Chapter 5 - The Humiliation at the CurbAlejandro felt the room spinning. The wealth, the status, the respect he had spent the last three years enjoying—it was all evaporating in a matter of minutes.
"I want to speak to Mariana," he stammered, his voice cracking. "Where is she? This is a marital dispute! She can't use the company to punish me!"
"Mariana is currently in a high-level meeting with our new international investors," Lorena said, her voice devoid of any warmth. "She has made it very clear that she does not wish to speak with you. Any further communication must go through her legal representation."
One of the security guards took a step forward. "Mr. Vance, we need you to empty your pockets. We require the return of all company property."
"My pockets?" Alejandro gasped, his face flushing crimson. "This is outrageous!"
"Your company phone, your corporate credit cards, and the keys to the company-issued Lincoln Navigator," the guard specified, his voice deep and unyielding.
Realizing he had no leverage, Alejandro slowly reached into his pockets. He pulled out the sleek corporate smartphone and laid it on the desk. Next came the heavy black titanium corporate card. Finally, he unclipped the keys to the luxury SUV he loved so much—the vehicle he used to show off to his friends and family, bragging about his "executive perks."
"Thank you," the guard said, picking up the keys. "Now, please follow us. We will escort you off the premises. We have already packed the personal items from your desk. They are waiting for you at the reception desk."
Alejandro’s walk of shame through the main office of Ruta Norte was excruciating. Dozens of employees watched in absolute silence as the former VP of Operations was marched out of the building by security, holding a cardboard box filled with his desk trinkets, a framed photo of himself, and a half-empty bottle of cologne.
When he reached the lobby, he saw his mother, Teresa, waiting for him. She had planned to meet him for lunch to discuss "how to handle Mariana." Instead, she found her son looking pale, disheveled, and accompanied by security guards.
"Alejandro!" Teresa gasped, rushing toward him. "What is going on? Why are these men touching you?"
"Get away from me, Mom," Alejandro muttered, his pride entirely shattered.
"We have retrieved the company vehicle, Mr. Vance," the security guard announced to the lobby. "You are free to leave, but you must depart the property immediately."
Teresa watched in horror as the security guard handed the keys of the Lincoln Navigator to a company driver, who immediately drove the vehicle away toward the corporate garage.
"They took the car?" Teresa screamed, her voice echoing through the lobby. "That is my son's car! He is the boss here!"
"Actually, ma'am," the receptionist said, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm, "the car belongs to Ruta Norte Logística. And your son doesn't work here anymore."
May you like
"This is Mariana's doing!" Teresa hissed, turning to Alejandro. "That ungrateful, manipulative snake! How dare she humiliate you like this? Don't worry, my son. We will go back to the house. We will lock her out, and we will show her who really owns that property!"
Alejandro didn't have the strength to tell her the truth. He simply followed his mother out of the building, his cardboard box in hand, as they hailed a street taxi—a humiliating comedown for a man who, just an hour prior, drove a $100,000 luxury SUV.
Related Stories
