As the top sales rep, I was "downsized." Reason for termination: Rarely in the office, failed to clock in on time. Me: "???" Bro, if I stayed in the office 24/7, where would my $3 million monthly quota come from? I didn't understand it, but I respected the company's decision. I immediately ripped up a $50 million contract that was just waiting for a signature, and took my clients and my elite team straight to a rival company. Half a month later, my former boss called, his tone desperately humble: "Sloane, I didn't think things through before. Attendance really isn't important. Can you come back?" I put him on speakerphone: "Boss, the failing company across the street is trying to poach your new partner." 01 "Sloane, get back to the office right now." I frowned as I read the message from our company's HR manager. I quickly typed a reply and hit send. [I'm in a meeting. It'll have to be later this evening.] I had just set my phone down when the HR manager called. I gave an apologetic smile to the client sitting across from me, stood up, and stepped aside to take the call. "Hello? What's so urgent?" The woman on the other end, Ashley, suddenly shrieked, "Surprise!" Her voice was ear-piercingly shrill. I quickly pulled the phone away from my ear. "Sloane, congratulations! You've been optimized!" I froze, unable to process her words for a moment. Then it hit me. Optimized. She meant I was fired. I pressed my lips together, my mind racing to figure out if this was some kind of sick joke. I had been at Vertex VR for eight solid years. I watched it grow from nothing into an industry leader, establishing a firm foothold in the virtual reality sector. Unfortunately, our former CEO, for reasons known only to him, sold the company to a venture capital firm without warning any of the employees. He just packed his bags and went traveling around the world. He left a group of veteran employees staring at each other in confusion. Later, the VC firm stepped in and brought in a new management team to run Vertex. And this Ashley? She was the new CEO's niece. A fresh-out-of-college grad installed directly as the HR Manager. It wasn't that I looked down on recent grads. After all, everyone starts as a blank slate. But shouldn't she at least have some relevant background? Ashley knew absolutely nothing about Human Resources. Her degree was in Supply Chain Management—completely unrelated. Since taking the job, she hadn't done much of anything productive. Instead, she just kept firing veteran employees. The old-timers she let go all had plenty to complain about when it came to Ashley. But everyone knew whose idea this really was. If it weren't for the team I managed, I would have left Vertex a long time ago. In the adult world, loyalty and sentimentality are just empty words. I just didn't know what to make of this new CEO. Firing me? The top sales rep? Hilarious. 02 I glanced at the person sitting nearby: "Reason for termination?" Ashley covered her mouth and giggled on the other end of the line. "Oh, Sloane, listen to you! This isn't a termination, this is optimization~ "As for the reason... well, because you're rarely in the office, you don't clock in on time, and your attendance hasn't met the performance targets." Me: "???" Was she even listening to the garbage coming out of her mouth? "Bro, if I was always in the office, where the hell would that $3 million monthly quota come from?" "Oh, Sloane, I'm a woman, you shouldn't call me 'bro.' Besides, I'm younger than you, you should be calling me 'little sister.'" I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I didn't want to argue with her, so I asked point-blank: "Does Gavin know about this?" "Manager Gavin certainly knows." I let out a soft chuckle, suddenly feeling a surge of relief that I hadn't told Gavin about the massive contract I was about to sign today. "Fine. Let's leave it at that. I'll be back to discuss my severance." Ashley laughed out loud again on the other end of the line. She pinched her voice and said: "Oh, I'm so sorry, Sloane. You're being optimized, not terminated. There is no severance." I laughed out loud. "Ashley, do you think I'm legally illiterate, or are you legally illiterate? What kind of nonsense are you trying to pull?" I didn't bother engaging with her anymore and hung up the phone. I let out a breath, walked back to the table, picked up the contract lying there, and smiled at the man sitting across from me. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Mitchell. It looks like we won't be able to sign this contract today after all." "You heard it yourself. I've just been 'optimized' by my company." I paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, "How about this... I'll send someone else over to sign with you?" After all, I had negotiated this deal while at Vertex. If they used this against me later, it could have a huge impact on my career. Mr. Mitchell refused without hesitation. He handed his copy of the contract back to me. "Don't bother sending someone else from your company to sign with me. This deal isn't urgent. I'll wait until you're at your new company, and I'll sign it with you then!" I raised an eyebrow and smiled, satisfied. "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Mitchell." "Then I guess I better hurry up and find a good company. I wouldn't want to keep you waiting." 03 After exchanging a few pleasantries with Mr. Mitchell, I left his office and prepared to head back to Vertex. I glanced at my phone and realized Ashley had already removed me from the company's Slack workspace. She really wasn't wasting a single second. I put my phone away, turned my car around, and made a quick stop at an electronics store to buy a voice recorder. When I got back to the company, I could see Ashley standing by the entrance from far away. I smiled, clicked on the voice recorder in my pocket, and walked toward her. When Ashley saw me, her face was full of disdain, but only for a few seconds before she plastered on a fake smile and said: "Sloane, you're back! Your keycard has been deactivated. I was worried you wouldn't be able to get in through the main doors, so I specifically waited for you. "But this will be the last time. Hurry up, pack your things, and leave." I gave her a flat look, shoved my empty coffee cup directly into her hands, and walked right past her into the office without saying a word. Ashley quickly followed me from behind, yelling indignantly: "Sloane, what the hell is your problem?! Throwing your garbage at me? Are you insulting me?!" The surrounding colleagues heard her voice and turned to look at us. I didn't care. I kept walking toward my office. As soon as I entered the sales department, my entire team rushed over. "Sloane! You're back!" "Sloane, we all heard! This is outrageous! You're the top sales rep at Vertex! How could they possibly fire you?!" "Shh." I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling them to keep quiet. I didn't want my situation to negatively impact their future careers. I patted Lauren, who was standing next to me, on the shoulder and asked: "Where's Gavin?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I heard a greasy voice fake a cough. I looked up and saw Gavin. Gavin waddled over with his prominent beer belly, smiling greasily at me. "Oh my, if it isn't our Sloane. Looks like you're looking for me? "Even though you're about to leave the company, I'm still the Sales Manager now. How can you just call me by my first name? You should be calling me Manager Gavin. "Oh, it's such a shame. Who would have thought our top sales rep would end up like this! The new CEO is just so... unsentimental. "Sloane, my hands are tied. I pleaded your case, I really did. But the CEO was adamant. I can't protect you." Ashley, who was standing next to him, nudged him in annoyance. Gavin instantly shut his mouth and didn't say another word. If I couldn't see what was going on here, I'd have to apologize to my years of professional experience. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Gavin had been whispering in the CEO's ear. Gavin and I joined Vertex around the same time. Like me, he started from the very bottom. But he could never outperform me. His numbers were always lower than mine. However, the guy did have one redeeming quality that made bosses and managers like him. He was a world-class kiss-ass. And sure enough, relying on his formidable brown-nosing skills, he managed to instantly transform himself into the Sales Manager the moment the new CEO arrived. After he became manager, he constantly targeted me and made things difficult for me. But because I brought in millions of dollars in revenue every month, he couldn't touch my position. So if he couldn't shake my position, he'd just kick me out of the company altogether? 04 I raised an eyebrow at Gavin: "Weren't you trying to fire me? Tell me, what's the severance package?" Gavin gave a greasy smile and glanced at Ashley beside him. "Oh, Sloane, why are you asking me? That has nothing to do with me. And this isn't a firing, it's just a company optimization. You're just being optimized." I scoffed and slammed a folder onto a nearby desk. "What's your problem, Gavin? I'm trying to have a civilized conversation, and you're insisting on playing games! "If you don't want to handle this properly, then we can have a nice, long chat right here about that $2 million deal you signed when you first joined the company." Hearing that, Gavin immediately pulled me aside, all his previous arrogance completely gone. "Oh, Sloane, didn't we agree to never bring that up again? There are too many people here, let's... let's go to my office to talk." I let out a cold laugh and strode purposefully toward Gavin's office. As soon as we entered, Ashley coldly held out her hand. "Sloane, please hand over your phone. The conversation we're about to have involves company confidentiality, and we need to prevent any unauthorized recording." Gavin piled on the fake smiles beside her: "Sloane, just do what HR says so we can move on to the next step, right?" I sneered and tossed my phone to Ashley. "You haven't grasped the basics of HR, but your paranoia is off the charts." Ashley smugly lifted her chin and flipped her hair. "Hmph, of course." Gavin looked a little embarrassed and nudged Ashley. Ashley finally realized what was happening and glared at me indignantly. I beamed at the two of them. They were still too young. They couldn't even tell an insult from a compliment. "Spit it out. Skip the bullshit. What's the severance?" Ashley's face instantly dropped. She picked up a file and flipped through it. "Sloane, you were frequently absent from the office and failed to clock in. Management was very dissatisfied. This is a dereliction of duty on your part. What kind of severance are you expecting?" Gavin chimed in from the side: "Yeah, Sloane. I talked to management, but the CEO was determined to optimize the company. He felt the sales department was overstaffed and needed to be streamlined." Ah, streamlined. They 'streamlined' me right out, the top sales rep. I didn't say anything, just stared at them blankly. Gavin and Ashley exchanged a glance, and then he said: "Sloane, as your colleague, let me give you some honest advice. Look at your age. You're almost thirty. If you suddenly get married and have a baby, what is the company supposed to do? "As employees, we definitely need to consider the company's interests. The company is our home. "You're a veteran employee, you need to think about the company, right?" I laughed out loud. Did he think I was a naive new grad, trying to gaslight me like this? "What's wrong, Gavin? Is the company discriminating against me because I'm a woman?" Seeing my attitude, Gavin dropped the act and crossed his arms contemptuously. "How is this discrimination? Isn't what I'm saying the truth? "You're a woman nearing thirty. You should just go back home, get married, have kids, and be a housewife. What are you doing out here showing your face? This society isn't a woman's world! "You need to step aside and give opportunities to young people. Besides, your sales job is simple. "Don't think that just because you negotiated a $50 million contract for the company, you can strut around like you own the place. They didn't sign because of you; they signed because of Vertex's reputation. Anyone else could have closed that deal!" I suddenly understood everything. No wonder they were in such a rush to kick me out. They wanted to swallow that contract for themselves. I smiled slightly, looking straight at that son of a bitch, and said slowly: "According to the Fair Labor Standards Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, women enjoy equal employment rights with men. Employers may not discriminate against employees based on race, sex, age, or religious beliefs. "I'm not going to waste any more breath on you. According to the regulations, a company terminating an employment contract without cause must compensate the employee. "I've been at Vertex for eight years, going on nine. Less than six months counts as half a year. That means the company owes me severance pay. "Oh, right, and there's my unused PTO for this year. According to the rules, that should be paid out as well." 05 As soon as I finished speaking, both Gavin and Ashley's faces changed. Gavin was so angry he slammed his hand on the desk and pointed at me, yelling: "Sloane, don't push your luck! Who do you think you are? "Making such outrageous demands! Did you not hear a single word of what I just said? Do you think the company can't function without you? You're way too full of yourself! "You're a woman in sales. All you do is go out and drink with clients. Anyone can do this job! If Ashley were in your position, she'd do it even better!" Ashley scoffed coldly and chimed in ominously: "Sloane, don't blame me for not warning you. When you look for a job in the future, if they do a background check, they'll definitely have to contact us." I raised an eyebrow: "What, are you threatening me?" Ashley giggled, her voice as grating as a crow's. "Sloane, I'm just reminding you of the facts. "How about this? The company appreciates your years of service. On behalf of the company, I can offer you standard one-month severance pay. How does that sound?" Gavin sneered from the side: "Sloane, I know what you're thinking. You're just upset about missing out on the commission for the $50 million deal, right? Let me tell you, even if we gave you another month, you wouldn't be able to close it! "Ashley already contacted them. They specifically requested that only Ashley handle the account, and they'll sign immediately! Stop dreaming! "Offering you any severance is a gift. You should be grateful!" I raised an eyebrow. Ashley had already contacted Mr. Mitchell's team? And they specifically requested Ashley to handle the account? But Mr. Mitchell is the CEO of his company. If it hadn't been for their interference today, I would have already signed the contract. He wouldn't lie to me. Look at how confident they are... I couldn't help but ask, "Who did you contact?" "None of your business! Why are you asking so many questions?! You're no longer a Vertex employee. This is company confidentiality! No comment!" I didn't press further. I stood up and stretched my wrists and neck. This move clearly intimidated Ashley. She quickly hid behind Gavin, stammering: "Y-y-you... what, what are you trying to do!" Gavin puffed out his chest, pointed at me, and yelled: "Sloane, don't try anything crazy! If you dare lay a hand on me, I'm calling security!" I quietly picked up my phone and glanced coldly at Ashley: "Please present my termination notice." Both Ashley and Gavin breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly handed over the termination notice they had prepared. Gavin thought I was compromising. He immediately changed his tune, smiling as he patted my shoulder. "Sloane, this is the right move. A smart person knows when to adapt to the circumstances." I paused the recording and coldly swatted his hand away. "Gavin, Ashley, be prepared for an arbitration lawsuit!" Gavin and Ashley froze, clearly not expecting me to pull this move. "What do you mean? Did you not listen to anything we just said?" Ashley stared at me menacingly, threatening: "Sloane, if you dare file a lawsuit, I guarantee you won't find a job anywhere in this city!" "Bring it on. We'll see about that." 06 I went back to the sales department and started packing my things. My team members all gathered around. "Sloane, are you okay?" "Sloane, what are you going to do about them treating you like this?" I looked up and smiled at them. "Nothing. I'm leaving. "There are some things I can't say, but you guys keep working hard. Let's get together when we have time." Lauren quickly pulled me aside and whispered: "Don't wait until we have time. We've already booked a place. Let's get together tonight." I nodded, not refusing. "Okay. Hurry up and get back to work. It won't look good if you're seen." My team was entirely handpicked by me. The hardest part was leaving this group of people. But I couldn't just tell them to quit and come with me right now. Some of them had mortgages and car loans. Some were getting ready to get married. They couldn't afford to be jobless right now. I hadn't even found my next job yet. Waiting until I was established and then bringing them over was the safest approach. I casually packed a few things and left the company. Colleagues walking by glanced at me, then buried their heads back in their work. No one wanted to get caught in the crossfire. This was completely normal, especially in a tough job market. I walked out of the building, holding my cardboard box, and sighed. Eight years at Vertex, and in the end, my belongings didn't even fill a single box. Logically speaking, I had been a bit impulsive. Daring to challenge the company before securing my next job. But I wasn't willing to let it go. In the VR industry, while I might not be at the very top, my influence wasn't small either. I was easily in the top five. My performance was the source of my confidence. If they dared to use such a ridiculous reason to fire me, I certainly wasn't going to let them slaughter me without a fight. Otherwise, if this got out, what would my clients think of me? People would start questioning my professional capabilities. I got back into my car, took a picture of the cardboard box, and posted it on LinkedIn. [Got optimized! (Facepalm emoji) Any kind souls out there willing to take me in?~] I glanced at my phone. It was still early, so I drove home first. As soon as I got home, I found that many people were already asking me about it. Before I could reply, my best friend, Paige, called. I quickly answered. "Hey, Sloane, what's going on? You got fired?" "Yeah, just now." I briefly explained today's situation to her. Paige snorted coldly: "This stupid company must be blind, firing you! They're really getting ahead of themselves, thinking they can thrive without you! Sloane, what are you planning to do next?" "Go to arbitration first, and take a little break. Oh right, Paige, do you know any reliable lawyers? Recommend one to me." "Sure, I'll send you their contact info later. By the way, do you remember my cousin, Grayson?" I thought for a moment: "Yeah, I remember. I've met him a couple of times. Why?" Paige's tone was somewhat excited as she said: "It's like this. He started a company a while ago, and it's right in your wheelhouse. They do VR too. "Don't you still have a contract that hasn't been signed? Go to my cousin's company! If you go there and immediately land that contract, your compensation will definitely be better than before!" I thought about it and said to Paige: "Okay, send me a link to their company website. I'll take a look first." After chatting with Paige, I checked LinkedIn. The post I had just made already had a lot of likes, but no one was saying anything negative in the comments. Most were congratulating me, and then they turned around and sent me private messages. I started replying to them one by one. I organized today's recordings and clipped the part where Gavin and Ashley talked about the $50 million contract and sent it to Mr. Mitchell. Less than an hour later, Mr. Mitchell sent a voice message. "Sloane, I've figured it out. The people at your former company contacted a scammer! He pretended to be my relative, convinced them he could secure the contract, and collected quite a bit in kickbacks from those two! "I'll handle that scammer through legal channels. But don't worry! I'm only giving this contract to you! Never mind anyone from Vertex—even if their CEO came, I'd only sign it with you!" Hearing that this was the reason, I couldn't help but laugh. Let's set Ashley aside for a moment, seeing as she's a recent grad with no professional experience, it's normal for her not to see clearly. But Gavin is an old pro. How could he not distinguish true from false? Or maybe, in the face of massive profit, he was too dizzy to care. 07 As soon as I got home, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. I checked the time. It was 10:00 PM. I was afraid it might be a client, so I quickly answered. "Hello?" A cool voice came from the other end of the line: "Sloane, this is Grayson." Grayson? How did he get my number? I suddenly realized—it must have been Paige who gave it to him. "Hi Grayson, what's up?" Grayson said calmly: "Paige told me you were let go by Vertex. Why don't you come to my company? "As for compensation, I won't have you working for me. You can come on directly as a partner. 20% equity, annual dividends. You can also continue doing sales. A base salary of $20,000 a month, and a 10% commission on every deal. How does that sound?" I was stunned, unable to speak for a moment. When I didn't respond, Grayson continued: "If you feel that's not enough, we can negotiate in person." Me: "..." How is that not enough? That's more than enough! You have to understand, when I was at Vertex, my commission on each deal was only 1%! Not to mention the 20% equity. This is a complete game-changer! I quickly replied to Grayson: "No, no, no, Grayson. That's not what I meant. "It's just so sudden, I couldn't process it for a moment." Grayson on the other end of the line audibly sighed in relief and said slowly: "Then are you free tomorrow? Why don't you come to my company to take a look, and we can discuss the details in person." "Sure. Send me the address." After hanging up the phone, I still hadn't recovered from the shock. I lay blankly on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Grinding in the city for eight years. After rent and daily expenses, I really hadn't saved much money. At least, not enough to buy a decent apartment in a prime real estate area. According to the terms Grayson offered, in less than a year, I'd probably be able to buy a luxury apartment downtown. Thinking of that $50 million contract, I suddenly felt very grateful for Gavin's decision. Thank goodness they didn't get their hands on it. I knew Grayson had probably heard about the $50 million contract from Paige, which is why he offered a high price to poach me. But this was completely normal. There are many sharks and little blood in the water; you have to fight for it. I didn't think Grayson sought me out just for Paige's sake. After all, what I possessed was real capability. Gavin thought things were simple, believing that even if I left, the client contracts would still belong to Vertex. Changing the person who maintained the client relationships would be the same. But the fact that I was able to sit in the position of top sales rep wasn't just because of drinking and kissing ass. As a woman in the tech industry, I definitely was at a disadvantage. Many clients wore naturally tinted glasses, believing that a woman like me wouldn't understand any professional jargon, yet still dared to sell virtual products. When I first entered the industry, a client poured red wine over my head to mock me. I didn't confront him publicly. I didn't yell or make a scene. Instead, I silently improved my professional knowledge. I went through all the tech industry knowledge that those arrogant men thought only men could understand, ensuring that I could comprehend and converse about anything the clients discussed. When treating clients, I was on call 24/7. Not just during holidays, but usually, as long as the client needed me, I was there whenever called. I treated them with sincerity, and only then would they treat me with sincerity. Because of this, my clients trusted my capabilities. They introduced me to their friends, bringing me even more resources. I sat in the position of top sales rep, and I deserved it. And the client who poured the red wine earlier? His company collapsed and went bankrupt less than two years later. The client resources I held in my hands—Gavin and Ashley couldn't steal them.
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