Greg didn't move. "Look at him," Evelyn echoed. A sharp edge finally cutting through her calm facade. Greg slowly raised his head. His eyes were red- rimmed, full of venom and fear.
"Yesterday, you told me I was incompetent," Jack said, his voice barely above a whisper. Yet, it filled the room. You told me I was a loser. You brought my daughter into a corporate cover up because you were too stupid to run a sandbox test on a legacy system you didn't understand. Jack crouched down so he was eye level with Greg.
I built that system. Jack said, "I know every line of code, every back door, every thermal threshold. I built it so people like you couldn't destroy it. You fired me. You took away my daughter's healthcare.
So now you don't get to stand up until I say so. Jack stood back up and turned to Evelyn. She was tapping away on her sleek tablet, unfazed by the display of dominance. She was a woman who dealt in power. This was just another negotiation.
He's on his knees, Evelyn said. Are we done with the theatrics? Can we get back to my bleeding company? We haven't started, Jack replied. He walked over to the kitchen counter, passed the empty insulin vials, and poured himself a glass of tap water.
He took a slow sip. You want my key? You want my code? You're going to pay for it. I am prepared to offer a substantial consulting fee for your immediate services, Evelyn countered.
Name a number. I don't want a consulting fee. I want a contract. Evelyn raised an eyebrow. I'm listening.
Jack set the glass down. Here are my terms. You have a legal team on speed dial. Have them draft this right now or I throw this USB drive into the garbage disposal and you can watch your parent company's stock plummet to zero by noon. He didn't wait for her to agree.
He listed his demands with ruthless precision. Immediate termination of Greg Simons. Terminated with cause, total forfeite of severance, stock options, and unvested equity. Full reinstatement and promotion. Jack returns as chief technology officer of Omnicorp Solutions.
He reports directly to the parent company board. Nobody in middle management touches his department. Complete department overhaul. A guaranteed discretionary budget of $5 million to replace the legacy hardware he had been begging them to replace for 3 years. Lifetime healthc care coverage.
Premium zero deductible medical coverage for his daughter Khloe. Not tied to his employment status. Ironclad and irrevocable, Evelyn stopped tapping on her screen. She looked at Jack, her calculating eyes narrowing. The financial demands were a rounding error to her conglomerate.
The title change was a logistical hurdle but manageable. The healthcare demand was personal, messy. The severance forfeite for Simons will trigger a lawsuit, Evelyn noted, glancing dismissively at the man still kneeling on the floor. "Then let him sue a billionaire conglomerate," Jack said. "I'm sure your lawyers need the practice."