Resign with Grace, Return with Fire Chapter 16
“Fred, I just wanted us to get back together. Did you really have to make such a scene?” Sandra demanded.
I couldn’t even be bothered to look at her. I said coldly, “I already told you that there’s no way we’re getting back together.”
Sandra seethed, her voice pitching higher. “Is this because of Lester? You’re not a kid anymore, so why are you competing with some young guy like him? I’ve told you that I only look out for him because of his father. Why do you have to be so aggressive and hostile?”
Lester looked smug as he fanned the flames. “Fred, maybe take it down a notch. You really crossed the line this time. If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t piss Ms. Wendell off like that.”
It was funny. Had he forgotten that Sandra’s company had ended up the way it was entirely because of him?
I said evenly, “Since you feel so sorry for Sandra, you two should just be together.”
Sandra flushed in anger. “Do you think I won’t, Fred?”
She grabbed Lester’s hand and laced her fingers with his. “Fine, then. Have it your way. From now on, Lester is my boyfriend! As for you, Fred, you’re not getting away with pissing me off. I want you to realize that leaving me is the worst decision you’ve ever made. Don’t come crying to me about regretting this!”
I couldn’t help sneering inwardly.
Regret? Not a chance.
On the contrary, leaving Sandra was my true salvation. I could finally be myself and live for myself.
I turned and walked away without saying another word or taking another look back.
After that, I stopped paying attention to Sandra and Lester. I threw myself into my work, doing everything I could to maximize my value.
With my effort and the team’s support, Skyborne Group thrived. We landed several deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and the company only improved from there.
As for Sandra, ever since that courtroom fiasco, she and Lester were hit hard by public backlash. The online community furiously dogpiled on them, relentlessly ragging on them in the comments.
Sandra’s company took a heavy hit, too. People boycotted her products and cranked out smear pieces trashing the brand. The company had already been on shaky ground, and this incident destroyed its standing in the industry. Cash flow collapsed, the stock plummeted, and panic spread through the ranks.
I heard all this from a former coworker.
Given how things were going, I figured that Sandra’s company would go bankrupt soon. But unexpectedly, after Lester took over, the company came back from the dead!
Once the business improved, Lester regained his father’s trust. The latter reinvested, and the company began to flourish again.
Meanwhile, Sandra made things official with Lester. She even held a press conference to make a high-profile announcement. She appointed Lester as her deputy and gave him half the company’s shares.
That was treatment I’d never gotten. She really had given him all the confidence and favoritism he could ask for.
After that, she went on a posting spree across all social media platforms, flooding everyone’s feed with lovey- dovey photos of her and Lester.
She even switched to a new account just to message me.
“I bet you didn’t see this coming, Fred. Not only did my company not go under, but it even came back to life. Even if you begged me to take you back now, I wouldn’t. You really lost out!
“Don’t think that I or the company can’t survive without you. With Lester around, we’re more than fine. He’s way more reliable than you.”
Almost instantly, Lester texted me, too.
