Chapter 8 Utterly Despicable
- As soon as Elio stepped through the door to Ryton Estates Corporation, he noticed his colleagues looking at him with peculiar expressions.
- Elio had a close friend at work named William Atkinson. He leaned in and whispered, “El, what's going on? That young woman from yesterday came in to complain. She said you were sniffing her underwear in the bathroom and even harassed her... You're not usually like this. Why can't you control yourself around young women?”
- William's words caused Elio's face to darken.
- Elio slapped William on the head and said, “Quit your nonsense. Don't you know what sort of person I am?”
- “Of course, I do. But others don't, especially Mr. Escobar. He's been spreading rumors about you, saying that you're desperately lustful, even going as far as to molest the property owner. And when that didn't work out, you allegedly sniffed her underwear... He's been saying some pretty nasty things,” William confessed quietly.
- “What the f*ck! I'm definitely going to give that b*stard Keith a piece of my mind! How dare he tarnish my reputation!”
- Elio was livid, ready to burst with anger. Keith, that despicable man, had been spreading rumors about him all over the company. He was absolutely not going to let him off the hook!
- “El, don't act rashly,” William advised earnestly. “Keith comes from a military background and has a gang of loyal followers. If you really want to confront him, you're just asking for trouble. It's better to resign, pay off the compensation, and then leave this place. That way, you can avoid stirring up a hornet's nest. Tonight, let's have a farewell barbecue, my treat! And remember me when you make it big in the future!”
- Elio gave William a reassuring pat on the shoulder and said, “Buddy, when I make it big one day, I'll never forget you!”
- “All right then. I need to get going now! You should go find Mr. Escobar, and remember, you must control yourself!” William advised before hastily taking his leave.
- Elio, seething with anger, headed toward Keith's office.
- Keith was Elio's immediate supervisor and also the head of the maintenance department.
- As soon as he arrived at the entrance of Keith's office, he heard Keith excitedly proclaiming from within, “Don't be fooled by Elio's seemingly respectable demeanor and his penchant for reading ancient texts, presenting himself as a scholar. In reality, he's nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing! Not only did he utter inappropriate remarks to the client and flirt with her, but he even went as far as to sniff her underwear in her bathroom. Can you believe how creepy and disgusting that is?”
- “Hahaha...”
- Keith's words immediately triggered laughter among the others. Naturally, these laughing individuals were nothing more than Keith's lackeys.
- “Mr. Escobar, did that young lady homeowner really demand two thousand in compensation?” one of them timidly asked.
- “Of course not! The homeowner just complained to us that Elio was a creep; she didn't ask us for any compensation! Didn't we fix the issue promptly for her? In truth, I asked for that two thousand for myself! Haha, once Elio hands over the money, I'll take you guys out for a good time!” Keith said with a laugh.
- “Hahaha, that's wonderful, Mr. Escobar! What a great person you are!” the others chimed in, showering him with flattery.
- While everyone was engaged in lively conversation and laughter, the office door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang!
- All eyes were drawn to the entrance of the room. There stood Elio, his face ashen and body trembling. It was clear that he was seething with anger.
- Elio was on the verge of exploding with fury!
- Not only was Keith tarnishing his reputation everywhere, but he also wanted to con him out of two thousand dollars. Elio had thought it was a genuine reimbursement to the property owner, but little did he know, it was simply Keith swindling him!
- How could he not be filled with rage?
- “Elio?”
- Keith's face fell instantly, and the laughter of the others around him ceased as well, their expressions becoming serious.
- “Elio, even though you've left the company, the least you could do is show some basic courtesy. Why didn't you knock before entering? Who gave you the right to barge in like that? Don't you think that's too disrespectful to me?” Keith's voice was icy as he spoke.
- “Mr. Escobar, I heard everything you just said. You didn't just tarnish my reputation, you're also trying to extort two thousand from me! You're downright despicable!” Elio's eyes were blazing.
- “Haha! Did you all hear that? He said I'm tarnishing his reputation! What reputation does he have? If one doesn't want others to know what they've done, they shouldn't have done it in the first place. You know very well what kind of person you are!” Keith mocked. “As for your claim that I swindled you out of two thousand, where the hell is that coming from? You say you heard it, but do you have anyone to back you up? Hey, did any of you hear what I supposedly said?”
- “No!”
- “I can vouch for Mr. Escobar. He would never say such a thing.”
- Those lapdogs hastily shook their heads in denial.
- “See that? You accused me of extortion, but everyone said otherwise. It's clear you're framing me! Fine, I won't hold you accountable for slamming the door anymore. Just hand over the money now, sign this contract, and get the hell out of my sight! Having a useless subordinate like you is truly the disgrace of my life!” Keith said with a sneer.
- A fierce flame flickered in Elio's eyes, his fists clenching tightly.
- Keith was really going too far!
- “Fine! I'll give you the money...”
- Even as Elio said that, he slowly made his way to Keith's desk, his fist already tightly clenched.
- Meanwhile, Keith didn't even bat an eye as he continued in a mocking tone, “Elio, when you go to your new position, you really need to change your vulgar habits. You can't just sniff people's underwear or sexually harass female clients. Who else would let you off the hook? I'm the only one generous enough to not hold it against you—”
- Before Keith could even finish his sentence, a fierce punch landed squarely on his face!
- “Ah!”
- The punch was delivered with considerable force, sending Keith sprawling. A harrowing cry of agony echoed out.
- Indeed, Elio had taken action!
- He walked up to Keith and landed a punch squarely on his face!