After Being Laid Off, I Became the Boss

The boss had a one-month-old feast for his dog, and each of the employees was expected to give two thousand dollars as a gift.

After refusing the boss's request, the manager started purposely making things difficult for me.

The boss, in a fit of anger, fired me, their top salesperson.

"Someone like you, with no vision, won't be accepted by any company!" He said to me.

Little did he know, this was my family's company.

When the manager docked my bonus, I increased his rent.

When the boss fired me, I bought out his company.

When I returned as the new boss, the old boss was finally dumbfounded.

"Sorry, you're fired! I'll be taking over as the boss." I said to him.

1

"Emma, haven't you given money yet?"

Before leaving work, the manager stood by my desk, holding a thermal mug.

"What money?" I asked.

"Haven't you checked the group chat on Whatsapp? The boss's Samoyed dog had a litter, and they're a month old now. The boss had a one-month-old feast for his dog. We're all invited to the feast, and everyone needs to chip in two thousand dollars as a gift. Everyone else has paid, only you haven't. Hurry up and send it to me via Whatsapp." He said.

I was speechless. I had seen the message, but I thought it was so outrageous that I ignored it.

"I won't be attending the feast, so I'll skip the money, too." I replied.

I chuckled to myself. This lousy job barely pays over ten thousand a month.

The boss was always organizing events. Recently, it was his daughter's tenth birthday, and each of us had to chip in two thousand dollars. Then it was his wife's birthday, and we also give money as a gift.

And now even the dog's one-month celebration required us to give money as a gift.

It was like all our hard-earned money was going straight back into his pocket.

I tolerated it before, but this time, I refuse to be the fool who keeps giving away money.

"Whether you attend the feast or not, you still have to give money as a gift. Otherwise, should I just tell the boss that the whole company is missing only your contribution?" The manager said again.

"Go ahead and tell him. I'm here to work, not to give gifts. I have a client to meet, so I'm leaving now." I said.

With my colleagues looking on in admiration, I walked out with long strides.

2

After finishing with the client, it was already past nine. I had just dropped the client off at home and was about to grab something to eat.

But the manager called me again. I answered the phone.

"Emma, are you at home? Hurry to Greenfield High School and pick up the boss's child." He said.

"Why should I pick his child up?" I asked.

I thought it was already ridiculous that I was doing so many odd jobs, and now they wanted me to be a babysitter, too?

"Why are you talking so much nonsense? Helping out the boss is seen as an opportunity! Everyone else is for the feast, and you're the only one not fitting in! If you won't pay, can't you at least help out? Do you still want this job?"

The manager scolded me harshly, "Hurry up and pick his child up. If anything happens to the child, can you take responsibility?"

With that, the call ended.

I was utterly speechless, but when I tried calling back, the manager ignored my calls.

I had no choice but to drive over, pick up the child, and drop him off.

When I got there, the child went inside, but the boss didn't even let me in.

Through the window, I saw my colleagues sitting awkwardly in the boss's house.

The dishes on the table were pitifully few, and everyone looked uncomfortable.

Two thousand dollars for such a meal. What a rip-off!

3

I thought the boss would talk to me about my not attending the feast and not giving money, but the next few days he was surprisingly quiet.

However, more and more messy chores started falling on my shoulders.

Last time, it was picking up the child.

This time, I got a call from the manager early in the morning, before dawn.

"Where are you? Get to the boss's house. He's out of town, and you're responsible for walking his dog morning and evening." The manager said.

I was still groggy from sleep, and now they wanted me to walk the boss's dog?

What am I, a pushover?

"I can't do it. That's not part of my job description."

After saying that, I hung up. But the manager called back immediately. I didn't hesitate to hang up again, put my phone on silent, and went back to sleep.

When I got to the office, the manager launched into a scolding.

"Emma! Do you even know you're here to work? The boss gave you a task, and you didn't do it! You didn't even answer my calls! Are you deaf?"

"Manager, if I remember correctly, my work hours start at eight-thirty. Do you want to check what time you called? Five-thirty? Walking the dog? I'm here to handle finance and business, not to be a personal assistant." I said.

My logical argument only made the manager angrier.

"Fine, fine! I utter one sentence and you have ten waiting in response! I'm your superior. If I say it's your task, then it's your task! The boss trusts you with these tasks as a test! You're so disobedient; it seems you don't want to work here anymore." He said angrily.

"Manager, thank you for the trust, but I'll pass on this 'trust' to you."

I returned to my desk to continue working, not wanting to argue further.

Originally, I came here to familiarize myself with the company's entry-level operations.

As the daughter of the chairman, my father gave me a year to train at the grassroots level, and I wanted to use this opportunity to show him my capabilities.

Who knew I'd encounter such leaders who liked to exploit their employees? It seems the lower you go, the more things need shaking up.

4

That day, the manager posted a notice in the group chat criticizing me, "Emma is not complying with superior work arrangements, and her bonus will be docked by five hundred dollars."

I was extremely frustrated, but when I confronted him, he arrogantly said, "I'm your superior. If you don't comply with work arrangements, I have the right to dock your bonus."

I had completely offended the manager, and he didn't miss any chance to make things difficult for me.

The materials I submitted, which were urgent, he delayed reviewing for ages.

When the higher-ups asked why I hadn't submitted them yet, I was left to explain.