Worm Pasta Was My Last Straw

At Opaline Corp, the lowest-performing employee had to eat a plate of pasta mixed with live worms. This time, Tristan Crocker lost three clients and landed dead last. To keep Tristan from feeling singled out, my wife, Wendy Kline, hit me with a nine-million-dollar performance penalty because I showed up one minute late while sick—even though I'd brought in three million in revenue. Just like that, I became the first employee in company history with negative earnings. Grinning, Tristan shoved the plate toward me. "Wendy updated the company rules last night to keep everyone in line. Anyone who's late gets penalized three times their performance. You always said mistakes deserve punishment. Now that it's your turn, you're not backing out, right?" Every eye in the room locked on me, waiting for me to lose it. Wendy quickly sent me a message: [The nine million is only on paper. It's not a real fine. With your talent, you'll earn it back in three months. Tristan's allergic to worms. If he ends up in the hospital over a punishment, it'll damage the company's reputation. And if people hear we punished an outsider, that'll look even worse.] [You're my husband. You're one of us. I love you, which is why I'm giving you the chance to show some leadership.] [Once this blows over, I'll give you an extra twenty dollars a month, okay?] When I didn't reply, she finally snapped. "Company rules apply to everyone, even the top performer. If you don't like it, you're free to leave." I nodded, unclipped my badge, and set it on the table. "Fine. I quit." I looked at her. "And while we're at it, let's get divorced." Chapter 1 The whole office went silent. Everyone knew Opaline Corp ran on me. If I walked out, ninety percent of the company's contracts would go with me. Opaline wouldn't survive it. People immediately jumped to their feet. "Dylan's here thirty minutes early every day. In ten years, this is the first mistake he's ever made. Just let it go." Wendy's expression darkened. Instead of answering, she sent me a message. [Behave. Take the hit for now. Whatever you're upset about, we'll talk at home. Don't make a scene and embarrass us.] I didn't bother replying. The silence made everyone even more nervous. One coworker hurried forward. "Forget it. I'll take the punishment. I'll eat the worms. Dylan, calm down. Don't do something you'll regret." He didn't get it. I wasn't acting on emotion. This time, I meant it. Back when Wendy and I first started the company, she loved making an example out of me. If I accidentally printed one extra copy of a document, she'd tear into me in front of everyone. Later, she'd wrap her arms around me and explain, "Honey, I know it's rough. But I have to manage the company. If they see me calling out even my own husband, they'll respect the rules." I understood how hard she worked to keep the business running. So I put up with it. I swallowed every bit of frustration and let her walk all over me. Then Tristan Crocker—Wendy's younger college friend—joined Opaline Corp. From day one, he was a walking disaster. He was constantly late, printing the wrong files, and costing the company money. More than once. But Wendy never punished him. Instead, she'd reward him with paid time off so he could "reset his mindset." When I questioned her, she'd massage my aching shoulders and patiently talk me down. "Honey, times are different now. Punishment doesn't work on younger employees. Positive reinforcement is what motivates them." I believed her. Right up until a new young employee accidentally called her by the wrong name. Wendy publicly chewed her out for three straight hours. "You can't even get something this simple right? What are you good for? "Get out. We don't hire garbage here." Chapter 2 I couldn't take it anymore. "Why isn't Tristan being punished for his mistake?" Wendy poured me a glass of water and smiled. "Honey, Tristan came back from overseas with a PhD. Talent like that is rare. We're lucky he even agreed to work here, so of course I have to keep him happy. I can't just punish him whenever I feel like it." "A top graduate who's dead last every month and still hasn't passed probation after six months?" That shut her up. Then Tristan pushed the door open. Acting all ashamed, he made a bet. If he ranked last again next month, he'd eat a plate of pasta mixed with live worms. To protect his ego, Wendy turned his personal punishment into a company-wide rule. Maybe the threat worked, because Tristan did land three clients this time. But when it came time to sign, every deal crashed. No question—he was dead last again. Last night, I went to bed early because I felt sick. I wanted to recover and watch Tristan face the music. Instead, Wendy secretly changed the penalty rules overnight and set my alarm later, making me late so I'd take Tristan's punishment. Unbelievable. I stayed silent. The whole room went tense. Even Wendy looked ready to speak. Tristan lowered his head, pretending to be sorry. "I was wrong. Mr. Depp is Wendy's husband, so this company is basically his turf. I'm just a lowly intern. I had no right to enforce company rules. "I'll quit right now before he holds a grudge and comes after me." He said that, but didn't even touch his badge. Everyone saw the act. Wendy bought it anyway and grabbed his arm. "Don't talk like that. This company is fair. Who would dare abuse their power or make things hard for you?" I let out a cold laugh. My phone buzzed. Messages from Wendy's trusted staff popped up in a group chat: [Here we go again. Ms. Kline is so sharp. How did she fall for an idiot like him?] [Exactly. To save him from punishment, Ms. Kline handed over connections she'd spent years building. Deals that only needed signatures, and he still blew them. Unreal.] Seconds later, the two staff who sent the messages turned pale and hurried to delete them. Clearly, they'd sent them to the wrong group. I glanced around. Everyone had their heads down, clearly watching the drama unfold. I frowned. I used to think Wendy only bent the rules over small things, no matter how unreasonable she got. I never thought she'd burn her own connections and hand Tristan extra support just to save him from a bet he made himself. And she called this "for the good of the company"? What a joke. Wendy still had no clue about the group chat. After babying Tristan for ages, he stood there with fake tears in his eyes. Then she glared at me. "Enough. If you don't want to be punished, don't be late. "Back when you made mistakes, you could drink toilet water without even blinking. What, now that you're management, you forgot where you came from? "Besides, worms are packed with protein. Some people can't even buy them. Why are you being so dramatic?" Just like always, she tore me down in front of everyone. Like I would still be dumb enough to believe the lies she dressed up as love. Chapter 3 She had no idea I'd already had enough of her double standards. I'd just uncovered a massive mistake Tristan had made. I was even planning to give her some dignity and handle it in private. But if she was dead set on making me the scapegoat, then I had no reason to keep up appearances. I tossed the documents I'd printed earlier onto the table. Proof that Tristan had sold Opaline Corp's confidential information. "I can follow the rules and eat the pasta with worms. But according to company policy, shouldn't Tristan be fired and held liable for selling company secrets?" The room erupted. Everyone stared at the documents in disbelief. No one expected Tristan to stab the company in the back after Wendy had practically bent over backward for him. With everyone watching, Tristan's eyes turned red. "Wendy, I'm sorry. I got drunk and someone tricked me into it. I didn't mean to." For a mistake that serious, Wendy barely reacted. "You've completely lost control of your drinking. You're not allowed to drink anymore." Then she looked at me. "Dylan, I just realized the rule about tripling performance penalties for being one minute late is unfair to top performers like you. I wasn't thinking clearly last night. That rule is canceled. Meeting adjourned." Just like that, she erased the punishment. No one would be penalized. Everyone in the room understood exactly who she was protecting. And it wasn't me. As she turned to leave with Tristan, I picked up the plate and stepped in front of them. "Hold on. "If that rule's canceled, Tristan is still last place. I held the plate toward him. "You're the one who insisted on enforcing company rules. You came up with this punishment yourself. Don't tell me you're backing out now." The other co-workers immediately piled on. "It's just a punishment. We've all been punished before. "Go ahead and eat. We're only looking out for you. "You're so skinny. Think of it as extra protein." Tristan stared at the worms still wriggling in the pasta. His face went white. He nearly threw up. Wendy rubbed his back and snapped at everyone else. "I said the meeting is over. Why are you all still standing around? Get back to work. Do I need to personally escort each of you out?" The crowd quickly scattered. When she saw me still standing there, her tone softened. "Don't worry. Mistakes will be punished. No one gets special treatment. "Tristan, come to my office later and write a ten-thousand-word reflection report. You're not leaving until it's finished." I almost laughed. Her favoritism wasn't exactly new. I didn't even bother arguing. I grabbed my phone and headed for the door. She had been comforting Tristan, but the moment she saw me leave, she panicked and hurried after me. Pulling me into a corner, she held up a medical report. "Look. Tristan really is allergic to worms. "If I wasn't worried about things getting out of control, would I have let you take the hit? "Honey, for the sake of the company and our family, can you let this go just this once?" Back when she found out I was allergic to peach, she'd shoved allergy medicine into my hand and made me eat it anyway. I wasn't going to die, after all. But when it came to Tristan, suddenly everything was different. I opened my mouth to cut her off. Her phone rang. She answered immediately. Tristan's aggrieved voice came through the speaker. "Wendy, I drank a lot yesterday. The worms freaked me out, and now my head really hurts. "What should I do?" Chapter 4 A flash of panic crossed her face. "I'm coming right now." The second she hung up, Wendy dug twenty dollars out of her purse and shoved it into my hand. "There's a problem with a project. I need to go deal with it. Buy yourself something good. Take the rest of the day off and come back tomorrow." Before I could respond, she was already gone. But I wasn't planning to forgive her this time. I was done. Done with her. Done with the company. I called a friend who'd been trying to recruit me as a partner for years. We met at a restaurant, talked over dinner, and worked out the details. By the time we signed the contract, it was dark outside. Afterward, I wandered through the mall. Then I spotted a public proposal. For a moment, memories surfaced. Wendy and I used to have good times. But after we built the company, she became more and more obsessed with profit. Somewhere along the way, we turned into strangers. I let out a quiet laugh and shook my head. Just as I was about to leave, I got a clear look at the woman being proposed to. It was Wendy. Tristan knelt on one knee, holding a bouquet and a diamond ring. "Wendy, you paid for my education. You helped me leave that small town. You funded my PhD overseas and stayed with me through three years of long distance. "You're the most important woman in my life." "I'm still broke. Even this ring was bought with your money. "But I promise I'll work hard and give you a good life." The crowd erupted. "Say yes!" Wendy nodded shyly. Then she held out her hand and let Tristan slide the ring onto her finger. The ring replaced the wedding band she'd once shared with me. I smiled. Then I started clapping. Louder than anyone else. She turned toward the sound. The second our eyes met, all the color drained from her face. The bouquet slipped from her hand. She rushed over. "Honey, don't get the wrong idea. "I just asked Tristan to help me rehearse. "When we got married ten years ago, we were broke. We bought the cheapest rings we could find. "I wanted to make it up to you with a real proposal and a diamond ring." She looked at me hopefully. "Honey, after ten years, will you marry me again?" The crowd immediately started cheering. I stood there with a cold smile. Not moving. Wendy forced a laugh and grabbed my hand. She tried to slide the diamond ring onto my finger. It wouldn't go on. No matter how hard she pushed. The atmosphere instantly turned awkward. She lightly smacked my arm. "Honey, I keep telling you to eat less. "Look at you. You've gained so much weight the ring doesn't fit. "I'll exchange it for a bigger size later." I glanced at the ring. The wedding band we'd bought ten years ago still fit perfectly. This one was obviously smaller. It had been bought for Tristan. And she expected me to believe it was just a rehearsal. Did she think I was stupid? The crowd didn't know any better. They immediately took her side. "It's normal for guys to put on weight." "What matters is the thought." "After ten years of marriage, she's spending a hundred thousand dollars on a diamond ring just to propose again. That's real love." A hundred thousand? I raised an eyebrow. Back when we got married, we were so broke we bought our wedding rings from a dollar store. They rusted away years ago. One anniversary, I scraped together three hundred dollars to buy her a pair of silver rings. I thought she'd be happy. Instead, she accused me of wasting money. She dragged me back to the jewelry store, demanded a refund, and made a huge scene. Then she cut my monthly allowance to a hundred and fifty dollars for being irresponsible with money. Chapter 5 And now, barely two months later, she'd spent a hundred thousand dollars on a ring for Tristan Crocker. So it was never about wasting money. I just wasn't worth spending it on. A cold laugh escaped me. I didn't take the bouquet she'd offered. Wendy didn't get upset. Instead, she reached over and straightened my wrinkled collar before fixing my tie. Smiling, she said, "You're a grown man and still can't take care of yourself. I've been so busy lately I haven't even had time to help wash your hair. Look at you—you've got dandruff." The people around us looked on with envy. They didn't know Wendy only acted this gentle when she wanted something. Or when she was trying to smooth over a mistake. Every time, I'd softened. Every time, I'd forgiven her. And every time, she pushed a little further. Not anymore. I turned and walked away. Wendy hurried after me with Tristan trailing behind. "Honey, you've lost weight lately. Is your allowance not enough? I'll raise it to a thousand dollars, okay?" A second ago, she'd been saying I'd gained weight. Her excuses were getting sloppier by the day. But I knew Wendy. She never played nice without a reason. Sure enough, she smiled and got to the point. "You were right. Tristan still isn't capable enough. "How about you give him a few smaller clients to practice with? Once he's trained up, he can help take some of the pressure off you. "I just hate seeing you work so hard." I smiled. "That makes sense." Her eyes immediately lit up. She thought she'd won. "I knew you'd understand. Tristan's young and immature. I'll make sure he listens to you." At her look, Tristan reluctantly nodded. I watched the two of them. My resignation statement was already typed out. "You're right. I am under a lot of pressure. But I don't need him to share it. If I resign, there won't be any pressure." Then I hit post. The second it went live, my entire social circle exploded. "Resign? Are you serious?" Wendy looked ready to lose her temper. Then her phone started vibrating nonstop. "He isn't really resigning," she told whoever was calling. "I've just been busy lately and neglected him. He's throwing a little tantrum." But the calls kept coming. She was overwhelmed. While she was distracted, I left. The moment I got into my car, my phone started blowing up with her calls. I blocked her. Out of sight, out of mind. I didn't have much money, so staying at a hotel wasn't an option. I figured she'd come home and confront me. She never showed up. Not that I cared. The next morning, I woke up to a flood of videos from Tristan. In one, Wendy—who never cooked—was wearing an apron and learning recipes for him. In another, the same woman who always claimed she was too busy to travel with me was taking him to the beach, on skiing trips, and on vacations all over the world under the excuse of "business travel." Every video was another reminder of who she chose. At the bottom of the chat were a few messages. [Those three deals Wendy gave me? I sabotaged them on purpose. I just wanted you to see that she only cares about me.] [She couldn't even bring herself to make me write that ten-thousand-word self-criticism. She wrote it for me. Has she ever done that for you?] [Once all your clients become mine, it'll be time for you to disappear.] I stared at the messages. Combined with the things a few clients had quietly hinted to me before, everything finally clicked into place. Chapter 6 That was when I realized Wendy's silence that night wasn't restraint. She'd been busy poaching my clients. Was it just business? Maybe Tristan was right. But neither of them understood one thing. If I could help build Wendy up, I could tear everything down too. I forwarded all the evidence to my lawyer to start the divorce proceedings. Then I called my friend. "Mason, I need a favor. Once this is over, every one of Wendy's accounts is yours." Over the next few days, Wendy never came home. Unlike before, she didn't even try to add me back after I blocked her. Instead, messages from my former coworkers flooded in. [Dylan, the second you left, Tristan took your job and started making up ridiculous punishments just to target us.] [We seriously can't take it anymore. If you've found another company, can you bring us with you?] [Bathroom breaks can't be longer than five minutes. A hundred-dollar fine if your phone isn't on silent...] The complaints kept coming. Rule after rule. And every employee being fined was someone who'd spoken up for me. [Perfect timing. I need a team anyway. Join me. You'll be a lot better off.] Seven days later, Wendy finally approved my resignation. HR asked me to come in and finish the paperwork. The moment I walked into the office, I saw a huge banner hanging across the room. Wendy stood beneath it with a smug smile. "Tristan just closed a major account. His growth has been incredible. "I've decided to promote him directly to vice president and award him three percent of the company's shares." A few scattered claps followed. My former coworkers looked at me with sympathy. Everyone knew I'd spent ten years building this company from the ground up. I'd practically worked myself to death for it. Yet forget shares—even my salary had never been raised. The only reward I'd ever gotten was an empty management title. I said nothing. Wendy walked toward me, clearly eager to unload all her pent-up frustration. "Whenever you're upset, you block me and throw a tantrum. "You really think this company can't survive without you? "Using your resignation to threaten me? You've gotten way too full of yourself. "If someone as useless as you could do the job, Tristan will do it even better." She smirked. "If I were you, I'd swallow my pride and apologize. "For the sake of our marriage, I might even let you come back as a security guard." Tristan immediately laughed. "Wendy, he's still your husband. Don't be so harsh." Then he turned to me. "Mr. Depp, if you eat that pasta with worms, apologize publicly, and ask for my forgiveness, I'll give you a chance to work under me. "If you want to succeed, you have to know when to bend and when to stand tall. "Aren't you the one who taught me that?" Wendy lifted an eyebrow but didn't stop him. She simply crossed her arms and watched. In her mind, Tristan held all the cards now. She expected me to lower my head. I waved a hand. "No thanks. I've already found something better. This company isn't worth my time." Her expression instantly darkened. Just as she was about to snap, Mason walked in with his team. Wendy leaned close and whispered smugly, "Didn't see this coming, did you? Even your friend betrayed you. This is just the beginning. Soon all your clients will belong to me. "We'll see how arrogant you are then." Then she turned around with a bright smile. "Mason, long time no see. "We've already prepared the contract. We're just waiting for your signature." Mason smiled. "Signature?" He glanced at her. "I'm here on behalf of your clients to terminate their contracts. "And to take my new hires home."