37 An Explosive Wee
37 An Explosive Wee
Julian Croft stood at the front of the conference room, surveying the gathered employees with a confident smile. His hand rested lightly on ra’s shoulder as he prepared to make the introduction. O
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet ra Vance. She’s joining us as our new Head of AI Development,” Julian announced, his voice carrying clearly across the room.
ra smiled politely as curious gazes settled on her. Some faces showed genuine interest, others skepticism, and a few disyed outright hostility.
“ra was actually one of YodaVision’s original founders,” Julian continued. “She’s returning to lead our most ambitious project to date.”
Before Julian could borate further, a sharp voice cut through the murmurs.
“Did I hear correctly?” Quentin Yallop strode into the conference room, his expression thunderous. “Vivienne Dubois was fired for her?”
The room fell silent. All eyes darted between Quentin, Julian, and ra.
Julian’s smile tightened. “Quentin, this isn’t the appropriate time—”
“When is the appropriate time to discuss nepotism, Julian?” Quentin’s voice dripped with disdain. He turned to address the room. “Vivienne Dubois has a doctorate from MIT. She graduated top of her ss at Stanford before that. She’s published in every major tech journal.”
He gestured dismissively toward ra. “And what are your credentials, Ms. Vance? Besides being Julian’s good friend, of course.”
The air in the conference room grew heavy with tension. Several employees shifted ufortably in their seats.
Julian stepped forward, his patience visibly fraying. “Quentin, that’s enough. ra’s qualifications are exceptional. I won’t have you-”
“I saw you two hugging in the lobby,” Quentin interrupted, his voice rising. “Very
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professional. Tell me, did you even interview anyone else for this position?”
ra remained surprisingly calm, her posture straight as she faced Quentin directly. “Mr. Yallop, I understand your concerns-”
“Do you have a doctorate, Ms. Vance?” Quentin demanded, cutting her off.
A brief hesitation. “I haven’t passed my doctoral examination yet.”
Quentin let out a derisiveugh. “Of course not. You look barely old enough to have finished undergraduate studies. Let me guess-you’re what, twenty-five? Twenty-six?”
“I’m thirty-two,” ra replied evenly.
“Quentin!” Julian’s voice hardened. “That’spletely inappropriate.”
“What’s inappropriate is hiring someone based on their looks or personal connections rather than their qualifications,” Quentin shot back. He turned to address the room again. “Is this what YodaVision hase to? Passing over genuine talent like Vivienne Dubois for-”
“That’s enough!” Julian’s voice cracked like a whip. “ra Vance helped create the algorithms that form the backbone of our entire operation. She’s forgotten more about Al development than most people in this industry will ever know.”
Quentin scoffed. “Pretty words for a pretty face. Tell me, Julian, is she warming your bed too? Is that why-”
“Quentin!” The HR director finally intervened, her face pale with shock. “This is grounds for immediate disciplinary action.”
Quentin ignored her, his eyes locked on ra. “You won’tst a week here. People like you-trading on connections rather thanpetence-never do.”
ra finally spoke, her voice quiet but steady. “You seem to have a very high opinion of Vivienne Dubois, Mr. Yallop.”
“Because she earned it,” he snapped. “Unlike some people, she doesn’t need to rely on personal favors.”
Julian stepped between them, “Quentin, I’m warning you-”
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37 An Explosive Wee
“No, I’m warning you,” Quentin retorted. “YodaVision deserves better leadership than this.” He yanked his employee badge from his jacket pocket and mmed it onto the conference table. “I quit. I refuse to work for apany with such poor judgment.””
Gasps echoed around the room. The HR director moved forward, her hand outstretched. “Quentin, please, let’s discuss this in private-”
“There’s nothing to discuss.” Quentin straightened his tie and looked directly at Julian. “Your personal feelings have clouded your professional judgment, Julian. Good luck exining to the board why you chose personal loyalty over actual talent.”
With those parting words, Quentin turned and strode toward the door. Julian called after him, “Quentin, don’t do this. Your career-”
“My career will be fine,” Quentin replied without turning around. “I wonder if you’ll be able to say the same after this mistake bes apparent.”
The door mmed behind him, leaving the conference room in stunned silence. Every pair of eyes turned to ra, who stood rigid beside Julian, her face a careful mask that revealed nothing of the turmoil she must be feeling.
Julian cleared his throat, attempting to regain control of the situation. “Well… that was unfortunate. But let’s not allow one person’s unprofessional behavior to derail our meeting.”
ra touched Julian’s arm gently. “Perhaps I should say something.”
Julian hesitated, then nodded, stepping back to give her the floor.
ra faced the room, her gaze steady as she took in the mixture of shocked, curious, and skeptical expressions before her.
“I understand Mr. Yallop’s concerns,” she began, her voice clear and measured. “It’s natural to question a new hire’s qualifications, especially when someone you respected was passed over.”
She paused, allowing her words to sink in.
“I won’t stand here and list my achievements or try to convince you of my worth. That would only validate the suggestion that I don’t belong here.” ra straightened her
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37 An Explosive Wee
shoulders. “Instead, I’ll let my work speak for itself. Judge me by what I aplish, not by rumors or assumptions.”
A few heads nodded around the room. One brave soul even offered a small smile of
encouragement.
“I know what it’s like to be underestimated,” ra continued. “To have people look at you and see only what they expect to see. I promise you this-I will never
underestimate any of you. I will listen to your ideas, respect your expertise, and work alongside you, not above you.”
The tension in the room noticeably eased. Several employees exchanged nces, reassessing their initial impressions.
Julian stepped forward again, relief evident in his expression. “Thank you, ra. Now, if we could return to our agenda-”
But before he could continue, the conference room door burst open again. A young intern stood there, breathless and wide-eyed.
“Mr. Croft, I’m sorry to interrupt, but… Quentin Yallop is in the lobby, talking to reporters from Tech Insider. He’s making some serious allegations aboutpany hiring practices and… and he mentioned Ms. Vance specifically.”
The momentary calm evaporated. Julian’s face darkened with anger. “What did he=”
“He said…” The intern swallowed hard, ncing nervously at ra. “He said thepany rejected a highly qualified candidate in favor of ‘Damien Thorne’s discarded wife.””
The silence that followed was deafening. All eyes turned to ra once more, this time with dawning recognition and barely concealed shock.
Damien Thorne’s wife. The words hung in the air like a verdict.
ra’s carefully maintainedposure finally cracked. A flush of color rose to her cheeks as whispers erupted around the room.
Julian’s hand found her elbow, steadying her. “Let’s continue this meetingter,” he said firmly to the room. “You’re all dismissed for now.”
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37 An Explosive Wee
As the employees filed out, their curious nces and hushed conversations followed ra like shadows. The professional introduction she had hoped for had just transformed into a spectacle, with her private life now the subject of office gossip and possibly industry news.
The conference room emptied until only Julian, ra, and the HR director remained.
“I’m so sorry,” Julian said quietly. “I never expected-”
“It’s fine,” ra interrupted, though her trembling hands betrayed her. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy.”
The HR director shook her head grimly. “We’ll need to issue a statement quickly. Damage control.”
Julian nodded, already reaching for his phone. “I’ll handle Quentin and the press. Lisa, can you-”
The woman nodded. “I’ll start drafting something right away.”
As they discussed strategy, ra stood by the window, staring out at the city skyline. Her fresh start had just be infinitely moreplicated. The past she was trying to leave behind had followed her here, announced by Quentin’s vengeful deration.
Damien Thorne’s discarded wife.
Even now,
miles away from him, Damien’s shadow still defined her.