The world honored wealth and power more than anything else. So for an insignificant secretary like her to disrespect a board member and pretended to be pitiful afterward was downright preposterous. I was interested to find out if she would be able to get away with this.
After all, she was not the only one who could put on a show.
Staring intently at Stella, I heaved a long sigh and plastered on a guilty face.
Anyone who had experience in the workplace knew it was full of hypocrisy. Normally, a subordinate was doomed when their superior put on such an expression. Unable to pinpoint any mistake that their superior had done, they could only accept their misfortune. I heard gasps of horror behind me. It seemed like the other colleagues could already foresee what was coming Stella’s way and started praying for her.
Joseph glanced at Stella and me. Then, he instructed curtly, “Ms. Collins, please head to the Finance Department and get three months’ worth of salary. You don’t need to come to work from tomorrow onward.”
His voice was firm and loud. Even I was amazed by his boldness. He actually had the guts to fire an employee whom Ashton hired just like that.
Well done, Joseph! I couldn’t help letting loose a smirk.
“Mr. Campbell?” Stella couldn’t believe her ears as she gaped at him in shock. She forced a smile and asked, “Please don’t joke about this. I’m Mr. Fuller’s secretary, so you need to get his approval before firing me.”
Joseph cast her a cold glance with an indifferent expression. “So you do know that you’re only a secretary. I’m in charge of coordinating all the company’s affairs, it’s only natural that I have the authority to terminate you. You can’t even fulfill a small request from our board member. Are you waiting for Mr. Fuller to clean up your mess? Giving you three months’ worth of salary according to the employment agreement is the kindest thing I can do. Don’t try to push your luck.”
“I…” Stella bit her lower lips. Her face contorted with distress, but she couldn’t find the words to refute him.
Unfazed, I watched them nonchalantly, enjoying the victory. Stella had overestimated herself. She wasn’t even as gorgeous and talented as Rachel. It was dumb of her to attempt to seduce Ashton just because she worked closely with him.
What happened to Stella that day served as a warning to everyone in Fuller Corporation. The position of being Ashton’s wife was mine alone and anyone who tried to replace me had better be ready to stand against the board members, as well as the Moore and Stovall families.
“Why is it so noisy?”
A man’s familiar, husky voice came from afar. Turning around, I saw Ashton step out of his office. With a stern face, he strode past the inquisitive employees to us.
“Mr. Fuller, Ms. Stovall asked for Ms. Collins’ help with some simple tasks, but the latter declined her with many excuses. I’m asking her to head to the HR Department to process her termination.”
Ashton’s dark eyes landed on Stella, whose eyes were still reddened. Thinking that he could be her lifesaver, Stella gazed at him with tears glistening in her eyes, and her brows furrowed slightly, looking delicate and pitiful.
As the two locked eyes, time seemed to have stood still, and the office fell silent. My eyes couldn’t help but flick between the two speculatively, and my brows drew together instinctively.
Although Ashton only looked at her for less than three seconds, I felt as if a century had passed, and every second passed in an extremely slow motion.
What’s going on? Is Ashton going to sympathize with her just because she sent him lunch consistently?
“Is Joseph’s words true?” Ashton asked. His attitude was just and unbiased.
Stella was smart enough to realize that Emery and I were against her. Looking down, she nodded her head firmly and admitted her fault in silence. Her docile face made it look as though I made her confess to it by force.
She may look pitiful to others, but for me, I was downright irritated by it.
“Mr. Fuller, you don’t need to hesitate. I know you’re indebted to Ms. Collins for saving your life, so there’s no need to make a big fuss out of this.” I marched over and interrupted them, staring straight at Stella boldly. “I heard that Ms. Collins is good at meal planning and taking care of people. So why don’t we transfer her to the Logistics Department as an assistant supervisor? She’ll be able to make good use of her talents there.”
