Chapter 1
After the New Year’s Eve gala, my wife instructed her assistant to host the opening ceremony. During the meeting, Gideon distributed red envelopes to every employee—except me. I was about to step forward and question him when he suddenly smirked and mocked me in front of everyone. “Desmond, you’ve been freeloading off this company for years. And now you have the nerve to beg for a red envelope?” A hushed silence fell over the room. I simply smiled, unpinned my work badge, and called my wife. “I heard that Whitaker Group of Companies is planning to fire me. Is that true?” —— All eyes were on me. The phone rang several times before the call finally connected. Everett’s impatient voice came through the speaker. “Desmond, what nonsense are you up to now? This meeting is crucial for the company. Can’t you wait until I get back?” From the corner of my eye, I caught Gideon’s smug expression. I tightened my grip on the phone and responded firmly. “No.” The next second, Everett snapped. “Yes! I ordered Gideon to fire you. Are you satisfied now?” I was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. “Give me a reason.” She let out a cold laugh. “Reason? I am the chairman of Whitaker Group of Companies. Do I need a reason to fire someone?” Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a blade. “You’ve been the sales manager for three years with zero achievements. And you dare ask me why?!” Even with my phone’s volume at its lowest, her words rang throughout the venue. “Desmond, listen carefully! Whitaker Group of Companies does not keep useless trash!” With that, she hung up. The entire room fell into dead silence. Then, Gideon stepped forward, his voice dripping with glee. “Everyone heard it, didn’t they? Even Madam Everett herself called Desmond a waste. Why should we keep someone like that in the company?” He smirked, reveling in my humiliation. “I suggest you pack your things, head home, and take a nice long rest.” Then, as if struck by inspiration, he chuckled. “If you’re a kept man, you should act like one. Don’t you agree, Mr. Delaney?” I met his gaze with a calm, unwavering stare and sneered. “So, according to Gideon, I’ve been nothing but dead weight here?” Gideon let out a boisterous laugh, his face practically glowing with triumph. But he had no idea—his laughter was premature. “What else?” Gideon sneered. “At work, you’re either glued to your phone or playing games. You know nothing about business. If it weren’t for your connection to the president, you’d have been fired long ago.” His voice dripped with disdain as he continued. “Keeping dead weight like you in this company is a complete waste of resources.” I raised a finger and slowly wagged it. “No, no, no. Gideon, I think you were right about most things, but there’s one point I disagree with.” My confidence seemed to catch him off guard. His smirk faltered for a moment. “Oh? And what would that be?” His gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Don’t tell me… you actually believe Whitaker Group of Companies can’t function without you?” I smiled, then nodded firmly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” “If I leave, Whitaker Group of Companies will go bankrupt.” The moment the words left my lips, the previously silent meeting room erupted. “Oh my god, this guy is delusional! Whitaker Group of Companies is one of the top 500 companies in the country. How could it collapse because of some insignificant manager?” “Exactly! He only has this job because he married the chairman. He’s been sitting around doing nothing, collecting three years’ worth of salary for free.” “Disgusting! How can a person like him even exist? A kept man, a leech—he should just disappear!” The room buzzed with ridicule and scorn, but I simply smiled, unfazed. Little did they know—reality was about to hit them harder than they could ever imagine.