Behind Closed Doors

"Thanks to Manager Blake’s help, we got this order."

His tone was syrupy, almost rehearsed, and the camera caught every word, every forced smile. I could hear my own awkward laugh echo in the conference room now, making my skin crawl.

When the compliance department colleague projected the video onto the big screen, Procurement Director Travis Lee’s face twisted with pain and despair.

He pressed his lips together, as if he’d bitten into something rotten. I caught a bead of sweat sliding down his temple. The rest of the team stared at me—one guy nervously tapped his pen, another shifted in his seat, someone else just stared at the floor—as if I’d grown horns overnight.

"Blake, how could you be so careless? For just a $450 kickback, you cost the company $30,000! I should’ve done a better job as your manager."

His words hit like a verdict, but what I really heard was: ‘You’re on your own now.’

At the time, the market price was $135 per unit, but we paid $195. For 500 units, the company overpaid by about $30,000.

The numbers flashed on the PowerPoint slide in bold red, like a giant warning sign. I could feel every eye in the room burning a hole through me, waiting for me to say something, anything.

Compliance Department Manager Jordan Mason turned off the video and fixed his gaze on me.

He had that calm, clinical look—like a surgeon about to cut, never raising his voice. His glasses caught the glare from the lights, making his eyes unreadable. I noticed he kept straightening his tie, a nervous habit I hadn’t seen before.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

I sneered.

Couldn’t help it. The setup was so obvious it was almost laughable. My lips curled into a half-smile, even as my heart pounded and my palms went clammy.

"You all can’t wait to throw me under the bus, huh? This is such an obvious setup, there’s nothing to explain."

I locked eyes with him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me crack. The room seemed to tighten around me, everyone holding their breath for the next explosion.

"A setup? Are you saying someone forced you to take the kickback?"

He paused, and when I didn’t flinch, he pressed on:

"The company’s decided to give you a chance to make things right. If you resign voluntarily, we won’t call the police or press charges."

He made it sound like a lifeline, but I heard the threat loud and clear. The silence in the room was suffocating, broken only by the hum of the air conditioner and the distant chatter from the hallway.

When I heard this, I almost laughed out loud.