Rejected by Her, Chosen by the System

EPISODE 4 – Fired Before Noon

The conference room door clicked shut behind Fred; the sound was quiet, yet it carried an unmistakable sense of finality.

Beyond the glass walls, dozens of curious faces lingered under the pretense of working. Some openly watched the meeting unfold, while others shuffled papers or rearranged files, only to glance back toward the conference room every few seconds.

Richard Stone casually tossed a thick folder onto the polished table, and the documents spilled across its surface. "Sit."

Fred remained where he was. "I'd rather stand."

Richard answered with an amused smirk. "Suit yourself."

He adjusted the cuffs of his tailored suit with deliberate care before strolling around the table. Picking up one of the reports, he held it high enough for everyone to see. "Do you recognize this report?"

Fred looked at it and nodded. "Yes, Sir, I completed it last Thursday."

Richard nodded as well. "You certainly did."

He dropped the document onto the table and picked up another. "And what about this one?"

"I finished that yesterday morning," Fred responded with confidence

Richard gave another approving nod. "So you admit these are your reports."

Fred frowned. "Of course. I prepared every one of them."

A satisfied smile spread across Richard's face. "Excellent."

Without warning, he slammed both hands onto the conference table; the sharp bang echoed through the room. "Then explain why every one of them is filled with errors."

Fred stared at him in confusion. "Errors?"

Richard shoved the reports across the table. "Take a closer look."

Fred quickly flipped through the pages. Within seconds, he realized something was terribly wrong.

The sales projections had been altered. Entire spreadsheets contained figures he had never entered, and several pages had been rewritten with numbers that didn't belong to his work.

His expression hardened. "These aren't the files I submitted."

Richard laughed dismissively. "Oh?, So now you're claiming someone forged your reports?"

Fred continued, "I saved the originals."

"Then where are they?" Richard asked dismissively.

Fred hesitated. "They're stored on the company server."

Richard shrugged dramatically. "The server only contains these versions."

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "So either you're lying, or you're incompetent."

Fred refused to look away. "I know my work."

"So do I." Richard folded his arms across his chest. "And that's exactly why we're having this meeting."

Before Fred could respond, the conference room door opened again.

Several department supervisors entered one after another and quietly took seats around the table. None of them appeared surprised to be there. In fact, they looked as though they had expected this meeting long before it began.

Richard turned toward them with theatrical confidence. "As everyone here knows, our department values accountability."

He gestured toward Fred. "Unfortunately, some employees have failed to uphold that standard."

Only then did Fred fully understand. This wasn't an investigation. It was a performance.

Everything had been arranged long before he stepped into the building that morning. The viral restaurant video had simply provided Richard with the perfect opportunity to carry out a decision that had already been made.

One of the supervisors cleared his throat. "Mr. Stone, are these the reports that caused us to lose the Eastbrook contract?"

Richard nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid they are."

A murmur spread around the table.

Fred's eyes widened. "What?"

Richard pointed directly at him. "Because of these mistakes, we lost one of our largest clients."

For the first time, Fred raised his voice. "That's impossible. I finalized the Eastbrook proposal myself."

Richard smiled without warmth. "And yet..."

He slid another document across the table. "There's your signature."

Fred picked it up, and the signature was undeniably his, but the document, however, was not.

Someone had copied his signature onto an entirely different proposal.

His pulse quickened. "You replaced the proposal."

Richard tilted his head with exaggerated innocence. "Careful, young man, that's a very serious accusation."

Fred slowly looked around the room. Every face avoided his eyes. Not a single person spoke in his defense, not even Daniel.

Daniel was the quiet accountant Fred had helped countless times with complicated reports and impossible deadlines, yet even he lowered his head, unable to meet Fred's gaze.

Fred understood immediately. It wasn't betrayal. It was fear.

Richard noticed the exchange. "Does anyone here believe Fred's story?"

No one answered. The heavy silence that followed was more damaging than any accusation.

Richard spread his hands with a triumphant smile. "There, that settles it."

Fred slowly released a long breath; for years, he had stayed late whenever the office needed him, he had covered extra shifts, solved emergencies, and worked weekends without complaint.

Every sacrifice he had made for the company suddenly felt meaningless. The decision had already been made before he walked into the room.

Richard reached into his briefcase and removed a single envelope. He placed it gently in front of Fred. "Congratulations."

Fred looked at it; he didn't need to open it to know exactly what it contained.

Richard's smile widened. "You're unemployed."

The words echoed through the conference room. Outside the glass walls, someone began clapping. Another employee joined in, then another.

Within moments, applause spread across the office. No one applauded because they admired Richard. They applauded because they were relieved that someone else had become the day's victim.

Richard picked up the envelope and casually tossed it toward Fred. It struck his chest before falling onto the floor.

Fred looked down at it. He didn't rush to pick it up. Instead, he stood silently for a moment before crouching to retrieve it. He brushed away a speck of dust and rose to his feet again.

His expression remained calm. The calmness unsettled everyone in the room. "I completed every assignment I was given," Fred said quietly.

Richard rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that."

Fred held his gaze. "One day, you'll regret this."

The room erupted with laughter.

Richard pretended to wipe away an imaginary tear. "Listen to him, our unemployed philosopher."

He stepped forward until only a few inches separated them. When he spoke again, his voice was low enough that only Fred could hear. "People like you are replaceable."

His smile became even colder. "Poor people always are."

Fred offered no reply. There was nothing left to say. He simply turned and walked toward the door while the applause behind him faded into mocking whispers.

At his desk, he packed everything he owned into his worn backpack: a framed family photograph, a chipped coffee mug, and a notebook filled with business ideas that no one had ever bothered to read.

That was all he had accumulated after years of loyalty. As he zipped the backpack closed, Daniel quietly approached.

After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he spoke in a trembling voice. "I'm..."

He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."

Fred managed a tired smile. "You don't have to apologize."

Daniel looked miserable. "I wanted to say something."

"I know." Fred rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You have a family. Take care of them."

Daniel lowered his eyes, unable to hide the shame on his face.

Before either of them could say anything else, two uniformed security guards approached. One of them cleared his throat awkwardly. "Mr. Harris, we've been instructed to escort you outside."

Fred nodded. "I understand."

Neither guard mocked him. In fact, one of them looked genuinely uncomfortable as they accompanied him toward the exit.

As they walked across the office, conversations stopped once again. Several employees discreetly lifted their phones to record the moment, while others watched with open smiles.

Richard followed several steps behind them. Just before Fred reached the elevators, Richard raised his voice so the entire office could hear. "Oh, Fred!"

Fred paused but didn't turn around.

Richard grinned. "Try not to become homeless."

Another wave of laughter swept through the office. Then the elevator doors slowly slid shut, cutting off the sound.

Outside, the afternoon sun should have felt warm, but to Fred it seemed strangely cold. He wandered through the crowded streets without any destination in mind.

Eventually, he stopped outside a small convenience store as his stomach growled painfully; he hadn't eaten since the previous afternoon.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his phone and opened his banking application.

Available Balance: $68.43

He stared at the number for a long time; rent was due in four days, and his electricity bill was already overdue.

The refrigerator in his apartment contained little more than bottled water and half a loaf of stale bread. Sixty-eight dollars, that was everything standing between him and complete ruin.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips.

Only yesterday, he had been planning to spend his savings on an engagement ring, and today, he was wondering whether he could still afford a cup of instant noodles.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and headed toward a nearby food stall.

The aroma of grilled meat drifted through the air, making his empty stomach ache even more. For a brief moment, he imagined sitting down with a hot meal, but he never got the chance.

Three men stepped into the narrow alley ahead of him. A fourth man quietly moved into position behind him, blocking his escape.

The leader slowly cracked his knuckles. "Nice phone."

Fred immediately understood what was happening. "I don't want any trouble."

The man smiled. "Too late."

Before Fred could react, a fist slammed into his stomach, driving the air from his lungs.

Another punch crashed into his jaw, sending him stumbling backward until he slammed against a brick wall. His backpack slipped from his shoulder and hit the ground as the men closed in around him.

"Wallet."

"Phone."

"Everything."

Fred instinctively raised his arms to protect himself, but a heavy kick struck his ribs, sending sharp pain through his side. Another blow split his lip, and within moments, he collapsed onto the filthy pavement with his vision swimming.

One thug snatched his wallet. Another grabbed his phone. The leader opened the wallet, looked inside, and frowned in disgust. "That's it?"

He held up the few wrinkled bills. "You call this money?"

The others burst into laughter. "Let's go."

The men disappeared into the maze of narrow streets, leaving Fred alone as Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth while rainwater pooled in the cracks of the pavement beside him.

He stared weakly at the darkening sky. A hollow laugh escaped his bruised lips. "So..."

He whispered hoarsely, "This is what rock bottom feels like."

Just then, a strange blue glow appeared before his eyes; at first, he assumed the beating had left him hallucinating.

The light gradually sharpened until it formed a transparent screen suspended in midair. Mechanical text scrolled across its glowing surface.

[INFINITE CASHBACK SYSTEM]

A calm, emotionless voice echoed inside his mind.

[ACTIVATION COMPLETE.]

Fred's breathing caught in his throat. The glowing words remained suspended before him as though they had been waiting for this exact moment...

The worst day of his life.