My Boss Announced My Early Retirement, Then Everyone’s Faces Went White

Mr. Harrison understood this and refrained from demotions or dismissals. The main culprits in this situation were undoubtedly Mike and Linda.

For Mr. Harrison, they were his son and wife, but they had to be appropriately punished.

Firstly, Mike was demoted to a regular employee for manipulating employee fates in Mr. Harrison’s absence.

This personal decision seemed to have hit Mike hard. Having been appointed Executive Vice President upon joining the company and even using the CEO’s office in his father’s stead, it must have been unbearable for him.

Ashamed of being a regular employee, Mike started coming to the office less frequently. For us in management positions, it was actually convenient not to have him around, as it was unclear how to direct him.

However, his frequent absences became a concern, so I asked Alice about his home situation.

“He’s been shut in his room with the housekeeper leaving his meals in the hallway outside. It’s unbelievable!”

Alice said.

“He might have lost his confidence all at once,”

I remarked.

However, Linda, who dotes on Mike, blames the turmoil on Mr. Harrison’s illness. Their marital relationship seemed irreparably damaged.

Both Mr. Harrison and Linda, deeply caring for their children, were living together for their sake, even though it was a struggle.

Mr. Harrison decided to punish Linda as well, barring her from entering the company.

When Linda complained, Mr. Harrison showed her photos and documents gathered by a detective agency.

“You’ve been having an affair all this time. Did you think I knew nothing about it?”

he confronted her.

The reason Linda frequently visited Harrison Design was because her lover was there. Her lover was a young employee in his 30s to whom Linda had been generously giving a lot of money.

Since Mike became acting CEO, there had even been talks of promoting this man to a managerial position as a special favor.

“I had feelings for you after all these years together, but with this incident, even that’s gone. The money you squandered was earned through my hard work,”

Mr. Harrison lamented.

Linda desperately made excuses, but Mr. Harrison was not willing to listen.

As the CEO’s wife, her attempts to privatize the company were a serious offense. Mr. Harrison and Linda ended up getting a late-life divorce.

However, Linda’s lover quickly submitted his resignation and returned to his hometown. Mike, who adored Linda, vehemently opposed the divorce.

“It’s unfair to Mom! How is she supposed to live if they divorce now?”

Mike cried.

“She should just work or do something. It’s normal to work to live. You should try working for a change!”

Mr. Harrison responded.

Eventually, Mr. Harrison fired Mike, who showed no inclination to work at all.

Thus Mike and Linda were both ousted from the house. Normally a young and able son like Mike would work and support Linda, however, Mike just won’t seem to get a job.

Having been pampered as the Executive Vice President and acting CEO, it seems his pride won’t allow him to work under someone else.

As a result, their finances dwindled. Mother and son, with nowhere else to go, reluctantly returned to Linda’s family home in the countryside.

However, the house had passed on to Linda’s brother and his wife. Knowing their plight, they couldn’t turn them away.

They were given a small room and lived there in constrained circumstances.

As for those of us who remained at Harrison Design, Mr. Harrison fully recovered and no longer needed a wheelchair, though he used a cane just to be safe. But he walked firmly on his own feet.

With the CEO’s full return, the company regained its normalcy. I was promoted to head of the sales department in the next personal change.

The responsibility was greater, but Mr. Harrison trusted me, and in the support of my subordinates, I found my work fulfilling.

Alice became the Executive Vice President, serving as an excellent confidant and adviser to Mr. Harrison.

“I should have appointed Alice as the Executive Vice President from the beginning. Then this incident would never have happened,”

Mr. Harrison said.

“I understand you wanted to give Mike a chance, Dad, but it’s good we realized early on that he wasn’t capable,”

replied Alice.

They say the more troublesome a child is, the dearer they are. Mike was a perfect example of that.

Mr. Harrison deeply regretted appointing Mike, who lacked ability, to the Executive Vice President position out of paternal affection.

Thus Harrison Design managed to recover from a significant crisis. The company’s performance improved and employee wages increased.

We, the employees, are now more motivated than ever to rally under Mr. Harrison’s leadership and build up the company.

That day during lunch break, I was Mr. Harrison’s chess partner in his office, just like before the hospital incident.