09.52
Chapter 51
When Charlene walked in, the room went silent, every pair of eyes fixed on her in awe.
Too thrilled to remain seated, someone stood up and rushed to ask, “Mr. Ferguson, is this stunning lady our new colleague?”
“Word does get around, doesn’t it?” Stewart chuckled, turning to introduce Charlene. “This is Charlene Ross. She’s joining our company-”
Raleigh cut him off and suddenly blurted, “Did you give up on Vesta because of her, Mr. Ferguson?”
Stewart paused a moment, then nodded, “Yeah. I was thinking of giving you the rundown later…”
Before he could finish, Raleigh turned to Charlene, saying, “Vesta just got her PhD from one of the top ten universities, and she’s only 25. If Ms. Ross managed to get her spot here at PrimeStar, her resume must be even more impressive, right?”
The word around was that Stewart had personal reasons for not hiring Vesta, who had not revealed the real causes.
Raleigh had seen Charlene hugging Stewart downstairs earlier, which led him to believe her hiring at PrimeStar was due to personal connections.
Despite the company’s reputation for attracting top talent, having a resume like Vesta’s was rare, even nationally. He doubted Charlene’s achievements could surpass hers.
Without waiting for Charlene to respond, he sneered, “But then, Ms. Ross does look quite young. People might think you haven’t even graduated with your PhD yet.”
Stewart had planned to talk with Raleigh about not hiring Vesta later. After all, Charlene and Vesta’s issue wasn’t something they could discuss in such a public setting. But he hadn’t expected Raleigh to lash out like that.
Frowning, Stewart began, “Raleigh-”
But Raleigh felt Stewart was trying to cover for Charlene and loudly cut him off, “Mr. Ferguson, I was talking to Ms. Ross.”
He pressed Charlene, “Is it that hard to answer about your education? Or does Mr. Ferguson need to speak for you? Or is it that you haven’t been in a PhD program? Or perhaps the institution you attended isn’t ranked high enough to mention?” Charlene calmly replied, “Indeed, I haven’t pursued a PhD, but-”
Raleigh laughed, feeling like his guesses had hit the mark. Not every woman could measure up to Vesta’s achievements.
He scoffed, interrupting Charlene before she could finish, “But what? You’re going to say even without a PhD, your knowledge doesn’t fall short? What gives you that illusion? Just because men have flattered you for your looks, you think you have real talent?” That was the last straw for Stewart, who burst out, “Raleigh!”
While skepticism was one thing, Raleigh’s remarks insulted Charlene! How could he not be furious?
Raleigh removed his ID badge from around his neck. “I resign.”
“You!” Stewart was stunned by Raleigh’s impulsiveness.
Raleigh looked back at him. “Mr. Ferguson, I always thought you valued talent and could separate personal from professional. But I was wrong.”
With that, Raleigh turned and left.
Not one to lose his temper easily, Stewart called after him, “Take some time to cool off. When you’re ready to return, you’re always welcome-”
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