Chapter 3

The next morning, I went to the office and submitted a vacation request. I’d worked there for eight years without taking a single vacation.

Derek looked at the form. “What’s this supposed to mean, Ethan? I just took over, and now you want time off? Are you deliberately undermining me?”

“You’re reading too much into it. With you leading us, I’m sure the department will turn things around. I haven’t taken a break in years, and I’m worn out. I need some vacation time to recover. My body can’t keep up.”

He looked me up and down, contempt in his eyes. “I suppose so. Servicing all those major clients must be exhausting. Once you’re over thirty, it gets harder to keep up.”

I knew exactly what he was implying. He thought I’d used something other than professional skill to land my clients.

Once people make up their minds about you, it’s hard to change them.

I didn’t bother explaining. Derek signed the form.

“Don’t forget the month-end review! Miss your target, and we’re docking your base pay!”

“Miss it three months in a row, and you can pack your things!”

“Understood. Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

Because they were the ones who would be leaving.

Once the paperwork was done, I packed up and started my vacation. First stop: the state capital. The performance I wanted to see was today, and I wasn’t going to miss it.

Two hours later, I’d barely stepped off the train when Jason messaged me.

“Ethan, the Suncrest Group renewal is signed. Vanessa says Derek gets credit for it.”

“She’s also going to recommend him for head of sales at the end of the year. That’ll put her in line for another promotion, too!”

“They’re shameless. You’re really going to take this?”

“No rush. They can’t handle it. Just wait.”

I smiled after sending that message. Renewing Suncrest’s contract took a lot more than a few meals and drinks.

I put it out of my mind, silenced my phone, and settled into the theater. The stage was barely three feet away. I was thrilled.

The story swept me along. One moment I was laughing, the next I was crying.

Two hours later, I walked out and checked my phone. More than a hundred missed calls and countless Snapchat messages.

The latest had just arrived. It was from Vanessa.

“Ethan, Mr. Carter at Suncrest says there’s a problem with the contract. They’re pulling out! We stand to lose three billion dollars directly. You’re fired!”

I snorted and sent one reply.

“The account was handed over to Derek. He can’t handle it, so now I’m the scapegoat?”

“If you want to fire me, Vanessa, don’t forget my severance.”

Then I put my phone back in my pocket. Even Jason couldn’t reach me.

I wandered around, enjoying the sights and food. The steady stream of messages gave me a rough idea of what had happened.

After I left, Derek decided to build a relationship with our major client. He took gifts to Suncrest Group.

He ran into Adrian Carter there. Once Adrian learned he was the new director, he asked a few technical questions. Derek couldn’t answer a single one. Adrian decided the company seemed unprofessional and demanded a site visit.

I’d personally walked him through that facility more times than I could count. Derek had never been there once. When they arrived, one of the machines happened to be down.

Derek called the engineers over to repair it.

But none of them knew how to fix the new equipment. In the past, whenever there was a problem, I’d made a call and brought someone in.

Derek used that as an excuse to claim I’d deliberately sabotaged the machine.

Adrian immediately declared that our company was a fraud and refused to renew.

Not only had Derek blown a three-billion-dollar deal, but Adrian had torn into him so badly that even the chairman heard about it.

Just then, Jason called.

“Ethan, hurry back! They’re getting ready to call the police. They’re accusing you of deliberate fraud!”