Chapter 1397: Effective immediately

Meanwhile...

Nina let out a deep huff as she reached her workplace, standing in front of it. Her eyes gleamed with determination, ready to prove herself once more. After all, she had promised herself she would never disappoint her boss and would never give whoever was trying to suppress her a reason to kick her out.

With that thought in mind, Nina walked into the building with a smile on her face. She met a few colleagues on the way, exchanging morning greetings as usual. But when Nina reached her department, she halted and noticed some of her colleagues gathered together.

"What... is going on here?" she asked, walking up to the early birds in the department.

"Didn’t you hear?" One of her office mates looked back at her, concern in their eyes. "The boss was fired this morning."

"What?" Nina almost gasped, her eyes shifting toward the head of the department’s office. She saw her boss packing her things into a box through the glass wall.

"Gosh. This is too abrupt," one of her colleagues mumbled. "How could this happen? The boss is one of the best in the field."

"I don’t know what’s going on either," another whispered, shaking his head. "This is just... I didn’t expect it today."

"Didn’t you hear what actually happened?" someone spoke quietly, drawing everyone’s attention. "From what I heard, the company is investigating some funds from an old project. They found some missing money, and the head of that project was her. So now they’re asking her to take a break until the investigation is over."

"Taking a break?" Another scoffed. "Do you really think that’s all it is? Taking a break while the investigation goes on? Do you believe she’ll be back after that? It’s clear the company wants to kick her out, and they’re just finding an excuse to do it without breaching her contract."

Nina took a step back, listening to her colleagues gossip in hushed whispers. It was obvious none of them were pleased about this. Even if they didn’t always agree with their boss, they all had to admire her talent and leadership.

Nina clenched her teeth and detached herself from the group. After a brief pause, she made her way toward her boss’s office.

Knock knock

Nina’s boss paused upon hearing the faint knocks and turned toward the door. She smiled when she saw Nina standing there, but continued clearing her desk.

Nina, on the other hand, held her bag in front of her and stepped in. She stopped several steps from the door, her eyes fixed on her boss’s figure.

"I’m sorry," she murmured under her breath, tightening her grip on her bag strap. "It’s my fault."

"How is it your fault, Nina?" Her boss chuckled, looking back at her. Unlike what Nina expected, her boss didn’t seem devastated. If anything, it was as if she hadn’t been fired but was instead on vacation.

Leaning against the desk, her boss crossed her arms and faced Nina squarely. "This termination doesn’t reflect on me, but on this company. It’s not your fault."

"But, because of me, you—"

"I’m fired not because of you, Nina," she interjected, her voice full of confidence. "I got fired because I refused to be anyone’s puppet. You didn’t ask me to fight for you. I did it of my own volition. So don’t insult me by taking credit for this sacrifice."

Nina’s lips quivered, pressing them into a thin line. The corners of her eyes reddened as she fought back tears.

Her boss’s eyes softened, seeing Nina struggle to stay strong. "I made my decision, and I’m proud of it. They can take away my job and erase the years I spent in this company. But what they can’t take from me is my integrity, my dignity, and my morals. Besides, if this company is just one of those that doesn’t hesitate to abuse its power, then I’ll gladly walk out of here with my head held high."

"Nina," she continued, her voice growing sincere. She pushed away from the desk, walked over to Nina, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If anyone should apologize here, it’s me."

She smiled wryly and added, "I told you I’d protect you, but I’m not powerful enough to make such grand promises."

"No," Nina shook her head, forcing a smile. "You protected me."

Because this person before her had shown her what true bravery was. By refusing to be anyone’s "yes, sir," and refusing to partake in injustice. She had shown Nina that, in this world of power and greed, there were still those who valued their integrity and morals.

"You’re on your own now," her boss said, her voice heavy. "Don’t let anyone bully you. After all, being good and kind doesn’t mean you need to be pushed around."

She gave Nina’s shoulder a gentle squeeze before nodding. "Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re a good person."

---

Once her boss left the office, Nina found herself sitting in her cubicle, staring blankly at her monitor. The whispers around her grew fainter and more distant. She had watched her boss clear her desk and walk out of the department carrying that box—a sight Nina never imagined she’d see.

"Nina." A voice called her name, but she didn’t answer.

"Nina!"

This time, Nina flinched, snapping back to reality. When she looked up, she saw all her colleagues standing, staring at her.

"Huh?" Her gaze shifted to the end of the department, where a familiar face stood. It took Nina a moment to realize that the person—who had once been her senior—was now their new boss. This person had always disliked Nina, often the first to complain to their former boss whenever a big project landed in Nina’s lap.

"Come to my office," the new boss said, flashing a smile at everyone. "Let’s get some work done, team."

Her colleagues wore different expressions, but all forced a smile, though some were genuinely happy about the change. As for Nina, she sighed heavily, lowering her gaze. After a while, she stood up, dragging her feet toward the new boss’s office, which was her former boss’s office.

Knock knock

"Ah, Nina, come in," her new boss called, standing by a shelf in the corner, putting something back. Once he finished, he quickly walked to the desk with a wide smile. "Nina, I called you here because I’d like to discuss a few things..."

Trailing off, his eyes fell to the white envelope Nina had slid onto the desk. Deep lines appeared between his brows as he looked up at her with confusion. But before he could speak, Nina beat him to it.

"I’m resigning," she announced, locking eyes with him. "And I request that it be effective immediately."