One Joke Too Many

Bright and early the next day, I showed up at the office as usual. I ignored the whispers and stares, and made a beeline for my desk to start clearing it out.

That was when Lily waltzed over, oozing fake sympathy.

"Janice, can't you take a joke?

"Come on, it was just a little toilet cleaning. Why'd you have to go and tell Mr. Hoffman you're quitting? No need to blow things out of proportion.

"Look, I'll even dip into my own wallet and toss you a little extra cash to make up for it.

"Here, just take the two hundred fifty bucks."

She thrust an envelope at me with a smirk, the word '250' dripping with spite.

This year, the company was rolling in dough, and even the smallest pity prize at the annual raffle was a cool 8888 dollars.

Me? A loyal employee and the top seller, stuck with this measly $250, like tossing coins to a street performer.

The shame cut deep, but I was not about to show it.

I felt a rush of heat as I knocked her hand away, not hard enough to do any real damage, but Lily shrieked and tumbled right in front of my desk, her eyes welling up instantly.

"Janice, I'm just trying to be nice here, giving you money. If you don't want it, fine, but hitting me? Really?"

Before I knew it, Seth was there, gripping my arm like I was some kind of criminal.

"Janice, I've had just about enough of you!

"If you don't apologize to Lily right this second, you can forget ever walking through Hoffman Real Estate's doors again!"

I shrugged off Seth's grip and said with an icy edge, "Mr. Hoffman, have you forgotten our chat from yesterday? I told you I was quitting. Today, I'm just here to pick up my stuff!"

Seth's face twisted into a scowl as he stepped in front of me, blocking my path while I held my cardboard box.

"You can quit, but you're leaving the client's orders behind!"

I paused, giving him a sidelong glance, my face a blank slate. "Alright."

I quickly agreed, bending down to pull out a stack of client files from the box and setting them on the nearby desk.

"Just so you know, those three hundred clients came for my expertise and reputation, not for Hoffman Real Estate, and certainly not for you or Lily."

Seth let out a derisive laugh, as if I had cracked the world's funniest joke.

"Janice, you're way too full of yourself. Without the Hoffman name behind you, who do you think you are?

"You think you could land those deals without the company's resources? Don't kid yourself."

Lily, his ever-present echo, piped up, too. "Seriously, she's got such a big head. We'll keep the clients without her. She thinks the company can't run without her?"

I did not waste my breath arguing. It was useless.

I straightened the files on the desk, ensuring I had not missed anything, then stood up, grabbed my box, and walked away.

As the elevator doors slid open and I stepped inside, a voice suddenly cried out from behind.

"Mr. Hoffman! Ms. Smith! Disaster! Something huge has happened!"

The employee was pale, rushing up to Seth, babbling the news.

"The front desk was swamped with calls, one after another–all from guests who'd booked rooms before. They were all saying the same thing; they wanted to cancel.

"We've counted them up, and there are over a hundred," the employee said, panic edging his voice. "And the calls just keep coming!"