Chapter 9

I didn’t dare waste time and quickly gathered my things. I grabbed my thermos, Mulan, and Leti. As soon as I stepped in, the sound of objects being thrown echoed from the direction of Banquella’s office. All the employees nearby looked at me with ease; they were perspiring as they sat at their desks, straining to listen to the commotion.

I checked the time—it was only 7:30 am. These were still the quiet hours before the official start of work, so what exactly was she trying to accomplish by calling me in so early?

I opened the door to her office and was immediately struck on the forehead by a cup she hurled in my direction. Blood trickled down from the wound, but she seemed entirely undazed, staring coldly at me. “Where have you been the past two nights?”

“I was hospitalized.”

Het Town’s voice deepened. “Hospitalized? Over a single bottle of beer? I bet you’re lying!!!”

“It’s not even work hours yet, and I’m not late,” I said firmly. “What exactly do you want?”

She scoffed. “Joshua, so what if I called you for no reason? You’re just the Smith family’s lapdog. When I tell you to come, you better rush here immediately!”

Her words cut deep.

“It’s work-related, and I’ve done something wrong; go ahead and get mad at me all you want,” I replied. “But it’s not work hours yet, and I’ve done nothing wrong. You don’t need to make this into a scene.”

With that, I opened the door and walked out.

Raquelle threw her cup at my feet as she scolded, “Joshua, I told you to stop! Are you deaf? How dare you defy me? Let me clarify—if you don’t come back right now, don’t bother coming to the office at the Smith residence ever again!”

Her oppressive presence made it hard for me to breathe. I took a moment to clear my head and noticed some employees carrying two boxes toward the door; she followed closely behind, directing them to dump everything into the trash. “Since you’re a lapdog that doesn’t know how to behave, neither you nor your things belong here,” she said, arms crossed, watching me with a mocking smile. “Now, get lost.” I ignored her, gathering my belongings and putting them back into the box.

“You can’t fire me, Racquelle.” I held the box and looked at her calmly. “I’ll leave when my contract ends.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “Who are you kidding, Joshua? Where will you go if you leave the Smith family?”

“You’ve been here too long to give up the money and status. You’re so pathetic that you’d rather stay on as my loyal lapdog than leave! You claim you’ll leave when your contract ends, but I’m sure you’ll make up any excuse just to cling on here. Go ahead, prove me wrong.”

I didn’t respond, carrying my things as I returned to the building.

“Stop! Joshua, I said get lost! Didn’t you hear me?”

Mingling with the departing employees, Racquelle stamped her foot in frustration. But even as I left the office, no one dared to block my way. They all knew well enough—beneath her glamorous surface, she wielded little real power.

As the general manager, I held the real decision-making power regarding the company’s day-to-day operations. As for Racquelle, the company could operate the same way, with or without her.