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Chapter 11
Four Months Later
A lot has happened in the last few months. The launch of Eltech’s virtual gaming system in August was massively successful. So successful that we had a backlog of orders which we’re only now starting to fill. We didn’t anticipate the consumer demand even though we had tons of preorders. Once it hit the markets—store shelves and anywhere on the internet it was offered—it was bought out in a matter of hours.
There were even people selling the unit at twelve hundred dollars on eBay, which was four times the regular pricing. We ramped up production to meet the demand. And for the upcoming Christmas season, we’re offering a special gold edition. We generated so much income that Zane was able to put Dee, Steve, and Jeff on the regular payroll, taking the burden off me. On top of that, he hired four more programmers.
We got rid of Paul in mid-June. I begged Zane to let me be there when he told him, and he said as long as I was a quiet observer, I could attend. We had assembled in the conference room, the group consisting of some people from legal, Emily Fong, and two associates, along with Zane, myself, and someone from security in case it got ugly.
I can still remember how Paul sauntered into the room, looking like he was the king of the world. I inwardly smiled, knowing that by the time the meeting was over, he would be jobless. However, with his ego and arrogance, I doubt he would learn from this experience.
I sat on the far end of the room with my hands folded, trying to keep my face passive. Zane told him to join us and then addressed him. I had already given Emily a document listing Paul’s many instances of noncompliance, including statements from Olivia and several other employees. He wouldn’t have a legal leg to stand on if he took Eltech to court.
“Paul, as you know, your employment is based on the completion of the virtual gaming system that’s now in production. If you stuck to that, you would have been rewarded handsomely with a small percentage offered on sales.”
It was written into Paul’s contract that he would get a one percent royalty of each unit’s profit—something that could have made him a wealthy man. It also outlined Zane’s desperation to become a big player in the gaming industry.
Paul narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean would have? I met the deadline and did everything you asked.”
Zane gestured to Emily, who slid a copy of Paul’s contract across the table.
“If you look at paragraph five outlined in yellow, you’ll see you violated the terms of your contract.”
“This says insubordination. I haven’t been insubordinate to you or any of the other executives. I’ve followed the rules. This is bullshit! You trying to screw me out of my money?”
“I wouldn’t be if you weren’t in violation. Do you recall how many times you cursed out Lucian?”
Paul gaped at me. “He isn’t an executive.”
“No, but he’s an owner. It was announced when he was brought in that he became a shareholder in Eltech. I shouldn’t have had to remind you what was at stake. Lucian should have been treated like any other executive. Yet time and time again, you were rude and arrogant.”
“So I don’t get my bonus? It was agreed!”
“Paul, the people in your department don’t like you. You’re arrogant and high handed when it comes to working as a team. Your condescending attitude is poison here at Eltech. We need to terminate your contract.”
He jumped to his feet and banged on the table. “I’m taking the fucking system with me! Screw you, Zane! Futile would kill for that unit. Read the contract.”
Zane smiled at him. “I did, and so should’ve you. It clearly states that if you violate any of the terms of your contract, the system becomes the sole ownership of Eltech. You forfeit any intellectual rights of the unit. You had an attorney read your contract before you signed it, didn’t you?”
From what Zane told me before the meeting, Paul was a cheap son of a bitch and had his law school dropout roommate look at the paperwork. He told him it was fine, so Paul had signed without hesitation.
“So, I get nothing?”
“Nothing. No bonus, no unit, no job. You’ll be escorted to your desk to get your personal items and then taken out of the building. As a courtesy, I’m giving you a month’s pay of severance, which you really don’t deserve because of your behavior.”
Paul’s glare swung over to me, and if he hadn’t tripped over the legs of the chair he sprung from, he would have gotten to me before security stopped him. I would have loved to take a jab at him, the smug asshole. Within fifteen minutes, he was down on the street with a box full of his personal effects.
I watched Zane breathe a sigh of relief after everyone else had left the room.
“When do you expect we’ll see his lawsuit?” I halfway joke.
“Not sure, but I bet him using his law school dropout of a roommate to look at the original contract won’t be something he tells the attorney he retains. If he’s smart, he’ll file immediately..”
“Will this hold up the Christmas release?”
“Emily says, no. Even if we’re embroiled in a lawsuit, we can sell. If he wins, that’s a different story, but he violated the terms. It’s not my fault he chose to forgo a licensed attorney. Plus, we have a tremendous amount of witnesses that can testify to his poor behavior. Let him try to work for Futile. Jeff already told me that there is no way they want him there. He might be talented, but his attitude is a deal-breaker.”
I smile at the memory because I like to savor it time and time again. Paul did find an attorney to take his case, so we went to court a couple of weeks ago at the end of August. The judge ruled in our favor, and Paul was left with nothing but his severance. Last I heard, he went home to Pennsylvania to work for a small company doing app development. Good riddance.
