They Fired Their Best, So She Buried Them

1: 1

The intern I'd trained hands-on for six months, holding nothing back, finally passed his review and was made permanent.

I paid out of my own pocket for flowers, booked a nice restaurant, and got ready to celebrate for him, genuinely happy.

What I got instead was a formal complaint filed against me, with my name on it.

"Marketing Department employee Edwina Chavez has, over an extended period, privately leaked internal company resources."

"She has bullied an intern, disrupted company policy, and undermined fair order in the workplace."

As the disciplinary committee walked me out, I ran into the intern, Humphrey Harding.

He wore a look of perfect innocence, righteous and unbothered.

"Edwina, I'm grateful for the help you gave me."

"But gratitude is gratitude, and rules are rules. Passing company resources privately was against the rules to begin with."

"As part of this company, I had a duty to step forward and put a stop to it."

In the end, the penalty came down.

A company-wide reprimand.

All my eligibility for the year's honors, promotion, and raise, revoked.

Ten years of careful, faithful work, and one act of goodwill wiped it all to zero.

Later, when he was blacklisted from the industry, he came begging to me.

"Anything that oversteps authority or breaks the rules, I can't do it. I'm afraid of being reported."

When the disciplinary committee came for me, I was at my computer, carefully drafting a transfer request.

I was planning to move Humphrey, newly made permanent, onto my team.

Six months of his internship, I'd trained him hands-on, from zero experience to carrying his own numbers.

Now that he'd made permanent, all I wanted was to hand him more resources, pull him onto more projects, set him up to lock down the Outstanding Newcomer award at year-end.

"What did you say?"

"Humphrey filed a formal complaint against me?"

I couldn't believe it. Humphrey was someone I'd trained from the ground up.

Back then everyone else wrote him off as slow and short on talent, and nobody wanted to take him on.

I'd seen him in the break room with his eyes red from crying, and I'd gone soft.

The reports he couldn't do, I stayed up teaching him line by line.

The clients he couldn't close, I stepped in myself to cover for him.

The messes he made, I cleaned up for him, again and again.

Without me, he'd have washed out of this company six months ago.

I shared everything I knew, built up his skills, helped him post real numbers.

I never took a cent from him for it. I paid for his meals myself, bought him study materials out of my own pocket.

From start to finish I was helping the company develop a new hire and lift the team's performance.

I didn't know what I could possibly have done wrong.

Not until I ran into Humphrey in the corridor, riding high.

On the surface he was still deferential and humble with me, every other word "Edwina," just like before.

"Edwina, don't look at me like that."

"I'm a full member of this company now. I have a responsibility, an obligation, to clean up its problems."

I stared him down. "You're calling me a problem?"

"By company policy, I was never your direct report, and yet for six months you ordered me around like I was. That's against the rules."

"You're the one who taught me to follow the rules and respect the line you don't cross. All I'm doing now is exactly what you taught me."

It almost made me laugh.

And it finally showed me that the person I'd given my whole heart to was a self-serving hypocrite through and through.

Director Finch, who'd never liked me, gave me a smile that never reached his eyes.

"Edwina, I hate to say it, but you've been here ten years. How do you keep going backward?"

"Humphrey here is a fresh graduate, a new kid who keeps his head down and does the work, and you go and lean on your seniority to push a junior around."

"If he weren't afraid you'd quietly sabotage his shot at going permanent, he wouldn't have put up with you for a whole six months, and he wouldn't have been forced into filing that complaint."

So in his eyes, six months of training him for free, covering for him more times than I could count, was workplace bullying.

Genuine help had become throwing my weight around. Teaching him everything I knew had become overstepping authority and breaking the rules.

With Humphrey playing along, the company's penalty against me came down fast.

A company-wide warning and reprimand, a demotion and a pay cut, dropped from supervisor straight down to ordinary staff.

And Humphrey, for his rapid progress and standout numbers over the past six months, plus the credit of blowing the whistle, was fast-tracked straight to supervisor.

Coming out of the president's office with my penalty in hand, I found Humphrey with his hands on his hips, directing people to throw my things out.

He saw me and put on his fake concern.

"Edwina, sorry about this. I've been promoted to supervisor now, and by company policy I get my own office."

"I've spent the whole six months learning in this office of yours. I'm used to the place, so I just applied to move in directly."

He tipped his chin up, charity handed down from above.

"You did help me before, and I'm not one to forget it. I've already had your things moved to the desk by the door, my old spot."

"The air by the door's fresher, better circulation, good for someone your age. After all, nobody can stand that old-person smell on you."

Blood roared in me. I nearly reached out and tore that hypocrite's face apart.

2: 2

Ten years ago, the company was on the edge of bankruptcy, morale in pieces.

I was the one who gritted my teeth and held on alone, begging and pleading, burning through countless all-nighters, dragging a company that was about to fold back from the brink with a hundred million in results I clawed out by hand.

This office was the personal reward the president gave me for it.

No matter how my role shifted or my rank changed later, this office was mine to use, permanently.

It was an honor I'd bled for, proof of ten years of sweat.

I held my anger down.

"Move your things back. Put everything where it belongs."

Humphrey nudged his glasses up and let out a smirk.

"Edwina, this is a company, not your house."

"A company has its rules. Right now you're an employee at the very bottom. What gives you the right to sit in a big private office?"

"You've just gotten too used to trading on seniority. No sense of discipline or the rules at all. Getting written up this time isn't the least bit unfair."

I didn't want to waste words on him. I went straight to the general affairs department.

"Edwina, the company really doesn't have any extra private offices."

"Director Finch specifically instructed that you clear the room for Supervisor Harding. There's nothing I can do."

The longtime clients and connections I'd built over the years kept my numbers first in the company.

Jeremy, who'd joined the same year as me, had always resented me for it, and now he'd finally caught something to hold over my head.

Laughable. My seat here had never depended on a supervisor's title.

I went to file an appeal with the president, only to be told he was suddenly away on business.

Water far off doesn't put out a fire close by.

All I could do was swallow my anger and wait for him to come back.

Before I knew it, it was quitting time.

For the past six months, I'd stayed late every single day helping Humphrey, right up until ten.

Today I packed up early and left right on time.

Humphrey came out and pitched his voice across the whole office.

"Everyone, I made permanent and got promoted today, and it's all thanks to how you've all looked out for me!

Dinner's on me tonight, the whole team. You'd better do me the honor of coming!"

The words were barely out before the office broke into a chorus of flattery.

"Congratulations, Supervisor Harding. So young, with such a bright future."

"We'll all work hard under Supervisor Harding. Our department's only going to get better and better!"

One compliment after another, grating and hollow.

The smugness on Humphrey's face was impossible to hide.

He walked over to me on purpose.

"Edwina, say what you want, you're still the mentor who brought me into this field.

Today's the day I got promoted. Everyone's going. You can't refuse to give me this much face."

The coworkers around us turned to look in unison, waiting for a show.

I turned him down flat.

"It's after hours now. Nowhere in company policy does it say an employee has to accompany a supervisor to dinner."

"There's no reason for me to attend your dinner."

The smile on Humphrey's face froze, and something dark flickered in his eyes.

"Edwina, I respect that you once trained me. I've given you room at every turn."

"A department dinner is a team thing. If you won't come, either you're holding a grudge over the report I filed, or you can't separate work from personal feelings."

"Selfish and willful like this, caring only about your own mood, with no regard for the team at all, can you really face the company, face everyone in this department?"

Black turned to white.

I couldn't be bothered to argue with him. I turned and walked out.

That evening I got a message from my dinner buddy.

"Edwina, he came right out and said he's going to whip office discipline into shape. Watch yourself from now on."

I gave a cold laugh and opened up a movie.

Six months of helping Humphrey, and I hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.

The next day, I clocked in on time.

I worked through what was on my plate, not the least bit affected by yesterday's farce.

Before long, Humphrey came over with his brow furrowed, a client proposal in hand.

"Edwina, I just took over the supervisor role. I don't have much experience."

"I can't get a read on this proposal. Take a look for me, give me some pointers."

I glanced at it. It was one of my longtime clients, and their requirements for the proposal were brutally strict.

Humphrey had been put on the spot plenty of times before, and every time it was me who stepped in and handled it.

"Sorry, Supervisor Harding."

3: 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."

4: 4

There was no point anymore, so I stopped arguing.

I had just packed up my bag and was about to leave.

Jeremy Finch stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, blocking my way.

"Edwina Chavez, you're a person with a record of violations who's been fired by the company."

"Under the company's new policy, departing employees have to submit to a personal-belongings check, to make sure no one walks off with internal documents, core proposals, or client resources."

I clamped both hands down on my bag.

"These are all my personal belongings. You have no right to inspect them. This is an invasion of privacy."

Humphrey let out a scornful snort.

"You're standing on company ground right now. Everything on you belongs to the company, so it gets checked."

He snatched the bag out of my hands and dumped everything onto the floor.

He kicked through the pile, item by item, until one of his shoe prints was stamped right on top of my feminine products.

When he didn't find what he wanted, Humphrey's eyes moved to my laptop.

"To eliminate any leak risk, your personal computer needs to be fully copied and archived."

At that, I let out a cold laugh.

They were clearly after my things.

In all his time working next to me, Humphrey had seen every study plan and contingency proposal I'd organized on that computer with his own eyes.

Along with the list of core private clients I'd spent ten years building.

He'd climbed over me by filing that report, all title and no skill, not an ounce of real ability under the "Supervisor" badge.

And now, using the company as cover, he wanted to seize it all in broad daylight.

Looking at the greed on both their ugly faces, I laughed to myself, cold and steady.

They wanted my work?

Dream on.

The proposals I'd polished through countless all-nighters, the client relationships I'd nurtured inch by inch, why on earth would I hand them free to the kind of people who kick you when you're down?

I took the work laptop out of my bag.

Humphrey assumed I was cooperating like a good girl and reached out to take it.

"See, if you'd just listened from the start, there'd be no need for all this ugliness"

Before the words left his mouth.

Bang! I raised the expensive work laptop high and slammed it straight down onto the floor.

Everyone stared, stunned. Humphrey's face went blank with shock.

Before either of them could react, I stepped forward and ground my high heel into the laptop.

Again, and again.

Then I picked up the water glass beside me and poured every drop of it into the machine.

Sparks flew, the hard drive fried, ruined past any hope of recovery.

I drew my foot back, straightened up, and looked coldly at the two of them, faces gone ashen.

"There. Good enough?"

Humphrey was shaking with rage, grinding his teeth.

"Edwina Chavez, you've gone too far!"

"We were only following company rules, running a routine check. Was there any need to blow it up like this?"

"You've clearly got something to hide. Too guilty to cooperate, so you deliberately destroyed company property!"

I gave him a sideways look.

"Take a good look. This is my personal laptop. It has nothing to do with the company. Not one cent's worth."

I swept a cold glance over the room, took nothing with me, and walked out without looking back.

From that moment on, I was done with this heartless company for good.

That evening, while I was having dinner with that difficult client contact, Humphrey called.

"Edwina, I'm downstairs at your building."

His tone was meek, nothing left of the arrogant supervisor from earlier in the day.

"The proposal I submitted to the big client today, they were extremely unhappy with it. Sent it straight back to be redone."

"I can't pin down what the client wants. I just can't fix it. Edwina, this is a client you used to handle. Help me revise it, polish it up."

"I'll pay you separately, whatever it takes, we can work out any number. Just name your price!"

I found it laughable.

He'd climbed up by trampling my dignity, taken my office, wrecked my work, backed me into a corner.

He kept every good thing for himself, and now he wanted to dump the mess on me?

I didn't waste a single word. I hung up on him and blocked the number on the spot.

Across the table, the client started complaining to me.

"That new guy of yours sent me a proposal full of holes. The logic's a mess, there's no way to actually put it into practice."

"After all these years working together, the only person whose ability I trust is you, Edwina Chavez."

I lifted my glass.

"I'm starting at Skyward tomorrow. If you're interested, I'll build you a brand-new proposal, tailored just for you."

"Good, good, good. Let's meet at Skyward tomorrow, then."