Chapter 1: Termination

"Mr. Jones, I regret to inform you that you are being dismissed."

In a modestly sized conference room, a long, curved wooden table dominated the center. Ethan Jones sat with his back to a glass partition obscured by blinds, while across from him, a man and woman in suits looked on.

The blonde woman spoke, her expression apologetic, yet her emerald eyes remained devoid of any true emotion.

Ethan Jones nodded slightly, accepting the reality. "Alright, I understand."

"And what about my severance?" he inquired.

"Severance?" The woman arched a slender eyebrow.

Turning to her companion, the man chuckled outright.

He tapped his finger on the table, the sound echoing rhythmically. Then, in a raised voice, he said, "Mr. Jones, I believe you may not fully grasp the situation." Shaking the documents in his hand, he continued, "The reason for your dismissal is the massive financial loss you caused the company."

"Right before our Odyssey product launch, you sent an invitation to Nolan Bushnell. This led to him directly copying our designs, costing us a market that was rightfully ours. Under these circumstances, the fact that the company isn't pursuing legal action against you is already an act of mercy, and yet you still expect compensation?"

"Do you think this is Washington? That 'I Have a Dream' moment?"

The mocking tone brought a faint smile to Ethan Jones' lips.

"Okay, okay."

He raised his hands, signaling for calm. As he moved, the crisp white cuffs of his shirt peeked out from beneath his jacket sleeves.

"Sir, I respect your right to speak, but before you do, please remember one thing," Ethan said with a smile. "You and I, we're both employees of this company. The only difference is that I work in the marketing department, and you're in human resources."

"So, let's not pretend this is your home, shall we?"

Ethan's gaze locked onto the man, his words biting, making the man's expression falter.

Before the man could respond, Ethan had already shifted his attention back to the woman. "Since the company has decided to let me go, let's be straightforward. While California is an 'at-will' state, where an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any or no reason, that doesn't give you the right to fire me arbitrarily."

"I admit, I did send that invitation to Nolan Bushnell on the eve of our Odyssey launch, but it wasn't my personal decision—it was a directive from the marketing department. At the time, our goal was solely to promote the company's products to the public."

"The so-called plagiarism was an unfortunate incident, one that no one could have foreseen."

"You can't use that as an excuse to withhold my rightful severance."

Ethan's tone was calm, a faint smile still playing on his lips. Yet, the quiet confidence in his demeanor made the woman purse her lips.

At that moment, she realized that dealing with this man would be far from easy.

As HR for the company, their first task that morning had been to dismiss Ethan Jones. They had assumed it would be a simple matter, given his notorious reputation within the company—one that only persisted because the former boss had been too lenient to address it.

But no one had expected him to stand his ground, obstinate and unyielding like some stubborn redneck.

No, that wasn't right.

He was more like the WASPs of the East Coast—polite on the surface, but beneath it all, just as formidable.

She glanced at her companion, whose rising temper made her abandon any further attempts at diplomacy. "Oh, Mr. Jones, I understand how you must feel, and I even sympathize with your position. Everyone has a natural instinct for self-preservation, and when faced with adversity, we often cling to whatever hope we can find. But that doesn't give you the right to behave irrationally."

"Just because you believe you're blameless, doesn't make it so."

"You think the company won't hold you accountable if it chooses to pursue this matter?"

"Then sue me."

The woman hadn't finished speaking when Ethan cut her off.

"What?"

The blonde thought she'd misheard.

Ethan leaned back, spreading his hands, legs crossed. His face wore an expression of open mockery. "I said—" he elongated his words, "if you're so convinced I've caused the company such monumental losses, then by all means, take me to court."

"Perfect. I'd love to stand before a judge and discuss your unlawful termination."

"Do you really think I don't know why I'm being fired? It's simply because the company has a new owner."

"The management wants to clean house, cutting veteran employees to show a quick profit and validate their own worth."

"This approach is not uncommon. In fact, many companies do the same. But what they don't do is try to save on severance payments, because that's illegal."

"California labor laws require companies to give notice before terminating employees, and to provide severance based on tenure. If you're trying to dodge that, then I'll have no choice but to seek help from the union. I'm sure my union will be very interested in my complaint."

"After all, isn't our company now owned by…"

"Philips of the Netherlands?"

At this, Ethan paused, a confident smile curving his lips as he looked at the two of them.

"With the auto industry in Japan hitting us hard, can I assume this is just another form of capital invasion led by Philips? Or can you explain your actions otherwise?"

"When I inform the media that I've been terminated without severance, won't they see it as yet another instance of foreign capitalists running rampant, ignoring the laws of our America? After all, you're flagrantly violating them right now."

"And if you still want to deny it, then should I take this as a deliberate exploitation and oppression of workers?"

"If that's the case, I'll have to seek assistance from the American Legal Services, established just last year. Or perhaps, I should reach out to the civil rights organizations in San Francisco, and let them know I'm feeling discriminated against?"

Ethan straightened, adjusting his collar before continuing, "While I may be a biological Caucasian, I respect all people of all colors and their right to speak."

"All men are created equal."

"…"

The unrelenting stream of words left the two across the table visibly twitching.

And when Ethan quoted the famous declaration, the man who had earlier mocked him with Dr. King's speech now frowned deeply.

Though Ethan Jones didn't raise his voice in anger, the calmness with which he spoke was far more unnerving.

The pair held his gaze for a few long moments before ultimately deciding to yield.

"Okay, okay, okay, Mr. Jones, please calm down. We were just joking with you earlier," the blonde woman said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

She sighed and continued, "You've been with the company for three years. According to our severance plan, we'll compensate you with four months' salary. With a weekly wage of $80, that comes to $1,280…"

"I want the maximum standard of 2N+1," Ethan interrupted.

The woman's breath hitched, and after a brief silence, seeing Ethan's determination, she reluctantly agreed.

"Fine, 2N+1. That's seven months' salary, amounting to $2,240."

"And my pay for this week," Ethan reminded.

"You'll get it."

The man, his face dark with frustration, hastily scribbled a note for Ethan to take to accounting. "Go collect your check," he growled.

"Thank you." Ethan accepted it with a smile, entirely unfazed by their hostility.

But as he turned to leave the room, he paused at the door and added, "Oh, one more thing, sir."

"This isn't your home, and I'm not taking your money."

"So, lighten up."

"Oh!SXXt" The string of jabs finally broke the man's composure.

He was about to hurl another insult—

Bang!

But the only response was the resounding slam of the door.

Staring at the shadow slipping away through the blinds, the man angrily threw the files across the table.

"Doesn't he know our performance review is based on how much money we save the company?!"

The sharp voice barely registered with Ethan as he walked out, greeting his former colleagues with a smile, heading confidently toward the finance department.

Armed with his severance letter, he collected his due compensation and left the company for good.

As soon as he stepped outside, the warm April sunshine of California embraced him.

The golden rays made Ethan squint as he glanced back at the building, its eastern-facing entrance casting shadows over the company's sign.