Chapter 6: A Grain of Salt

THE next day, August found himself fixated on his phone screen, clad in a worn-out white t-shirt, faded pants, and carrying an old black bag on his back. He contemplated how to handle the unexpected money that had miraculously appeared in his bank account.

It had been quite some time since August last set foot in the Sandoval Corporation. Uncertain of his current employment status there, he decided to take a risk and approach the management, determined to explain the reasons behind his absence from work.

"I'm not sure if I should use this…” said August, his finger tapping on the screen as he proceeded to pay his monthly expenses. "But well, at least now I have the means to cover my expenses, or maybe even take a taxi."

With this newfound fortune, August realized he not only had enough to cover his basic needs but also to indulge in some wants, a luxury he hadn't experienced before, given his modest paycheck.

August didn’t know who sent him the money. Despite his efforts to uncover the sender's identity online, he found no traces. 

It seemed the sender either lived an intensely private life or had used a fake name, although the latter didn't make sense since opening a bank account required real identification.

Nevertheless, August felt grateful to the unknown sender. At least he won’t look like a pathetic person even just for now.

 "Taxi!" August hailed, his hand raised high, and a cab promptly halted in front of him. 

Though he still relied on crutches for support, he could now walk without them.

"Where to?" inquired the driver, his finger poised on the meter.

"Sandoval Corporation," August replied, and the driver brought him there.

A HAPPY atmosphere filled the Sandoval Corporation as the employees engaged in cheerful banter while going to their different departments.

However, their voices abruptly fell silent when August entered the company with his head held high, as though the humiliating incident he caused at the Rosehouse last week hadn't affected him at all.

No one dared to speak as August stepped into the elevator. 

Even as he pressed the button for the 20th floor where his department was located, he couldn't escape the harsh comments being whispered about him, including from people who had never even met him before.

"That's him, right?"

"The one who claims to be Samantha's boyfriend? He must be delusional."

"How could he dare to humiliate Sir Bruce like that? Is he out of his mind?" 

August shook his head in disappointment before the elevator doors closed. He knew the situation would worsen, given his fight with an influential man, but he hadn't expected people to blindly believe Bruce and Samantha simply because they were richer than him.

As he went on to the Strategy Department, August greeted his colleagues, and as expected, no one greeted him back.

However, his eyes widened as Peter stepped forward, wearing a smile on his face.

"Hey, man!" Peter tapped August on the shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly. "We thought you had already been fired."

"I thought so too," August replied without hesitation, causing Peter's grin to widen. 

"To be honest, causing a scene at Bruce's live broadcast, going AWOL for a week, and showing up here as if nothing happened—it was quite amusing, wasn't it?" Peter said, rubbing his chin with his fingers.

August was about to respond when Kaylee, one of his colleagues, interrupted their conversation, pulling Peter away from him.

"Don't talk to him, Peter. Sir Bruce might form a negative opinion of you," Kaylee snapped angrily, pointing her finger accusingly at August. "And you! Are you out of your mind?"

August furrowed his brows. "What do you mean by that?"

"After what you did to Samantha, after manipulating and monitoring her for years," Kaylee spat out, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "you're still here, even though she's finally free from you? You're insane." 

Those words pierced August's chest, causing him intense pain. It served as a painful reminder that Bruce wasn't the only one who had destroyed his reputation—Samantha played a significant role in it as well. 

She fabricated false accusations, seeking the pity of the viewers and turning them against him.

Determined to defend his name, August stood up and clapped his hands, capturing everyone's attention.

"Take what they say with a grain of salt, everyone!" he declared in a resounding voice. "It's not true! They were trying to destroy me!"

"And what would we gain from destroying your reputation?" a voice interjected from afar.

Gasps filled the room as Bruce Sandoval made his entrance, unnoticed by the employees earlier. Unlike August, Bruce was dressed in an expensive white suit, complemented by expensive white leather shoes. 

Upon receiving news of August's presence in the company, Bruce wasted no time in making his way there, even though it wasn't in his schedule.

"I want everyone to leave," Bruce commanded, and the employees immediately complied. "Except you, Mr. Fordman."

Once the room was empty, Bruce began to speak.

"If I were you, I would leave this company immediately," he said with an intimidating tone. "I thought you already did that when you stopped showing up before, but seeing you still confident enough to work in my company amuses me. No joke."

"I will not leave just because of your baseless rumors," August declared, his fists clenched tightly. "I worked hard to get into this company."

He was on the brink of a promotion. The management had informed him about it beforehand. August couldn't let this rumor destroy everything he had worked tirelessly for to achieve success. 

August had relied on himself, as no one else had helped him.

"And it will only take a moment for me to destroy you."

However, Bruce was equally determined to destroy him in the most effective way possible. Bruce despised individuals like August—those who didn't know their place.

People like August mistakenly believed that hard work and perseverance were the sole paths to success, unaware that it was only the surface of the challenges ahead.

"What did you say earlier? 'Take everything with a grain of salt'?" Bruce stepped forward, standing in front of August, and whispered into his ear. “You’re making me laugh, aren’t you?”

August struggled to contain his anger and remained silent. Though onlookers outside couldn't hear their conversation, their eyes were fixated on them. 

Allowing his anger to control his actions would only make the situation worse. 

"I believe that advice was meant for you," Bruce said, a genuine smile forming on his face as he patted August's shoulder. "If you weren't so naive, you would have realized that Samantha was simply using you.”

'Calm down, August,' he urged himself as his breathing ragged.

"Did you even sleep with her?" Bruce provocatively asked, attempting to push August's patience to its limits. "Because I did last night. It was incredible. Her warmth alone was enough to drive me wild—"

"Damn you!" August couldn't contain himself any longer and threw a punch at Bruce's face.

August respected Samantha even from their college days, and he would not allow anyone to harass her, especially not in front of him.

Bruce gritted his teeth in anger, and feigned an accidental kick to August's knee, causing him to stumble to the ground. 

A tear escaped from August's eye as he clutched his knee, groaning in pain. 

A cunning smile curled on Bruce's lips as he also bent down, pretending to offer help to August. As Bruce shielded his body from the view of onlookers, he concealed his true expression. 

Deceiving people was one of his skills, honed through countless negotiations.

"Don't be so quick to believe what others say. Take this advice, as it applies to you as well," Bruce whispered sarcastically.

"This is just the beginning of me destroying your entire life, you pathetic commoner," Bruce added, pressing down harder on August's knee, causing him to scream in agony.