Page 17 of Insufferable Boss

She gave this some thought, then shrugged.

“Go ahead.”

That settled, we moved on to other matters.

“I was going to bring up your proposal for the new fragrance division today. Actually, we already have a few members of staff who proposed the idea a little while ago and have been researching it. This happened after we launched our collection of diffusers, but it was quite difficult to find the right fragrance for them. So, I’m thinking to refer you to them, and they can be a preliminary team so that we will be able to do all the pre-market research and analysis needed before the final decision is made.”

She looked at me.

“So basically, I should get a detailed plan ready and then present it for consideration?”

“Yes,” I replied, and she nodded.

“Got it.”

“If things go according to plan, then you can get started and officially come on board.”

“Got it,” I replied again. “I’ll set you up with an office in the meantime, and get the team to you, and let’s give this one month.”

She said nothing more about her brother's dismissal until I started to leave, then she stopped me once again.

“Got it,” she said, and I looked around at the empty seats once again. She didn't miss my gaze.

“My brother's going to throw a fit when he hears that he's been fired,” she said, and I rose to my feet.

“He's been given several warnings before on being late to meetings and being lackadaisical with his work, so he deserves this.”

I started to leave, but she stopped me once again.

“Can it be overruled?”

“Of course, it can,” I replied. “If the majority of board members interfere, then it can be.”

I started to leave, but she stopped me once again.

“And what direction do you want me to lean towards?” she asked. “Supporting you or…”

I stopped then and turned to face her.

“I'd like you to be on my side.”

“It'll come to a tie,” she said, and I nodded.

“Then we'll settle in court, and I'll make sure to drag it out as long as possible. It doesn't matter if he's able to return, but it won't be without any significant loss.”

She stared at me at this, and then she nodded.

“Understood.”

7

Lena

I watched him go and didn't know what to think. He irked me to even think of myself as his ally in any way, but in this case, I could understand his annoyance. Firing my brother was brutal and would be detrimental to his lifestyle, but the message was clear, and all I could foresee ahead was a lengthy battle in trying to get back into Kane's graces.

Shaking my head, I rose to my feet and was excited to see the office that had been prepared for me. A meeting was scheduled for the following hour with the team he had spoken about, so I headed over to get started. It was sizable, but more importantly, the warm hues of colors and fabric made it quite welcoming. I had absolutely no complaints.

I sat down and began going through the documents that had been left on my desk. It was as I did, that I saw the terms of acquisition for my new company, and it left me flabbergasted, to say the least. He had boldly and unapologetically proposed a 40-60 percentage term when I had clearly stated the previous day that I wouldn't be accepting this. I looked up then, frustrated but wondering if I should waste time on a call with him or just go to his office. Both would be a monumental waste of time regardless, but I still had to resolve this. In the end, I picked up the phone and called his office. The phone disconnected the first time, and then the second time around, he picked up.

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