When Colin and his wife Alice both worked for the tyrant Mr. Taylor at the same company, they thought they had a good deal while pursuing their passions. But after a mishap at work, Alice was ridiculed in front of everyone, prompting Colin to seek revenge. When the couple lost their jobs, Colin fought for revenge…
Working as a driver for the owner of a medium-sized business was never my dream, but it paid the bills. To be honest, I’ve always wanted to own my own construction company, but life often takes strange paths.
The good thing about working as a driver was that I could go to fancy places and work with my wife Alice. We had met years ago, long before we both worked at the same company. But when Alice got the job as Mr. Taylor’s personal assistant, she gave him my resume.
“Everything will be fine, Colin,” she told me one evening as we made pasta for dinner.
“He needs a personal driver, and you can do that. Neither of us has to stay there forever, but the pay is good enough for now. Until something better comes along, we’ll have to make do.”
“I know,” I agreed. “It’s just that this is so far from my dream that I feel like I’m going to be stuck here. But that’s okay, I’m only stuck if I settle. And I won’t do that.”
Our boss, Mr. Taylor, was a tough nut to crack. At first glance, he seemed like the typical businessman. You know: fancy suits, always on the phone, and a way of talking that makes you think he knows something you don’t.
But the truth was simple: Mr. Taylor was a man who thrived on control, and the tighter he held the company and its employees, the worse it got for us all.
Alice had been struggling with his moods for months. Recently, he had been preparing for a big business meeting where new investors were to be invited to showcase his security empire.
“You’re stressed, Alice,” I simply said as she told me how tense her shoulders felt.
“He’s under a lot of pressure, honey,” she said. “That means I’m under pressure too.”
She tried to shrug it off, but I could see how much it was weighing on her. Alice was constantly nervous, double-checking everything, and afraid to make even the smallest mistake.
Then it happened last week.
Over the years, Mr. Taylor had become friends with Alice and trusted her a lot. When it came to negotiating a new contract with a few new contractors, he sent Alice in.
“I’ve prepared you, Alice,” his voice boomed. “It’s quite simple and everything is in the presentation and the brochures we’ve made for them. All you have to do is present and see if they have any questions. Then you give them a smile and let them sign. Very simple.”
Alice beamed. I knew she loved the additional responsibility and wanted to prove her worth to him. She was tired of being a personal assistant and wanted more.
But when she came home that evening, her face was pale.
“The meeting didn’t go well,” she quietly admitted. “They backed out. All of them.”
“What? Why?” I asked, feeling a knot in my stomach. I knew there would be a fallout. Mr. Taylor would surely tell everyone how disappointed he was with Alice.
I put the tea kettle on and encouraged Alice to tell me everything.
“He insisted on a few ridiculous conditions,” she explained. “I tried to tell him they wouldn’t go for it, but he wouldn’t listen. I mean, Colin, there were clauses for up to fifteen million dollars. That means if someone backed out, they’d have to pay him that much money, and that would have been feasible once the contract was signed.”
“And let me guess, he’s blaming you?”
She nodded sadly.
I took my wife’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
“It’s not your fault, love. Mr. Taylor is trying to be calculating, but he always takes shortcuts. He should have known better.”
When I arrived at the office the next day to tell Mr. Taylor that I was taking the car in for inspection, things escalated to a whole new level.
Mr. Taylor called a meeting and dragged everyone from their desks into the open office area. I stood at the back, not sure whether to stay or just go with the car. But then I saw my wife with downcast eyes and drooping shoulders.
“Everyone!” Mr. Taylor barked. Immediately, the chatter ceased.
“I want you all to look at Alice. Look at her closely.”
Alice shifted uncomfortably and her face turned red.
“This is what a failure looks like! No wonder our new potential partners pulled out. She looks all hunched and frightening. Like a scarecrow! Alice is a prime example of how not to look. Alice is the perfect example of a miscast!”
A few nervous laughs went through the crowd, but most people just looked away. I could feel the blood boiling under my skin. I had never seen him go this far before.
Before I could hold myself back, I pushed through the crowd.
“Hey, that’s enough now!” I yelled.
Mr. Taylor turned around and his eyes narrowed.
“Oh, and here comes the knight in shining armor,” he taunted. “Have you come to defend your damsel in distress?”
I squared my shoulders and met his gaze.
“You’re the failure here. You have no right to talk to Alice like that. It wasn’t her fault the deal fell through. You were the one who insisted on those terms!”
“What?” he barked. “Do you think you know better how to run a business than me? You’re just a driver.”
“Yeah, and you’re just a tyrant,” I shot back.
The office was deathly quiet, and eyes shifted back and forth between us.
“You’re fired!” he spat, his face contorted with anger. “Both of you. Get out of here!”
Alice let out a small cry, but I took her hand.
“Come on, let’s go,” I said.
We left the office and the door closed with a thud behind us.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I really didn’t want you to lose your job.”
“It’s not your fault,” I assured her. “We’ll figure something out. We always do.”
But as we drove home, it dawned on me what had happened. And I knew I couldn’t just let it go. Not this time.
Later in the evening, Alice was busy in the kitchen. She was making dumplings, something she only did when she needed to occupy her mind and hands.
“Colin, I tried so hard. And now… Now we’re both unemployed because of me.”
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her.
“It’s not over,” I said. “I know where he’ll be tonight. He has another meeting with his partners. It was on my schedule this morning.”
“So you’re going to crash his meeting?” she asked, wiping her eyes.
“Trust me, this will be good,” I said, grabbing my keys.
I drove to the hotel where Mr. Taylor’s meeting was being held, and when I pulled up in front of the hotel, I saw his luxury car parked. I felt overwhelmed and wanted to turn away, but I couldn’t leave without doing something.
I walked in and made my way to the restaurant area where he always held his meetings.
And then I saw him. Mr. Taylor, sitting at a secluded table in the back of the restaurant. But he wasn’t with a business partner. No, he was with a woman.
They sat too close together, his hand on her knee, and wine glasses stood on the table before them. Before I could do anything else, I reached for my phone and snapped a few quick photos before I snuck back into the lobby.
Then I drove to Mr. Taylor’s house; Mrs. Taylor needed to see this.
“Colin! How nice to see you!” she said as she opened the door.
“Hello, Mrs. Taylor,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “I need to show you something.”
She furrowed her brow, but she nodded.
I took out my phone and handed it to her.
“Is that… is that my husband?” she asked incredulously.
“I’m sorry, I thought you should know.”
I quickly told her what had happened in the office and how Alice and I had lost our jobs.
“Don’t worry. Send me that. I’ll round up the investors and put an end to this whole thing. I’d love to see what he does without money. Besides, it was my father’s company; there’s a clause in my prenup that says the company goes solely to me if proven unfaithful.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Give me a week, Colin,” she said. “You and Alice will get your jobs back. You’ll both be working for me. Enjoy the free week, and I’ll see you on the other side. You’ll be compensated for the pressure my husband put on you. And when you rejoin the company, you’ll get a raise.”
I went home thrilled by the news. I couldn’t wait to tell Alice that we were rid of the man who had treated us like dirt. And now there were a whole new set of opportunities lying ahead of us.
Who knows, maybe I can even give up my job as a driver and go back to pursuing my passion.
What would you have done?