Chapter 5: The CEO’s Offer

As soon as I reached the CEO’s office, I saw he’d already poured coffee and was waiting for me.

A Seahawks pennant hung behind his desk, and the smell of dark roast coffee was so strong it almost masked the faint trace of cigar smoke. The sunlight slanted through the blinds, catching the silver in his hair.

So, the old man knew I’d come.

He pushed a mug toward the seat across from him, motioning for me to sit, and spoke unhurriedly.

"Derek, I’ve heard about your situation. I’ll admit the company was a bit hasty in this matter."

Hearing this, I relaxed a little.

My shoulders dropped. For a second, I thought maybe he’d see reason—maybe all my years here actually counted for something.

"I’ve been with the company for so many years, and my numbers have always been the best—you know that. This time, I worked day and night for two months to land this big deal. Just because I took two days of approved PTO, I’m replaced by an intern? Isn’t that a bit much?"

The CEO’s smile froze for a moment, then he said slowly:

He drummed his fingers on the desk, eyes narrowing just a touch. I could tell he was choosing his words carefully, the way you do when you’re about to deliver bad news and don’t want to look like the bad guy.

"You got paid for your overtime, Derek. I don’t see what you’re complaining about. Frankly, I expected more gratitude."

I couldn’t believe my ears. Fifty or sixty days of sleepless overtime for just a few hundred dollars, and the CEO thought he was being generous?

He said it so matter-of-factly, as if my sacrifice was just another line item in his spreadsheet. I stared down at the mug, wondering if it would shatter if I squeezed it too hard.

Maybe my face gave me away, so the CEO softened his tone to comfort me.

He leaned in, voice dropping like he was letting me in on a secret, but it only made me feel smaller.

"Of course, your years of dedication to the company haven’t gone unnoticed, but the company’s situation isn’t great. Everyone’s working overtime, and you took a vacation, which set a bad example. If I don’t address it, how can I explain it to the others?"

I was so angry I laughed.

It came out more like a bark—a sound I’d never heard from myself before. There was nothing funny about any of this.

"So, you mean this personnel change is totally reasonable? The employee with the best track record for years is punished for taking two days of approved leave?"

"Derek, don’t get upset. You’ve been here forever, Derek. We’re family, right?"

He actually said it with a straight face, as if all of this was just a misunderstanding at a backyard barbecue.

The CEO sipped his coffee, closed his eyes to savor it, and continued, as if granting me a favor.

"But you made a mistake. First, if I don’t address it, it’s hard to convince the others. Second, frequent personnel changes make everyone uneasy. How about this: if you can sign three—no, five—deals as big as your last one, I’ll let you be sales supervisor again. Sound fair?"

He said it like he was tossing me a bone. Five deals like that? He might as well have asked me to win the Powerball twice.

Seeing I didn’t speak, he smiled and gestured.

"This coffee’s from a boutique roaster in Seattle. I only bring it out for special guests like you. Give it a try."

He leaned back in his chair, giving off that old-school boss vibe—half mentor, half high school principal, all performance.

The CEO was good at these little tricks to win people over, but I wasn’t buying it anymore.

I’d heard these lines since I joined the company:

"Only for you do I offer this treatment."

"Let’s have a heart-to-heart."

"After all these years, you’re like a brother to me."

Sentence after sentence, making me feel like we had a real bond, making me willing to work myself to the bone for the company.

But today, I finally saw his true colors—no different from the worst kind of corporate boss.

What relationship, what brotherhood, all just talk to win loyalty.

I watched him, swirling his coffee as if waiting for my gratitude, and I realized how many times I’d bought this act before.

Seeing I still didn’t respond, the CEO raised his eyebrows.

"How about this: I’ll throw in five hundred bucks out of my own pocket to make up for it. Let’s just let this go, and keep working hard. The company won’t treat you badly."

He pulled out his wallet and counted out five bills.

He spread the bills across the desk like he was tipping a valet. I didn’t touch them.

I stared at the bills—five hundred bucks for my silence. For a second, I almost laughed. But then I realized: I was done being bought.