My Boss Cut My Pay, So I Bought His Company

I lent the company two hundred thousand dollars' worth of camera equipment for three years, and my boss repaid me by cutting my salary. My monthly pay dropped from two thousand dollars to six hundred. I went to ask him for an explanation. But when I arrived, the newly hired photography intern was showing him a refurbished camera. "The company can use my equipment too. Six hundred dollars a month is enough for me." My boss spotted me coming in and seized the chance to put me in my place. "See, Joe? If you won't do the job, plenty of other people will." I froze for a moment, then asked the intern, "How can you live in Fairhaven on just six hundred dollars a month?" He answered with self-righteous conviction. "Why couldn't I? I've done the math. A room in a shared place farther out costs a hundred and sixty. Food is six dollars a day, so a hundred and eighty a month. If I'm still short, I'll take out a loan." "What's wrong with enduring a little hardship when we're young? We should be working hard and learning, not constantly making demands of the company. How do you not understand something so basic?" My boss beamed as he listened. I smiled too. So, you enjoyed suffering? Fine. I bought the company. It was time to show them how a real capitalist operated. Chapter 1 I stayed at that lousy company for two reasons. First, I genuinely loved photography. Taking portraits was my only hobby for years. Second, Desmond Quinn treated me well back then. He kept calling me his buddy, and I thought working for him would be fun. As for the money? My father and older brother ran the family business. I was a wealthy man of leisure. I didn't need that little bit of income. My family's only requirements were that I find something respectable to do, avoid starting my own business, and stay away from gambling and drugs. But buying a small company for fun was perfectly acceptable. I sent the company's basic information to my personal assistant and told him to prepare for acquisition talks. Just after I sent the message, I heard the photography intern, Harvey Chandler, speak. "Joe, that's a terrible attitude. Mr. Quinn is talking to you, and you're playing on your phone?" "We young people need to be polite and respect the rules. You won't last long in the workplace behaving like that." That clearly struck a chord with Desmond, who joined in the criticism. "Look at Harvey! His emotional intelligence and the way he handles himself are miles ahead of yours!" "You need to lose that cynical attitude before the younger generation leaves you in the dust!" Desmond kept talking, spittle flying. Another lecture was clearly on the way. I couldn't be bothered to listen and cut him off. "You’re right, Mr. Quinn. But six hundred a month gets you my work. Do you expect me to keep everyone happy as well?" Desmond's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the desk. "Joe Archer! What kind of attitude is that? The world won't stop turning without you! You don't want to work here anymore? Is that it?" I was about to answer when Harvey, who was closely watching our reactions, hurried over to smooth things out. "Mr. Quinn, please calm down. Joe's probably just in a bad mood today and spoke a little harshly. Don't take it personally." He turned to me with an earnest expression. "Joe, you should ease up too. Not every boss is as generous as Mr. Quinn. You ought to appreciate that." One glance told me exactly what he was up to. Harvey had no real skill. I saw his sample shots from yesterday on the office computer. The composition was terrible, the lighting was a mess, and he couldn't even get the white balance right. There was no way we could deliver those photos to a client. The only reason he was so eager to smooth things over was that he knew his incompetence would be exposed the moment I left him to handle the work. Just then, my assistant sent a message. I glanced down and was about to reply. But Harvey stared at my phone and leaned closer, his eyes lighting up. "Joe, is that the latest foldable phone? Here's your chance to redeem yourself!" "We just built a tech-themed set. Your phone would make a perfect prop. We'd get some fantastic shots!" Chapter 2 Once I understood what he was after, I couldn't help laughing. "Easy to be generous with someone else’s stuff, isn’t it, Harvey?" Harvey's expression shifted. Before he could respond, Desmond spoke in a snide tone. "Joe, I don't like the way you’re talking. Didn't the money for that phone come from working here?" "Do you have any idea how bad the job market is? College graduates are fighting over jobs that pay six hundred a month!" "That high salary I paid you before was practically free money! You should be grateful!" Free money? This tiny operation, with just a handful of employees, brought in sixty to eighty thousand dollars a month. Ninety percent of that business came from clients who wanted me. I didn't argue with him over money, so he decided the company's success was down to his own business skills. I gave him an equally blunt reply. "Gratitude goes both ways, Mr. Quinn. When the company was starting out, you called me your buddy. Now you treat me like your slave?" I walked over to the equipment rack and took back my camera. Desmond's face darkened. "Joe Archer! Don't think you're so important!" "That six hundred includes an equipment allowance! If you won't provide a camera, you'll only get three hundred and sixty!" Harvey immediately set out his prized camera like he was presenting a treasure. Desmond pointed to it. "Don't think owning good equipment means I have to worship you. Harvey's camera might not be as good as yours, but it'll do." I laughed. Desmond knew nothing beyond brand names. He saw the matching logos and failed to realize Harvey's was a refurbished camera cobbled together from spare parts, worth no more than a couple of thousand dollars. Desmond continued. "You won't be taking photos here anymore. You'll just do odd jobs! Take it or get out!" He found cheap labor and now wanted to force me out? That wouldn't do. The company would be mine in a few days, and I wanted to stay for the show. I smiled and answered casually. "Fine. Three hundred and sixty it is." Honestly, I didn't care about the salary at all. Even thirty-six hundred wouldn't cover my monthly fuel bill. Desmond paused, clearly surprised I agreed. He looked me up and down and sneered. "Pathetic." I ignored him, sat at my desk, and started playing games. Desmond simply didn't want to pay severance, so he was doing everything possible to drive me out. Not a chance. I'd stay right in front of him and get on his nerves. At three that afternoon, a client arrived. Harvey immediately went to greet her. "You must be Miss Lawson. You booked yesterday, right? Come in, please!" Her makeup was immaculate and her clothes elegant. No wonder Harvey was so eager. She nodded and said a friend recommended the company. After a few pleasantries, Harvey took her into the studio. Three hours later, they came out to select her photos. When Lily Lawson saw the exported images, she snapped. "What is this?" I glanced at them. The shots distorted her face, and the color grading made her look positively ghostly. Harvey stammered. "Miss Lawson, please don't worry. These are the unedited shots. We can fix everything in post." Lily sneered. "With photos this bad, what could you possibly fix?" She stood and pointed at the camera. "And what kind of equipment is that? A basic camera worth a thousand or twelve hundred dollars?" "Your ads claim you use professional-grade equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. And this is what we get?" Harvey felt humiliated by her criticism of the camera he scrimped and saved to buy, and muttered. "That's just how you look. How is it our equipment's fault?" Lily picked up her bag, her face dark with anger. "Fine. Just wait. I'll expose you online so everyone can see what kind of business you're running!" Chapter 3 With that, Lily slammed the door and left. Harvey curled his lip. "I bought an online photography course for $1.98. I improved so much today, but clients these days have no taste." Then he looked at me and ordered, "Joe, why don't you edit these photos?" I didn't even look up. I drew out my reply. "I'm just the guy who does odd jobs. How would I know how to edit photos?" Harvey was furious, but there was nothing he could do. I went to work as usual the next morning. A crowd had gathered outside the company. Seven or eight young men and women stood there, some filming with their phones. "Joe Archer's here!" "He's the one who took those photos of Lily! He even leaked a private video of her. What a scumbag!" "Expose him! Ruin his reputation!" As the crowd shouted, a young man with dyed blond hair rushed forward and punched me in the face without warning. "So you’re Joe Archer? What the hell were those photos? Were you trying to make Lily look bad?" I staggered back a step. Before I could explain, Harvey appeared from behind the crowd and grabbed the blond man's arm with a look of pained concern. "Hey, don't hit him! Let's talk this out!" He turned to me and gave me an insistent look. "Joe, these fans just care about their favorite creator. Apologize, and we can put this behind us!" I wiped blood from the corner of my mouth and sneered. "Harvey, what are you trying to pin on me this time?" The blond man pulled out his phone and shoved it in my face. "Quit pretending. Did you do this or not?" The screen showed a post Lily made the night before, exposing the photography company. It had attracted plenty of attention. Apparently, Lily was a well-known influencer. But farther down was another post. An anonymous account had uploaded hidden-camera footage of Lily changing in a dressing room. The caption read: "You exposed me, so don't blame me for fighting back." My eyes widened, and I said firmly, "I didn't take Miss Lawson's portraits, and I didn't post that video." The blond man sneered. "Still denying it? Your company already put out a statement." "I heard you've made a bit of a name for yourself in photography. So, this is the kind of person you are." Harvey sighed beside him. "Joe, stop denying it." I took out my phone. The company's social media account had posted a statement the night before. "Regarding Miss Lawson's unpleasant experience at our studio, our investigation found that our former photographer, Mr. Joe Archer, deliberately retaliated against the client over a salary adjustment and leaked a private video of her." "Mr. Archer has been suspended, and we have reported the matter to the police. We sincerely apologize for the harm caused to Miss Lawson and will accept full legal responsibility." The comments were full of praise. "At least this company is taking responsibility." "Arrest that creep already!" "Good. Call the police!" I looked at the statement and smiled. Harvey leaned close and lowered his voice. "Joe, don't blame me. Someone had to take the fall. If it's you, I can keep my job. Don't worry. Once this blows over, I'll help you find work somewhere else..." I didn't argue with them. I pushed through the crowd and headed straight for the office. Desmond sat behind his desk with his legs crossed, smiling as if he couldn't be happier. I opened the door and got straight to the point. "Mr. Quinn, Harvey's only been here a few days, and this has already happened. Do you think blaming everything on me will keep the company out of it?" "Once people hear that a female client was secretly filmed here, our reputation will be ruined anyway. Who will dare come to us?" Desmond always cared about making money, so I expected that to get a reaction. But he merely set down his teacup and smiled even wider. "Let it be ruined." He rose, came around the desk, and patted my shoulder. "You haven't heard? The son of the country's richest man wants to buy my little company. Once I sign the contract tomorrow and get my money, I won't care whether this place makes a profit or what people think of it." Chapter 4 "But don't worry. I'll stay with the company. A spoiled rich kid like that won't know how to run a business, so I'll still be the one calling the shots. And you... I'll make sure to keep looking after you." So that was his plan. He wanted to dump the mess on me, pocket the money, and walk away without a scratch. Dream on. He hadn't signed anything yet. Even if he did, I'd find a hundred ways to make him give the money back. "Mr. Quinn, I haven't done anything to wrong you in these three years, have I? I helped grow your little company. Why do you hate me so much?" His smile faded. "Joe Archer, I can't stand that superior attitude of yours." "You think you're the reason this company succeeds? To me, you're just a working machine." "This company might be small, but I'm still your boss. Getting you to work overtime is like pulling teeth, and you don't even answer your phone after hours. Have you ever shown me any respect?" I was almost speechless. I finished all my work during business hours. There was no reason for me to stay late. And whenever something urgent cut into my time off, I handled it without complaint. Desmond snorted and leaned back in his chair. "You've got a bit of a name as a photographer, and now you think you can act however you please." "Well, your photography career is finished. Let's see how you get by in this industry now." I stared at him for a few seconds, then realized another word would be a waste of time. When I left his office, the crowd was gone. Desmond came out behind me and began arranging the welcome for the next day. There would be a banner, flowers, and a red carpet. He spared no effort. I watched and couldn't resist a jab. "Quite a production, Mr. Quinn. Someone might think you're hosting a wedding." He turned and glared at me. "What would a nobody like you know? Do you have any idea how much influence the richest family has?" "Someone that important taking an interest in our little company is the chance of a lifetime! Once I make that connection, I'll rise straight to the top!" "Now get out. Don't come around for the next couple of days and get in my way. Ruin this for me, and you'll regret it!" I sneered. I couldn't wait to see what the next day brought. Early the next morning, I arrived at the company right on time. Several security guards, lawyers, and my executive assistant, Zane Walker, followed behind me. Desmond and Harvey were both dressed in suits and waiting outside. Desmond frowned the moment he saw me. Then he noticed I was walking at the front, and his face fell. "Joe Archer? Why are you here again? Didn't I tell you to stay away?" He grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. "Can't you read the room? Do you see what's happening today? Move! You're blocking our guest!" I couldn't be bothered to explain. I stepped aside. Desmond straightened his tie, walked past me, and beamed at the youngest man in a suit behind me: Zane. "Mr. Archer! I've heard so much about you! Welcome!" He extended both hands and bowed so low he nearly folded in half. Zane froze. He looked at Desmond, then at me standing to the side. His expression turned awkward. "You... have the wrong person." Desmond's hands stopped in midair. Zane stepped aside and gestured toward me with respect. "This is Mr. Archer." Desmond's smile froze. He slowly turned and followed Zane's gesture. I leaned against the doorframe with my arms folded and smiled at him. "Morning, Mr. Quinn. You went to a lot of trouble with this welcome." "But I hear your company's been getting some bad press. I'm not taking on a mess like that." "The acquisition? Forget it."