"11:49am Kira James." Lucius voiced calmly.
"Err." Kira's sharp tongue couldn't bite back.
"I told 11am Kira, didn't I?
"Yes you did and I forgot to do my witchy rituals so I can meet up."
Lucius looked stunned at this but before he could say anything, Kira walked away slamming the door.
He had pushed her to this mini outburst, and he liked it.
***
Two hours later...
Subject: Mandatory Meeting – 1 PM Today
Everyone,
Meeting at 1 PM. Be there on time. No excuses.
Lucius.
The email had reached everyone in the office except Kira.
Lucius employees walked into the conference room weakly with some wearing frowns and others visibly annoyed. It was the drill around here.
Lucius's office and his rules, mainly torturous.
"So I have incompetent humans working for me." Lucius began without any acknowledgement or greeting. "You all make me wish AI can grow faster."
The quiet room became more quiet as everyone's breathing stopped. They all wondered if he was joking. But it was Lucius their boss, he never joked.
"So I have the minutes to a specific important meeting that happened last month." He said as he stood up from his throne-like chair in the conference room that was custom made for him, using his ego as a measurement, as Kira would say.
"I know you all I thought I forgot." A mischievous grin, formed at the corner of his mouth. "But you should know me by now."
It was true, everyone knew him, and it was unlike him to not address and deal with the issue immediately in his usual torturous way. Like Wendy in finance, screwed up some numbers and quit immediately out fear but hired her back. Not out of the goodness of his non-existent heart, but so he could fire her.
That itself sealed Kira's devilish perception of him.
And today, someone was in for it.
Just who?
"Mark." He said in a chilling tone, for moment, goosebumps appeared on everyone except the ice king himself. "You cost this company a deal."
Mark who stood at the back previously was now in full sight after everyone standing , moved away from him.
"You made a mockery of my leadership in this company as the role of CEO with the amount of mishaps." Lucius said with uttermost disappointment in his voice. "Your incompetence at that meeting, set a record I fear only you can beat."
Mark was sweating profusely at this point.
"And everyone here, participated in it one way or the other." Lucius said with eyes now focused on the paper. "I will make a scapegoat out of you. So everyone here can learn how to not mistakes."
Mark's eyes widened in fear. He had been waiting for his wrath and that in itself was torture.
The employees in the room all looked at Mark in pity and also relief. Some where happy it would end with Mark.
The whole conference room was painfully silent as everyone waited for Lucius's final verdict.
"So." He said this time in an unusual grin, "Since you love speaking for the company disastrously. Then I must congratulate you, you're now a Sales Executive."
Mark's mouth fell open. He was not expecting that. And so did his colleagues, as all of them were equally shocked. They were all present when the disaster of a day happened and saw Mark's painful presentation for the client.
From the questionable slides, to the calling of Lucius's business rival name instead of his. The misquotes of the budget and the dreadful of them all, the internal email thread leak between everyone in the team that spread to the entire office on how annoying the client was.
Everyone wondered at this point what the catch was, there's always a catch with Lucius.
"One more thing."
There it was... The catch.
"You get no raise for your shitty job and you have to win back the client you lost us."
Mark's eyes widened, double the work from a promotion he knew hell sabotage soon, and now getting that witch of a client back.
"You can all go." He said sitting back on his custom throne. "No, wait everyone." He ordered. "You salary should be adjusted—you clearly don't need full pay to screw things up."
Everyone turned to look at Mark in pity, some mouthed sorry, others had their eyes bulging out from shock.
Three catches, who was counting? Mark.
At this point being the janitor will be better, Mark thought as he slowly walked away.
Just as he was about to open the conference room door, it swong open almost falling him.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Kira asked.
"Oh. Look who came to join us." Lucius announced. "Mark just got promoted." He said smiling.
"Mark what?" Kira questioned in disbelief.