Ongoing · — reads

After I Got Kicked Out, They Begged Me to Come Back

The drone program I led to develop won an international award and sold for 300 million. The company promised me a bonus of five million. But on payday, that five million went to a newly hired intern. I thought the finance department had made a mistake, so I stormed straight into the CEO's office. "President Schmidt, wasn't that five-million bonus assigned incorrectly?" Darlene didn't even bother to lift her eyes as she replied indifferently, "Harold, I looked into it carefully. Most of the core code was written by Lester." "He's been working overtime until midnight and coming in on weekends. What about you?" "You finish your work, play with your phone, and leave right on time. Attitude determines everything." I almost laughed from sheer disbelief. "He's just an intern! Does he even understand all the code?" "Enough," Darlene cut me off, her tone cold. "The company doesn't make mistakes. I've been watching everyone's performance closely." "If you're unhappy, you can look for another job." Saying that, she tossed a resignation letter across the desk. My heart went cold. I signed my name on the spot. Before leaving, I threw one last line over my shoulder. "Darlene, if you ever run into any technical issues, go find that hardworking overtime hero Lester. Don't bother coming to me!" She just smiled, unconcerned. "No problem."