Page 37 of Clashing with the CEO
Is he really bringing this up again?
My face grew hot. “I was going to confess to everything after that presentation.”
“Were you? You stood up there, acting like everything was just fine, and gave a perfectly good presentation which fooled everyone—except me. Do you have prior marketing experience?”
“No.”
The sound which left his mouth was half laugh, half sneer. “Impressive.”
Was that a compliment? I couldn’t be sure. Nothing he was saying made much sense.
I tried to put him straight. “Like I said, it wasn’t my intention?—”
“And not just that. The way you wormed your way into a comms role with no degree, no experience, just sheer determination and perseverance.”
Wormed my way?!
“Yes. I’m impressed,” he said.
“Wait a minute. If you think that’s so impressive, why did you fire me?”
“Need I remind you that you were supposed to be laid off to begin with? And even if that weren’t so, I must uphold Luxmore’s zero-tolerance policy for dishonesty.”
“But you would rehire me in a role with even greater responsibility?”
He shook his head. “Luxmore isn’t hiring you. I am.”
He could do that?
“You don’t care if I’m dishonest?” I asked.
“As long as you are not dishonest with me.”
I crossed my arms. There was still something I didn’t understand. “Why did you want to make me redundant in the first place?” I asked.
“I had to let many people go, Amelia.”
“So, it was an arbitrary decision?”
“Not quite.”
“How so?”
“My impression of you was that you would be able to find another job.”
I had to hold in a scoff. “Do you have any idea how high the unemployment rate is right now?”
“I do.”
“And I’ve hardly got any experience.”
“Your determination could overcome the limitations of your experience.”
“You think I could just strut out and pick up another job just like that?”
“Yes.”
I laughed. He was in a bubble, sitting in his cushy office all day with his CEO paycheck. He had no idea.
