Chapter 6: The Company Stumbles, Jason Moves On
Thinking of David Thompson’s dismissive attitude, I felt a cold pit in my stomach.
“It just wasn’t worth it anymore.”
I told Linda the whole story. She was as angry and shocked as I was yesterday. “Unbelievable. We’ve worked here for so many years, and we get treated worse than a kid who just walked in?”
I repeated what the boss said to her. She was furious. “Why should we suffer just because labor costs are high? How is it our fault we stuck around and carried the load? Greedy corporate types.”
After venting with Linda, I felt much better. I didn’t rush to find a new job—just rested at home for a week.
In those few days, Starline had an incident. Emily confidently submitted her copy. After the video went live, traffic really surged. It looked like it was about to go viral nationwide.
David Thompson popped champagne halfway through, showing off on his Instagram story: “Guess I can’t keep a low profile. Starline’s new hire was the right choice—new blood brings new ideas, new ideas bring new heights.” Emily’s smile was about to split her face.
Unfortunately, their happiness lasted less than two hours. The video was flagged for violations—a joke in the copy poked fun at a celebrity in a way that definitely crossed TikTok’s line on harassment and copyright. The account was hit with a seven-day ban.
This account suspension was serious. Not only did traffic drop and followers were lost, but scheduled livestreams and ads were all affected. Revenue plummeted, they had to apologize and compensate clients, and all subsequent business arrangements were disrupted.
On top of that, this time Emily only put her own name on the copy. After I left, she couldn’t wait to prove she could create viral content independently, just like me. But cleverness backfired.
Final verdict: the newcomer lacked experience and made a mess of things. Starline instantly became a joke in the industry. David Thompson was furious and publicly laid into Emily until she broke down in tears. He even docked her three months’ bonus.
Right after Linda told me about this, Emily called me. I smirked and pressed answer. The old me would have tried to help her, but now, with the weight off my back and my dignity still intact, I was ready for whatever she had to say. This time, I was finally on my own side.










