Chapter 36: The Termination Letter

Chapter 36

Philip’s POV

I stood by the window of my office, looking out at the city. My heart hadn’t calmed since I returned from Marceline’s office thirty minutes ago. Her reaction wasn’t what I expected. She didn’t show that she was hurt, or that she even cared, and that left me deeply worried.

Bang!

The door of my office was pushed open with force, startling me.

“Philip, what’s the meaning of this?!” Anastasia barked angrily as she waved a paper and an envelope at me.

“How can you barge into my office like that?” I snapped back, my face twisting with anger. Why would she come here now, when I was already trying to find a way to solve this situation? If she hadn’t come to my office yesterday, Marceline wouldn’t have caught us.

“How could you fire me?!” she shouted, throwing the paper at me. Her voice cracked, as if she was on the verge of crying.

I froze and picked it up. My eyes scanned the bold letters...it was a termination letter.

“You decided to fire me because Marceline found out about us? Why, Philip? How could you do this to me after all we’ve been through?” Her tears spilled as she pulled her hair like she was going mad.

I didn’t say anything at first, because I was still trying to understand. The letter carried the company stamp… and right in the middle was a signature I knew too well...Marceline’s.

But how? I had just left her office, and she seemed normal.

“Answer me, Philip!” Anastasia screamed, her voice breaking. It tore at me because she truly believed I was the one who had her fired.

I raised my head from the letter and exhaled in frustration. This was becoming too difficult.

“It wasn’t me. It was Marceline,” I said with a sigh, closing my eyes as I inhaled deeply.

“That bitch!” Anastasia cursed loudly, her voice filled with hatred.

Her words shocked me. I wasn’t pleased that she called Marceline that, but I didn’t correct her.

“She’s hurt and in pain...that’s why she already wants me out of the company,” she hissed bitterly.

I didn’t respond. Instead, my mind went back to Marceline’s nonchalant face earlier. She hadn’t looked hurt. But if she wasn’t hurt, then why would she fire Anastasia?

“Philip, I’m not going anywhere, so do something!” she demanded, folding her arms stubbornly as if she would never leave the company.

“Wait here,” I told her and left the office, heading straight to Marceline’s.

When I entered, I found her still frowning over a document. Her desk was full of papers. She looked tired and stressed.

“Why are you here again?” she asked, her head still bent over the file.

I walked closer, feeling strangely nervous. “You fired Anastasia?”

“Yes, I did,” she replied calmly without looking up.

" Marceline… I understand you saw us together yesterday, but firing her...was that necessary?” I sighed helplessly.

“She isn’t the only one who received a termination letter,” Marceline said, finally lifting her head to look at me.

I blinked, shocked. Not the only one?

“But why would you fire them?” I asked, though what I really wanted to ask was why she fired Anastasia.

“They are not fit to work here,” she said simply, stretching her back.

“They all have high academic qualifications,” I argued with a frown.

“Academic qualifications aren’t enough. The right attitude to work is important,” she said firmly. “Stanmore Global will not keep employees who sit around and do little work while being paid.”

I frowned harder, waiting for her to explain.

“Take a look at this.” She slid one of the documents she was reviewing toward me.

I picked it up, scanned it, and shut my eyes. It was the financial report. The statistics and figures were wrong, completely messy. And Anastasia was the director of finance.

“I wondered why they were still working here after I reviewed reports from five months ago,” she said, her tone sharp. “But yesterday, I got my answer. You mixed business with pleasure.”

Shame washed over me. She was right. Anastasia had been diligent when she first started working here, but after our affair began, she started slacking. Her department became a mess, the reports no longer accurate. I had noticed but I said nothing. If it had been someone else, I would have fired them long ago. But because it was Anastasia, I turned a blind eye.

“Stanmore can’t tolerate that anymore,” Marceline said as she stood and put on her coat.

“Marceline, can you let her off this time?” I asked quietly.

Her eyes narrowed with disgust. “Still want to keep your mistress here? Have some shame, Philip.” She spat the words and walked out of the office.

Her words stiffened me. She was right...I should be ashamed. And yet, I still didn’t want Anastasia to be fired. The thought of her crying and broken hurt me.

“Marceline, wait!” I rushed after her to plead with her again.

But before I could reach her, a furious scream echoed down the hall.

“Marceline, you bitch!” Anastasia’s voice rang out, filled with rage, as she stormed toward Marceline.