Chapter 7 Get on Your Knees and Apologize
1119 Words
Turned out, the man in charge was Martineth Manesdin himself.
He was in his early fifties, overweight, leaning on a cane, and carried himself with smug arrogance. "You're just a low-level assistant, Mia. You were never good enough for my son. Now that Lucas is done with you, you'd better take the hint and leave."
Martineth never liked Mia—or to be more accurate, he had no tolerance for any girl from a modest background trying to get close to his son. When Lucas got engaged, he brushed it off as nothing more than a childish game. He had no intention of interfering or showing up. And just like he expected, it all fell apart in the end.
Mia smirked.
"Mr. Manesdin, let's get one thing straight—it's your son who can't let go of me. Not the other way around. If I hadn't made the mistake of liking him back then, do you really think your measly offer could've gotten me to stay?"
She wasn't exaggerating. Martineth was famously stingy—his company's wages were among the lowest in the entire industry.
Back in the day, he'd been a doctor, but he quickly figured out that flipping pharmaceuticals was way more profitable than saving lives. So he switched lanes, opened a pharmacy, and kept scaling up until Manesdin Pharmaceutical became one of the top five medical corporations in the country.
While other companies poured money into R&D, Martineth focused on slashing costs—cheap manufacturing, underpaid staff, the whole nine yards.
And the more people called him out for being tightfisted, the more defensive and petty he became.
His cane struck the floor with a loud thud as he barked, "Outrageous! HR, dock her a month's pay!"
Dante, always one step ahead, had already summoned the HR manager. A dismissal notice was instantly posted across the company's system, for everyone to see.
The HR manager wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Y-Yes, sir. But…"
Mia stood there, arms crossed, looking completely unbothered. "I didn't do anything wrong. Docking my pay just because you don't like me? That's personal bias, not policy. Today you take my salary for no reason, tomorrow it'll be someone else's. Who'd still want to work for you?"
Around them, the employees silently nodded in agreement. Mia might be tough, blunt, and disagreeable, but when she fired back at the higher-ups, it was deeply satisfying to watch.
Martineth was fuming. "You… you… you!"
Lucas pressed his lips together, surprised. Mia had always been obedient with him. He didn't expect her to stand up to the highest authority in the company.
Ava stepped forward with a smug little smile. "Mia, Mr. Manesdin is right. You and Lucas are over. The sooner you leave, the better."
She reached out her hand. "So, can I have the project proposal now? Mr. Miller will be here any minute, and we're supposed to meet him."
But Mia didn't budge. Of course she knew "Mr. Miller" was on his way—she was the one who drove him there.
"And what if I say no? Don't forget, terminating a contract without cause means you owe me severance. Maybe we should start by discussing that."
Martineth's face turned purple. His cane nearly jabbed Mia in the face as he exploded. "What? You dare ask for compensation? The last person who said that got fed to the sharks! Somebody, grab that proposal from her!"
Two bodyguards rushed over, grabbed Mia, and yanked the file from her hands.
Lucas took the document, flipped through it quickly, then exhaled as his expression hardened. "Mia, you've gone too far. You crossed the line with my dad. From now on, I won't believe a word you say. Apologize. Now!"
"Not a chance."
The bodyguards shoved her. Mia lost her balance and was thrown several feet, landing awkwardly right by Martineth's feet.
"Ah!"
She cried out. Her right foot twisted as she hit the ground.
Damn it. This pain was definitely going on Lucas's tab.
Gritting her teeth, she turned back. "Lucas, remember what you said today. Don't you dare come begging me for anything later."
"Gladly," Lucas sneered, though he hesitated before adding arrogantly, "Unless you get on your knees and beg, Manesdin Group will never let you through its doors again!"
Ava's eyes lit up, and she barely hid her grin. "Poor Mia. Hope you find a new job soon..."
Martineth barked, "A new job? No way. I'm going to blacklist you from the entire industry!"
Mia held a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences. If Martineth badmouthed her, word would spread fast. Within three days, every company would know. Who'd dare hire her then?
"Oh my god, blacklisted?" Ava gasped, pretending to be shocked. She was already imagining Mia penniless and begging in the streets. Still, she spoke with feigned sympathy, "If you ever go hungry, I could give you my leftover bread."
Lucas looked at her adoringly. "Ava, you're so kind."
They gazed at each other affectionately.
"Ugh."
Mia felt sick. How did she ever think Lucas was someone she could rely on? He was nothing but a sleazy fake.
She struggled to her feet, kicked off her heels. Her right foot throbbed so badly she had to hop on her left.
But before she could make it far, thud! Martineth's cane smacked against her knee. She lost her balance again and was about to hit the ground face-first—
"Watch out!"
Strong arms caught her just in time. She fell into a broad, steady chest.
A crisp, woodsy scent—like pine—flooded her senses. Even though they'd only just met, she instantly knew who it was.
Oliver.
Before she could even thank him, a cold, angry voice boomed above her head.
"Old man, who the hell taught you to use a cane like that? If you can't handle it properly, don't use one at all!"
The next second—Crack!
Oliver's long leg shot out and snapped Martineth's cane clean in half.
The force knocked Martineth back several steps. Lucas barely caught him in time to keep him from landing hard on the floor.
Martineth shouted, "Who the hell are you? You've got some nerve, kicking me like that!"
"Appreciate the compliment," Oliver said with a sarcastic smile. "Name's Oliver Miller. And if I were you, I'd worry less about my cane. Next time, it might be your heart."
Lucas instantly recognized him—Mia's new fiancé. His face turned red with embarrassment and fury.
"You're causing trouble at Manesdin Group? I'm calling the cops! Oliver Miller, right? Perfect. The police will take care of—wait, what?"
He froze, his eyes confused for a second.
"You said... you're Mr. Miller?"
- Writer
