Rejected by Her, Chosen by the System

EPISODE 3 – Fired Before Noon

The next morning brought another humiliation.

Fred hadn't slept at all, he had spent the entire night sitting on the edge of the narrow bed in his tiny apartment, staring at the engagement ring resting on the small table beside him.

Every time he closed his eyes, Chloe's cold expression returned, followed by the words that refused to leave his mind. "Love doesn't pay bills, Fred."

The sentence echoed through the darkness until the first pale light of dawn finally slipped through the faded curtains.

His alarm buzzed. It was 6:30 a.m.

On any other morning, Fred would have jumped out of bed immediately, determined not to arrive late for work. Richard Stone had deducted half a day's pay from employees for being only five minutes behind schedule, and Fred couldn't afford another deduction.

This morning was different; he simply lay there, staring at the cracked ceiling above him. For the first time in years, he found himself wondering whether there was any point in going to work at all.

Reality answered before he could convince himself otherwise.

Rent still had to be paid. The electricity bill wasn't going to disappear, and neither was the cost of food. None of life's responsibilities cared that his heart had been shattered the night before.

With a weary sigh, Fred forced himself out of bed. He splashed cold water over his face and put on the only clean shirt he owned. The collar had begun to fray, and one of the buttons had long ago been replaced with a mismatched white one after the original snapped off.

He paused in front of the bathroom mirror. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and the reflection staring back at him looked far older than twenty-six.

He barely recognized himself. "One more day," he whispered. "Just get through one more day."

The financial district buzzed with its usual morning energy.

Luxury sedans disappeared into underground parking garages while sharply dressed executives strode confidently toward towering glass buildings, expensive coffee cups in hand and success written across their faces.

Fred walked among them carrying a weight that no one else could see. As he approached the entrance to Graystone Marketing, an uneasy feeling settled over him. Something wasn't right. People were looking at him.

These weren't the casual glances coworkers exchanged every morning. The stares lingered longer than they should have, filled with curiosity and amusement.

Several employees stopped talking the moment he walked past, while others quickly looked away, trying and failing to hide their smirks. A knot formed in Fred's stomach.

"Did they somehow know what had happened?"

"No, that couldn't be possible. Or could it?"

He stepped into the elevator as three coworkers entered behind him. Normally, they barely acknowledged his existence. Today, however, seemed unusually cheerful.

One of them unlocked his phone and grinned. "I swear, watch this part again."

The other two immediately burst into laughter. Fred's stomach tightened.

The elevator's mirrored wall reflected the phone screen just enough for him to see what they were watching.

There he was, standing inside the restaurant with flowers in his hands, looking completely lost. Someone had recorded everything: the confrontation, the failed proposal.

Even Ethan's smug smile as Chloe returned the necklace. The video ended with dramatic subtitles flashing across the screen. "Woman Dumps Poor Boyfriend for Billionaire."

More than one million people had already watched it. It had been uploaded only a few hours earlier.

"Poor guy," one coworker said between laughs. "I almost felt bad."

He paused before adding with another grin, "Almost."

The elevator doors slid open. As Fred stepped into the hallway, another employee called after him. "Hey!"

Fred turned instinctively. The man smiled broadly. "Where are the flowers today?"

Laughter echoed through the corridor. Fred lowered his head and continued walking without saying a word. Each step felt heavier than the one before.

The office floor was unusually lively. Very few people appeared interested in working. Instead, they seemed to be waiting for something. They were waiting for him.

The moment Fred walked through the department doors, exaggerated applause erupted from several desks.

Someone whistled loudly, while another employee dropped to one knee in an exaggerated proposal pose.

"Oh no," a woman called out with a laugh. "Our romantic hero has arrived."

The room filled with another wave of laughter. A young accountant stood up and held a stapler like a microphone. "Sir Fred!"

He grinned dramatically. "Tell us."

"What does heartbreak feel like?"

Before Fred could answer, another employee shouted across the room. "Cheap!"

The office erupted once again. Without responding, Fred quietly placed his worn backpack beside his desk.

His computer hadn't even finished booting when someone slid a small paper box onto his keyboard. He opened it. Inside was a cheap plastic engagement ring.

Beneath it rested a handwritten note. "Better luck next billionaire."

Someone nearby snorted with laughter.

Another employee clapped. "Discount Romeo!"

Within seconds, the nickname spread across the office. "Morning, Discount Romeo."

"Hey, Romeo."

"Don't propose to HR."

Even coworkers who barely knew his name eagerly joined the mockery.

Fred silently closed the box. His fingers trembled. It wasn't anger making them shake. It was sheer exhaustion. More than anything else, he wanted to disappear.

Instead, he powered on his monitor and opened the unfinished reports from the previous day. Work had always been his refuge.

Numbers never betrayed anyone, and deadlines never laughed at another person's pain.

If he buried himself deeply enough in spreadsheets and reports, perhaps the cruel voices surrounding him would eventually fade into the background.

Unfortunately, Richard Stone had entirely different plans. The office doors slammed open with enough force to silence the room.

Every conversation stopped immediately.

Richard entered with his usual confident stride, dressed in an immaculate charcoal suit that probably cost more than Fred earned in two months. He slowly surveyed the office before his eyes settled on Fred.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face. "There he is."

Instead of heading toward his office, Richard walked directly to Fred's desk. The entire department watched. "Fred, come with me."

Fred stood. "Is there a problem, sir?"

Richard threw back his head and laughed loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Oh..."

"There is definitely a problem."

He turned toward the rest of the department and spread his arms dramatically. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe our famous coworker deserves another round of applause."

The office erupted once more, and Fred remained standing without saying a word.

Richard slowly circled him like a predator examining wounded prey. "I watched the video three times this morning," Richard said with a chuckle. "My favorite part?"

He leaned closer until only Fred could clearly see the satisfaction in his eyes. "It was the look on your face when she chose the billionaire."

Another wave of laughter swept through the office.

Richard shook his head with theatrical disappointment. "I suppose loyalty has a market price after all."

Fred drew in a slow breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "I came here to work."

Richard's smile disappeared. "No."

His voice turned cold. "You came here to embarrass this company."

Fred frowned. "I don't understand."

"You will." Richard lifted a thick folder from his side. "Conference room."

"Now?" Fred asked

Without another word, Richard turned and walked away.

The office immediately filled with excited whispers as Fred followed him toward the glass-walled conference room.

Dozens of curious faces tracked every step he took, watching through the transparent walls with barely concealed anticipation.

Whatever Richard had planned, he wanted the entire office to witness every second of it.