Chapter 5 You're Fired

• Shirley lost it. "What the hell do you think you're doing, hitting me?!" she shrieked, jabbing her finger at Chase.
• Chase glared at her, his voice cold as ice. "I'm Syd's husband. If you have to say something, spit it out without getting all grabby."
• Shirley's eyes practically bugged out. "Wait, what? You're married to Syd?" she stammered. Spinning around, she yelled at Sydney, "You're married? Since when?"
• Shirley stared at Sydney, her disbelief evident. The latter gave a little head nod to confirm it.
• "Nice one, girl! You got married without telling me? Am I dead to you?" The middle-aged woman yelled, throwing a fit.
• "And now you let your thug of a husband hit me! You ungrateful little punk, karma's gonna bite you for this!" Insults spewed from Shirley's mouth like venom.
• "Smack!" Chase slapped her again and warned, "Watch your mouth! Keep it up, and I'll deal with you properly, you shrew!"
• The middle-aged woman clutched her face in fear, trembling at the intimidating presence of Chase.
• "You haven't seen the last of me!" Shirley sputtered, fuming as she circled around Chase to escape.
• Marion started clapping sarcastically. "My, my, that was quite a show! Bringing your husband to the office to muscle things through, even resorting to violence against your own aunt! You truly are a force to be reckoned with."
• Marion's words sparked a flurry of whispers among the surrounding employees.
• "Who's this husband of hers? So violent!"
• "Can you believe he hit his wife's aunt? What a jerk!"
• "No wonder she got ostracized from the Saffer family. There must be more to the story."
• Sydney met Marion's gaze with a steely glint in her eyes. "Marion, I've been good to you all this while. How could you do this to me? Why betray me?"
• Marion's betrayal hit Sydney hard. She had personally trained and mentored Marion and practically raised her in the company. Here she was, the first one to throw Sydney under the bus.
• "You kidding me?" Marion roared with laughter. "You treated me well? I freaking earned everything I got! Sales Manager? Girl, please, with my skills, that's a slap in the face! Don't you dare call that a betrayal!"
• She leaned in, eyes narrowed. "Ms. Hailey promised a promotion to vice president once she became general manager. She's the kind of leader worth my loyalty."
• Sydney, bitterly disappointed, asked, "You really think I'm done for? How are you so sure she'll replace me?"
• Marion belted out another long and cruel laugh. "Done for? Honey, you've been kicked out by your own family; that's you now, a stray. You're a dog with no leash. With nothing now, how can you stand up against the Saffer family? You want to be smart? Get down on your knees and beg. Maybe, just maybe, when I'm Vice President, I'll put in a good word with Ms. Hailey to let you clean toilets."
• This caused many employees to stir, eager to align themselves with the rising power. The shift in power was clear, and they didn't want to miss out.
• "Ms. Bovril's right," a sycophant chimed in. "Get down on your knees and beg for your job back. Maybe she'll pity you."
• Another voice joined the chorus, laced with a hint of mockery. "Still standing there like a statue? Don't you know your reign is over, Miss-Old-No-More- Glory Saffer?"
• "Don't blow this," someone else warned. "This is your last shot."
• Like rats scuttling after cheese, some opportunistic employees were already pledging their loyalty to the future Vice GM.
• Sydney eyed them with icy disdain, silently vowing that if she stayed at this company, every last one of those ungrateful snakes would get their walking papers.
• Suddenly, Chase erupted into a fit of sarcastic clapping and laughter. "Man, oh man," he chuckled, "you guys deserve a medal for that show of bravado!"
• Everyone gawked at him, completely lost as to what he was on about.
• Chase swiveled his head towards Sydney and inquired, "You're still the GM here, right?"
• Sydney, still puzzled by his line of questioning, simply nodded in agreement.
• Chase pressed on, "If you're still in charge, wouldn't that mean you can fire their sorry butts?"
• "Of course. I am still the general manager and naturally have the authority to terminate employees," the woman said, and suddenly, Sydney's eyes lit up with realization.
• Now, she finally saw what Chase was getting at.
• "So what's the hold-up?" Chase spread his hands. "Give these valiant heroes their just rewards!"
• Exactly! She was still in charge. Who cares if she might be out the door in two days? Right now, Komet Corp is her domain. Nobody messes with the GM!
• With renewed resolve, Sydney pointed at Marion and the sycophantic employees, "You're all fired! Get out of Komet Corp now!"
• The decision brought Sydney a surge of satisfaction. Firing these traitors felt damn good. It was like a pressure release valve had finally burst, washing away all her pent-up frustration.
• "Is this even funny? What are you trying to prove?!" Marion yelled, clenching her teeth.
• Marion interpreted Sydney's actions as a defiant last stand, a pathetic attempt to exert control before being shown the door.
• Sydney's voice hardened, a sneer twisting her lips. "As long as I'm the General Manager, I call the shots!"
• "Hah! Fight it all you want; you're two days from toast!"
• "Two days, and you'll be nobody. No office, no power, no Gemville."
• "Can't wait to see you crash and burn! "Marion shot back.
• Chase, still grinning, pointed to the door. "Finished ranting, drama queen? Time to scram!"
• Marion shot Chase a dagger-like stare, fuming but powerless. "I'll be back in two days to see you eat crow myself!" she spat before stomping out of the office.
• Sydney let out a long breath. Eliminating the incompetent traitors was a temporary victory, but the real trouble was far from over.
• The shareholders' meeting loomed in forty-eight hours. She had a limited window of opportunity to devise a strategy to salvage her dwindling control and safeguard her father's legacy: Komet Corp.
• Following this, she contacted her closest friend, Sara, and arranged a dinner date before returning home with Chase.
• Sydney resided in a prestigious apartment complex known as Lux Suite. Her unit, Block C, Unit 1101, was a spacious dwelling encompassing approximately 120 square meters.
• "Sit down. We need to talk." Sydney gestured for Chase to sit down, preparing for a serious conversation about how they would proceed with their relationship and what the future held.
• Chase plopped himself down on the couch, his eyes glued to Sydney. He was practically vibrating with anticipation.
• After a moment, Sydney began, "You know, our marriage was a whirlwind."
• Another beat, "We don't have that emotional foundation... So, even though we're married now, we are not a regular couple and couldn't function like one."
• "Huh?" Chase looked confused as hell.
• Sydney stopped momentarily, then blurted out, "Basically, I'm not into you right now, so I can't be all in. Even though we live together, we gotta keep our distance and respect each other's space."
• "Like... roommates?" She mumbled, barely audible.
• Chase jumped up, eyes wide. "Wait, are you saying I can't touch you? We can't, like, do it?"
• Seeing his freak out, Sydney tried to explain. "It's not that! I'm just saying there's no, you know, spark between us right now. Some things just feel weird without that click, you know what I mean?"
• Chase's face fell. He thought marrying Sydney would solve half his problems. He never thought she'd shut him out like this! How was he supposed to fix things now?
• Chase's expression darkened. He thought marrying Sydney was a big step towards saving himself. He never expected Sydney wouldn't let him touch her!
• So how was he supposed to manage his Astral Solar Form condition now? Without intimacy, how could he prevent the potential for a violent explosion within his body?