A Foolish Man

I gave her a look that said she had room temperature IQ. I meant that in Fahrenheit. "Are you expecting me to enter the conference hall when my access card privileges are revoked? Perhaps you might have to see a doctor. That new brain of yours isn't working as well as you think it is."

"Do not try to mock me! That is no reason to go against company rules!"

Anthony showed up with a big fat grin on his face. He praised Queenie for her earnest work. "Ever the earnest employee, Queenie. That's what a company needs to get better."

Queenie smiled smugly and gave me a challenging glance. Anthony turned his attention to me. "Forget the reflection, Christina. It's a waste of time, anyway. Still, you abused company funds, and that will cost you three months' worth of pay. But you've worked hard. Yes, it meant nothing, but I can't deny your hard work. Apologize to Queenie, and this is water under the bridge. No next time, though."

That was ridiculous. "You hear justice in your judgment, but I hear the goddess of justice weeping in shame. Save your punishment, Anthony. I quit!"

That riled Queenie up. "Don't push your luck, Christina! Mr. Shawlesque is helping you out here!"

I did not dignify that with a response. My eyes were still on Anthony. "We're done, Anthony. With you. With this company."

I swiveled and left. That night, I held a farewell party at a restaurant. The coworkers I got along with attended. I thanked them for the help and assistance they gave me during my employment.

Everyone talked about the days we worked together for the company. The air was filled with laughter.

"Things won't be the same without you, Christina."

"Yeah. No one can clean up our mess better than you."

I told them things would be alright. "Everything must come to an end, eventually. But you can call me if you need anything. I'll see if I can help."

We were just having fun, but then, through the corner of my eye, I saw Anthony coming in with Queenie. That was surprising. These two came uninvited.

Still, Queenie took the main spot and looked at me like I was beneath her. "Come on, apologize already, Christina. What are you waiting for?"

This woman was unbelievable. I was going to snap at her, but Anthony spoke up first.

"Finally, you did something I like, Christina. You reserved this whole space. Now all you have to do is apologize to Queenie, and this will all be over."

Well, that was confusing. I checked my phone, and my question was answered. I set Anthony to Do Not Disturb, so I did not notice his message. He told me to reserve a room and apologize to Queenie in front of everyone.

All I had to give was a sneer. Then, I turned my eyes to them. "Someone's getting high on power. I don't have the time to play with you. This act is yours, not mine. I gave everything to the company, and in the end, I was insulted over a bottle of cheap water. And now you think you can make me apologize? Preposterous!"

My coworkers exchanged looks of disbelief and indignation. Most of them had worked for the company for years. They too gave time and effort for the company. My situation acted as a warning for them. Today, it was me. Next time, it could be them.

Anthony's face fell. "Don't push it, Christina. This is your last chance."

I sneered. "Pity I don't need that kind of chance."

Bad Situation

Furious, Queenie jabbed a finger in my face. "You're nothing without the company! Don't give me that smug look!"

"Really? I don't think so." I took my seat again and turned back to my coworkers. "Where were we? Come on, don't let these clowns get in the way of the party."

My coworkers nodded, and the air was slowly filling up with laughter again. Anthony and Queenie were ignored.

Anthony was irate, and now he was the one jabbing a finger at me. "If you keep this up any longer, I'm canceling our engagement, Christina! Riveropolis will have no place for you!"

I shot him a quick look. "You're still here? What are the guards doing? Guards! I reserved this place. I need you to kick the uninvited guests out."

A group of guards stepped into the room. Queenie was nearly screaming with rage. She cursed and raised her hand against me. "You can't do this to Mr. Shawlesque, you bitch!"

A guard grabbed her hand before it could land, and she could not move an inch. Queenie immediately put on a mask of pain and wriggled her wrist. "You're breaking my hand!" she screamed.

Anthony felt her pain. "This isn't over, Christina! I'm suing these guards for assault! You're going to apologize to Queenie or else!"

I sneered again. Anthony could shout until his face turned blue, but I could not care less.

My disinterest got through to Anthony. He threw a scathing glare at me and left in a hurry with Queenie. He did not want her to get hurt again.

I went to the company the next day to pack my stuff up.

One of my coworkers came up to me and whispered, "Queenie took over your office first thing in the morning, Christina. This is bad."

A frown creased my forehead, but I went to my office anyway. There was no one inside. I heaved a sigh of relief and started packing up my stuff.

Halfway through, Queenie came in with a group of guards. "This is my office, Christina! You're trespassing! You're a thief!"

I stopped packing for a moment and looked at her coldly. "This is my office. I'm packing my stuff. I'm not stealing anything."

She sneered and came up to me, staring me straight in the eye. "Don't try to argue with me! You're fired, so this is now my office!"

I pointed at my belongings sitting on the desk. "I might be fired, but I have a right to my personal laptop and documents."

She was ready for this. "That's not personal! The company's top secrets are inside! You can't take them away!"

I laughed mirthlessly. "Guess we'll have to involve the cops, then."

That wiped the smile off her face. She would not dare call the cops, but she was not going to let me embarrass her. Queenie started scanning the office.

Then she noticed something. "You stole top-secret files belonging to the company! I bet you're trying to sell them off, aren't you?"

The commotion caught a lot of people's attention, including Anthony's. He came to the office in a hurry. First, he scanned the scene, then he looked at Queenie, and finally, he turned to me.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Christina?"

For the first time in my life, I felt like I did not know this man. He was a joke.

"You bought that bullshit story?"

Anthony was about to say something, but Queenie was faster. "I saw it with my own eyes, Mr. Shawlesque! I bet she's going to sell the secrets to our competitor! The Prosper Co. deal is coming to us very soon! We can't let anything leak!"

Torture

This was a clown show. All these documents, all the data, were all my work. I compiled them and wrote them out line by line, and I had to work through the night multiple times. I could take my own work. This wasn't stealing.

"You know how much I've done for the company. Now you're accusing me of corporate espionage? Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Anthony's eyes darted around. "It doesn't matter. You're fired. You shouldn't even be here. That's not right. You can't take these things away."

Queenie added, "And she can't leave either! We must lock her up until the bid's over! God knows if she's going to tattle to the whole world!"

It was absurd, but Anthony thought Queenie had a point. He looked at me with eyes filled with cold disappointment.

"You disappoint me, Christina. To think I treated you well, yet you would do this to me out of hatred."

This was unbelievable. To think Anthony would believe Queenie's idiocy that easily. "Are you out of your mind, Anthony! Do you have any idea how much I've sacrificed for the company? Why would I do anything like that?"

Queenie was still fanning the flames. "Don't waste your time with her, Mr. Shawlesque. Just take her in for interrogation. We'll find out who she's working with."

Anthony nodded and swung his arm forward. "Take her away!"

I tried to fight back, but I was outnumbered. The guards pinned me down and locked me in a tiny room.

The lights flickered on. Anthony was standing in the corner, observing me with icy indifference.

Queenie was approaching me, her lips curled into a twisted smile. She was holding a pair of pliers. "Now I'll need you to be honest. Tell us who you sold the secrets to."

I clenched my teeth and gave her a defiant glare. "I sold it to no one! This is an unfounded accusation!"

Queenie slammed her foot into my belly. I curled up in agony, and sweat poured like rain.

"Someone's tough." She went down and clamped one of my fingers with the pliers. "Now are you going to talk?"

I kept my lips closed. There was no way I would submit to these people.

Anthony's patience was running thin. His eyes held nothing but disdain. "Spill it out, Christina. You know how much I hate traitors."

I was still silent. Queenie clenched the pliers down and started pulling my nail out.

The pain made me scream, and my forehead was throbbing, yet she did not stop. "Fine, keep your secrets. You'll have to pay for that."

Every time she pulled, my soul started tearing itself apart. My body was convulsing involuntarily. The pain was unbearable, and it nearly knocked me out.

Anthony still watched on with indifference, as if my torture was just a show on a screen.

"You can't hold on forever, Christina. Spill the beans, and you'll suffer less."

I spat out a mouthful of blood. A guttural growl tumbled out of my throat. "God is watching, Anthony! He'll smite you!"

Queenie plucked another of my nails out and tossed it on the ground. "And you'll be seeing God first."

The pain was making the world itself blur. I was piled on the ground like jelly. My heaving chest was the only proof that I still lived.

Anthony frowned. "Enough. Don't kill her. We need answers from her."