On Thursday evening, while cleaning the elevator area on the 42nd floor, Mary witnessed Gerald Hayes publicly humiliate a young janitor named Maria. Maria was in her early 30s, an immigrant with a gentle face and a soft voice, always trying to avoid unnecessary conflict.
At that moment, Maria accidentally dropped a small bottle of glass cleaner onto the floor, causing the liquid to splatter onto Gerald's shiny shoes. Gerald immediately exploded in anger, his voice echoing sharply in the empty corridor.
"Do you know how much these shoes cost? Do you think you'll ever be able to pay for them with a lifetime of cleaning?"
Maria, terrified, repeatedly bowed her head and apologized, but Gerald was not so easily appeased. He walked up to her, his tone threatening. "People like you need to know your place. If this happens again, don't even think about coming back here."
He then walked off, leaving Maria standing motionless in the corridor, tears welling up on her pale, fear-stricken face. Mary rushed over and gently comforted Maria, her heart aching as she watched the young woman tremble, wipe away her tears, and continue her work as if nothing had happened.
Witnessing this, Mary realized that the decline of the company's culture was far worse than she had imagined. And it wasn't just Gerald. Mary also quickly realized that Derek Phillips was another dangerous figure.
Derek was smart and sharp, but his talent was accompanied by arrogance and a lack of empathy. He often intentionally scattered paperwork and drinks on his desk, and every time he saw Mary cleaning, he would make her do the same task again and again until he was satisfied. In reality, he was never satisfied.
Derek wanted to assert his position, and Mary understood that he was doing this solely to affirm his absolute power over those he considered beneath him. Once, when Mary was collecting trash in Derek's office, he sat there coldly staring at her and said something that made Mary feel as though her heart had been cut with a knife.
"Why do we still hire useless old people like you? A robot vacuum could do a better job."
Mary bowed her head and did not reply. The pain of those words deepened as she realized that Derek felt no remorse for his cruel, venomous comment.
With each passing night and every time she faced indifference, Mary's heart grew heavier. She was not only heartbroken by Gerald's disrespect and Derek's cold contempt, but also tormented by the helpless silence of her fellow janitors, who couldn't defend themselves against the injustice.
The toxic culture Mary was witnessing wasn't just a moral decline. It represented rot that had taken root at the very foundation of the company she had once proudly built. But Mary was not discouraged. On the contrary, she became even more determined to uncover the truth behind the indifference and abuse of power.
She knew that only by facing the deepest truth could she restore the lost soul of Williams Innovations, the company she had nurtured and cherished her entire life.
The following days, the atmosphere at Williams Innovations seemed to grow more stifling than ever for Mary. Each day, stepping into the workplace was no longer a source of pride as it once had been, but a harsh challenge, facing the bitter reality of what the company she had once loved and nurtured had become.