Of course I am. Did I look like a fool to her? After eyeing me up and down, she suddenly pretended to look shocked. She dramatically put a hand over her mouth and said, "I'm so sorry! I forgot that you're out of a job. I suppose three thousand dollars is a hefty sum for someone who is unemployed…" She intentionally dragged out her words in order to mock me. Everyone in the office burst into laughter. Michael, who'd been watching everything unfold from the sidelines, finally stepped forward. Pretending to be considerate, he waved Veronica off and said, "That's enough. Stop making things difficult for him." Once he made his way toward me, he put on the same condescending expression and proceeded to stare at me with a mocking gaze. "For old times' sake, I'll look past what happened yesterday. If you get on your knees and bark like a dog right now, I'll help you pay your share of the bill immediately. What do you say?" Everyone in the office was staring at me. They were all waiting for me to humiliate myself. Chapter 5 Unfortunately for my colleagues, things didn't go the way they'd wanted it to. All of a sudden, our supervisor, Charlie Truman, entered the room. "Come with me, Zane," he said solemnly. I nodded in response. Behind me, Michael and the rest instantly burst into laughter. "I was wondering why he was still lingering around the office. I didn't know he was waiting for Mr. Truman to usher him out of the building." "I would just get out of here if I were him. Being told to leave is so embarrassing…" Little did they know, Charlie was anxiously waiting in his office while they made fun of me outside. The minute I entered his office, he walked up to me in an appeasing manner and said, "Here—please take a seat, Zane." Charlie had never been this polite and respectful toward me before. After he invited me to take a seat, he even took it upon himself to pour me a glass of water. "Mr. Smith told me everything, Zane. Surprisingly, a few of our newer clients immediately stopped contacting us the second they heard about your resignation. More importantly, our current project is desperately in need of upgrades and improvements. "We scoured the entire industry, but we could barely find someone suitable to replace you. Mr. Smith told me he'd fire me if I can't convince you to stay." The Project Department's performance had been falling short for the past two years. As a result, our company's headquarters had been considering layoffs for some time now. Thanks to my hard work, the department managed to get back on its feet. On top of that, it was even showing promising growth. If I were to resign, the entire Project Department would probably fall apart. While nervously rubbing his hands together, Charlie said repeatedly, "The voting was the company's idea, but I never thought the team would unanimously vote against you. What a bunch of cold-blooded scoundrels!" He furiously berated my colleagues to prevent me from pinning the blame on him, but he wasn't able to delude me. The rest of the department might've cast the votes, but he was the one who had approved the layoff decision afterward. Charlie saw potential in our current project. So, he was trying to have me removed in order to replace me with his trusted subordinate, Michael. To his dismay, his plans took a turn for the worse, and now the entire department was about to be laid off. On top of that, he was about to lose his job as well. He was only trying to convince me to stay so he could keep his job. Unfortunately for him, it was too late. "I've already finalized all the paperwork pertaining to my resignation," I declared as I handed him my separation letter. "What? Y-You… H-How did you get everything processed so quickly?" he stammered as he repeatedly flipped through the papers. Subsequently, he even rubbed the official company stamp with his fingers to check if it was fabricated. By the time he looked up at me again, he looked absolutely desolate. To save his career, he flashed me a bitter expression and begged, "Zane—Mr. Carter—please. I'm begging you to reconsider this. "If you really don't feel like staying, I could even double your salary!" he added as he hastily lifted two of his fingers. Unfazed by his offer, I turned to leave. Chapter 6 Before I could walk away, Charlie hastily blocked my way before raising yet another finger. "Triple! I'll triple your salary!" he yelled. "That won't be necessary," I replied firmly. Charlie was determined to change my mind. Upon seeing how adamant I was, he switched up his approach and tried to guilt-trip me into staying instead. "You shouldn't behave in such a reckless manner. Even if you don't care about me, you should at least think about the rest of your colleagues. They might've wronged you, but it was nothing personal. They were just trying to protect their livelihoods. "It's incredibly difficult to find a suitable job in times like these. Some of your older colleagues are already in their 50s. What do you expect them to do if they get laid off at such an old age?" he asked. I scoffed inwardly. None of them seemed concerned about my future when they voted to have me laid off. What if I had a family to support as well? Since that was the case, I had no obligation to care about their well-being either. I looked down and scoffed coldly. Then, I replied without an ounce of hesitation, "I've already made my decision, and I won't be changing my mind!" I'd already done more than enough for the department throughout my time in the office. Ignoring Charlie's pleas, I turned away from him and marched out of his office. I heard a commotion as soon as I exited Charlie's office. When I turned around, I immediately spotted my favorite car ornament in the trash. I lowered my head to check again. Just as I'd expected, all of my belongings had been tossed into the garbage can. I looked up and saw Michael and a group of our colleagues staring at me with disdain. "According to rule number 28 in the company's employee handbook, dogs and unauthorized individuals are not allowed into the premises during working hours," Michael declared. He even pointed at me when he mentioned the word "dog". He added, "Please leave immediately, or I'll have to call security." I stared at my colleagues' wretched faces and felt relieved that I'd resigned from this job. Nothing good would possibly come out of remaining in the same office as these monsters. When I stayed rooted in place, Michael grew impatient. He kicked the trash can in front of him and caused its contents to spill all over the floor. "What are you still doing here? Do you understand what I'm saying? I've made myself incredibly clear, haven't I? Get the hell out of here now!" he barked. I didn't reply. Then, all of a sudden, someone yelled, "Enough!" As it turned out, Charlie had run after me without me knowing, and he had ended up witnessing everything that just happened. Everyone fell silent the minute he stepped in. Michael, who was the most arrogant one out of the group, hastily flashed Charlie a sheepish smile and said, "Please calm down, Mr. Truman… There's no need to get all worked up…" I had to give it to him. Michael was a brilliant actor. Charlie marched toward Michael with a cold expression and asked, "Do you spend your free time bullying your colleagues like this?" Michael put on an innocent expression and explained, "I'm not bullying him, Mr. Truman. I'm simply acting in accordance with the employee handbook and maintaining order within the office." Charlie, who'd been working in this industry for more than 20 years, was fully capable of seeing through Michael's antics. Charlie stared at him coolly before turning to look at me again. He'd finally figured out why I was so adamant about quitting my job. "You're going to be the cause of my downfall," he spat as he furiously jabbed a finger at Michael's face. Subsequently, he turned toward me in an appeasing manner and continued, "I'll let you deal with Michael as you see fit. Feel free to do whatever you deem necessary to quell your anger." Michael's expression immediately shifted. He stared at Charlie quizzically and asked, "What are you talking about, Mr. Truman? I'm confused." Charlie ignored Michael's silent plea for help and left him to fend for himself. Rather than punishing Michael outright, I'd much rather watch him and Charlie tear each other apart. When I continued to stay still, Charlie glanced at my expression and immediately figured out what he needed to do. Taking matters into his own hands, he turned toward Michael and declared, "You're fired, Michael."