Part 11
The manager’s office on the ground floor was small, sterile, and cold.
Derek sat in a chair in the corner, his head in his hands, looking completely broken.
Arthur Vance stood by the window, staring out at the street, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
The door opened, and Marcus walked in, followed by two large corporate security officers.
Both Derek and Arthur stood up instantly, like soldiers facing a court-martial.
Marcus walked over to the desk, but he didn't sit down. He stood, looking down at the two men who had compromised his life's work.
“Arthur,” Marcus said softly.
“Sir,” the night manager whispered.
“You’re done. Your corporate credentials have been revoked. Your access to all company properties is terminated.”
Arthur simply bowed his head. He knew there was no defense. He had allowed the rot to spread under his watch, and now the foundation had collapsed.
Then, Marcus turned his attention to Derek.
The young clerk looked up, tears welling in his eyes.
“Mr. Johnson, please,” Derek sobbed. “I have student loans. I have rent. I made a mistake, a horrible mistake, I was just trying to keep the hotel looking... looking exclusive—”
“Exclusive,” Marcus repeated, the word tasting like poison in his mouth.
“You thought exclusivity meant exclusion.”
“You thought luxury meant turning away people who didn't look like you.”
Marcus stepped closer, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper that echoed in the small office.
“You didn’t just make a mistake, Derek. You looked at a tired six-year-old girl holding a stuffed bear, and you decided she didn't deserve a bed to sleep in.”
“You didn't see a guest. You didn't even see a human being.”
“You saw a demographic you wanted to reject.”
Derek couldn’t answer. He just cried quietly, the reality of his own cruelty laid bare before him.
“I’m not going to sue you, Derek,” Marcus said, surprise flickering in the clerk’s eyes.
“And I’m not going to ensure you never work again.”
“But you are going to leave this building right now.”
“And you are going to remember this night for the rest of your life.”
“Every time you apply for a job, every time you look in the mirror, you will remember that you tried to break a child's spirit, and you failed.”
May you like
Marcus turned his back on them.
“Escort them out,” he told the security guards.
