All Chapters of The Rejected Man's Rise: Chapter 41
- Chapter 50
123 chapters
CHAPTER 41
“A-Are you free tonight?” she asked hesitantly. “I was wondering if we could grab dinner.”Caleb stopped working and shifted his head slowly. “Dinner?”“Yes,” she smiled. “We can catch up, and-”“Weren’t you embarrassed when I proposed to you with the ring?” Caleb asked.She frowned for a second, then smiled again, “I was stressed that day. Mike was there, pressuring me. But now, he’s gone. I can finally show my feelings to you.”Caleb took a deep breath. (The ease with which she’s lying…)“I’ll pay for the dinner,” Sherry added.Those were words Caleb didn’t think he’d expect coming out of her mouth, not in this fashion.Caleb glanced at her. “Listen, Sherry. If you’re afraid that you might lose your job like Mike, then don’t be. The reason he got fired is because he’s been harassing other employees, forcing them to do his work. I exposed him right in front of the CEO, and she fired him immediately. Even his uncle could not help Mike because Mike did that badly.”There was silence fo
CHAPTER 42
[Bond Meter helps you understand your relationship status with others. Depending on its score, you can tell if the other person is your ally or not. Of course, it’s not absolute because experts can hide their true intentions. But it works ninety nine out of a hundred times.0 - 10: Veil of Strangers: No emotional link. Can be polite, rude, or even suspicious depending on the situation.10 - 20: Flickering Souls: Aware of each other’s presence. Nothing more, but not nothing.20 - 30: Thread of Familiarity: Faces become known, voices remembered. A thin thread begins to stitch.30 - 40: Circle of Comfort: You seek each other’s time. Friendly bonds grow as emotional walls begin to crack.40 - 50: Ember Link: Eye contact becomes meaningful. Silence between you two is no longer awkward.50 - 60: Gate of Vulnerability: You have concern for each other’s wellbeing. Protective instincts begin.60 - 70: Gravity Bond: Closeness becomes natural. You start relying on each other. Your conversations
CHAPTER 43
Caleb fell forward onto the table.“Haha,” Denise laughed a little. “You are funny.”But then Caleb did not get up.A few seconds passed.Denise’s expression slowly changed. “D-Did he really faint? Was it that hard for him to believe what I said?”Her eyes narrowed.“I guess I am too much for him, but that makes it all the more easier for me to handle him,” she thought. “I don’t know why he made my uncle lose his job, but he’s going to pay for it. There’s no way an overweight guy like him is better fit for the job than my uncle who works so hard. You reap what you sow, Caleb.”She then splashed some water on Caleb’s face.Caleb woke up and rubbed his face with his sleeves, then looked at Denise with a confused expression.She wasn’t speaking anything now.But, did she really ask him if they should date?“Uh, U-Um…” Caleb couldn’t find words right now.Nothing came to his mind.His mind was still blank.The waiter brought the items and decorated the whole table. There were more dishes
CHAPTER 44
Caleb could not believe it when the bond meter showed a score that went from zero to negative one.[Denise’s impression on you has turned negative! Now, she’s probably thinking about dating you.]Dreamie’s message sent a shiver down Caleb’s spine.And he ended up farting before he knew it.This wasn’t just any simple fart but a thunderous one that startled Denise and the other customers at other tables.Caleb’s expression froze.He couldn’t even look at Denise.He was too embarrassed to do that.He was actually very good at controlling his farts because he was used to do it in the office, but now, for some reason, he ended up leaking gas before he could contain it.Was this the negative consequence of not following the strict diet the system had told him to?He asked the system, but there was no response.The silence from the system made Caleb very anxious.He had no idea what other bad things the system could do to him.And he didn’t want Denise to watch his suffering as it might tot
CHAPTER 45
One look at Caleb’s old car, and it gave away his current financial situation.Denise has always been successful since childhood, both in studies and sports. She was a national rollerskates champion at 13 years of age. She was always first in school and college. So, she didn’t like that she had to talk with someone like Caleb whose life turned into a mess.“You became the chief designer, didn’t you?” she said. “You should buy a new car.”“I could, but I don’t want to pay EMIs,” he said. “I will buy one when I have enough money to pay for the car.”Denise shook her head. “Don’t take this offensively, Caleb, but you’re being silly.”“Silly?” Caleb slightly frowned. “Why?”“When you attend a job interview, do you go in informal clothing?” she asked.Caleb shook his head. “No. I’ve seen guys get rejected just because they weren’t wearing shoes or their ties weren’t fixed properly.”“You’re the chief designer of a company now,” Denise said. “You’re in a commanding position, so you can’t be
CHAPTER 46
At a car dealership store.“Nobody has bought a car this week,” the manager was yelling at the staff members. “This never happened before! Are you guys even trying?”“We are doing our best, sir,” the employees replied, but they didn’t look too confident.“Don’t just rely on those who walk through these doors,” the manager said. “Call old customers and tell them why they should get an upgrade. Make them buy a newer model and how it would help them.”“Yes, Boss.”“How many customers entered our store today?” the manager asked.There was silence.“Did you not near my question?” the manager raised his voice. “How many customers walked into our store today?”“A-Actually, no one,” one of the employees replied hesitantly.The manager frowned. “This isn’t good. My wife’s birthday is coming soon. If I don’t buy her a necklace and take her to a good restaurant, she’s going to nag at me until her next birthday! I want you all to sell high-end cars. Whoever sells cars over 60K will get double the
CHAPTER 47
Nobody expected there to be money in the bag.Caleb didn’t take out a hundred dollars but stacks of cash that could be worth tens of thousands.Everybody including the manager could not stop their eyes from popping out like springs.“Please come to my room, sir,” the manager’s attitude completely changed.“If I come to your room, will I get a bigger discount?” Caleb asked.The manager forced out a smile. “Sure. Why not?”Caleb then put the money back in the bag and walked with the manager.“Bring drinks and food,” the manager coldly ordered the workers.They were still in shock and confusion.“Was that real cash?”“I didn’t think he’d have the money.”“Now that the manager has taken him, we can’t get the commission anymore.”Inside the manager’s room.Caleb saw that the chairs were small, so he went and sat in the manager’s chair which was the biggest of them all.The manager was not offended. At least, he didn’t look upset on the outside.“Don’t take it offensively, sir,” the manager
CHAPTER 48
After signing the relevant documents in the store, Caleb was assured that his new car would be arriving within two weeks.As Caleb left the store, the workers had regret painted on their faces.They wished they hadn’t ignored him. Now, it was the manager who benefited from the deal and would get all the commission money, which would be at least 5000 dollars.Caleb then went home.He slept until evening so he could recover faster.And he hurried off to Faye’s gym.When he reached the gym apartment, Ben was trying to flirt with Rita in the parking lot.“I brought these imported flowers for you, ma’am,” Ben offered a bouquet of variegated flowers. “Please accept them.”“I don’t like flowers,” Rita replied. “What?” Ben was surprised for a second but then smiled. “Surely, you are joking. Is there any woman in the world who doesn’t like flowers?”“Are you saying I’m a liar?” Rita coldly glared at him.“N-No, that’s not what I-” Before he could explain himself, Rita walked away.But then sh
CHAPTER 49
Ben sat down next to Caleb and put his arm across Caleb’s shoulder.“Hey, Caleb, how do you know Ms. Rita?” Ben asked with a smile.Caleb was a bit surprised because Ben was being friendly all of a sudden.“Why are you asking me about her?”“Because I saw you talking to her in the parking lot,” Ben said. “It looked like you two knew each other.”“Well, she’s my boss.”“Your boss?” Ben’s expression changed. “Oh, so you work in Grand Little Interiors.”“Yeah. She was talking about a project.”“I see,” Ben removed his arm off Caleb’s shoulder and stood. “So you were talking about work. I was worried for nothing.”“Worried? Why?”“Nothing,” Ben turned to look at him. “You are going to lose your job soon because I’m going to date your boss, and I’ll tell her to kick you out.”Caleb was startled, but he said, “You want to get me fired? I don’t think you can do that?”“Really?” Ben smirked. “Then why don’t we make a bet? One week. In one week, I’ll make Rita fire you. If I succeed, then you
CHAPTER 50
The second day at the gym wasn’t as difficult as the first day in terms of physically exerting himself, but Caleb found it difficult to concentrate because a couple of girls had been snickering in the background.At first, he ignored them.But as time passed, it became obvious that they were laughing at him.When Faye came to check on him, Caleb complained about the girls.However, Faye said, “Just ignore them.”“How can I ignore them when they are being so annoying?” Caleb asked back.“As long as they aren’t in your face, don’t react,” Faye said. “Instead, ignore them and focus on working out. I’ve noticed that you are doing the exercises, but you are not exactly focusing on the exercise you’re doing.”Caleb was offended. “What do you mean? I’m putting a lot of focus and effort. Can’t you see all this sweat on my shirt?”“I never said you weren’t working hard, but you need to work smart. Efficiently,” she said. “Let me show you.”She picked up two dumb bells and curled them.“You nee