Chapter 2

When I arrived at the office, the atmosphere was bizarre.

Several interns who usually called me "Ethan" avoided my gaze today.

Whispers echoed in the breakroom.

"Did you hear? The announcement came down from the top..."

"Looks like a major shake-up in the tech department..."

I pushed open the doors to the development floor, my face blank.

My desk had been moved.

My spacious spot by the window was gone. Instead, my monitors had been shoved into a dusty corner right next to the noisy printer and paper shredder.

Sitting in my old chair was a blonde punk with his feet up on the desk, playing video games.

That was Carter's cousin—a useless idiot who couldn't even tell the difference between Java and JavaScript.

"Ah, Ethan. You're finally here."

Carter strolled out of the director's office with that typical, arrogant sneer unique to trust-fund brats.

"What is the meaning of this, Carter?" I pointed to the corner desk.

"Oh, just a corporate restructuring," Carter said casually. "The tech department needs fresh blood. You're getting up there in age, Ethan. Writing complex code must be getting exhausting for you."

"Starting today, you're reassigned to IT support. Your job is... well, fixing computers and changing the water jugs for the real developers."

The entire floor fell dead silent.

Everyone knew that the core technology of the Hayes Group lived inside my brain.

Reassigning me to IT support?

This wasn't just a demotion. It was throwing my pride on the floor and stomping on it.

"Carter, this violates company policy," I said, my voice steady.

"Policy?" Carter sneered. He walked over, slapped my shoulder, and leaned in close. He whispered in a voice only the two of us could hear:

"At Hayes Group, I am the policy."

"Ethan, I know you were my dad's favorite. But the old man is retired. This company might still have the Hayes name, but it belongs to Carter Hayes now."

"By the way, your wife is amazing. Married for years, but she still has so much passion... damn."

Boom!

The blood rushed to my head. The veins on my hands bulged.

He did it on purpose.

He intentionally put that nightgown in my raffle box. He wanted to humiliate me to my face.

"What? Want to hit me?" Carter took a step back, mockingly spreading his arms. "Come on, do it. Right here." He tapped his cheek. "One punch, and your sick mother, your childhood home, and your entire career in this industry will be wiped out instantly."

I took a deep breath.

I forced the murderous urge back down into my chest.

I was an adult.

In the adult world, physical violence is the ultimate sign of weakness.

I was going to make him pay a price a hundred times worse than a simple punch.

"You're funny, Carter." I let go of my fists and squeezed out a smile. "I'll follow company orders."

Carter blinked, clearly disappointed by my restraint.

"Fine. Since you're so obedient, I have an assignment for you." He picked up a folder from the desk and threw it at my chest.

"There's an issue with our data center project out west. We need someone on-site to oversee it."

"You leave tonight. I've already had travel book your ticket."

The Western data center.

It was a construction site in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota. There was absolutely no reason for a software architect to go there.

He just wanted me out of the way.

Why he wanted me gone was glaringly obvious.

I bent down, picked up the folder, and brushed off the dust.

"Sure. I'll go."

Carter laughed loudly. "That's what I like to hear, Ethan. Know your place."

"Don't worry about your wife while you're away. I'll take 'good care' of her for you."

A few of Carter's sycophants in the office chuckled mockingly.

I took the folder, turned around, and walked away without looking back.