He Called Me a Broke Failure and Dumped Wine on My Shirt at Christmas Dinner—Not Knowing the Company That Paid Him Worshiped the Algorithm I Owned – Part 2

They walked inside together and the energy in the room shifted immediately. Several people recognized Stuart from TechCore’s frequent media appearances. The boy genius CEO who’d taken a struggling company and turned it into a tech giant. Garrett noticed too. His eyes lit up with the desperation of a social climber spotting an opportunity. Chapter 3.

The calm before dinner was called and everyone moved to the expansive dining room. Mercedes had outdone herself. roasted turkey, glazed ham, seven different side dishes, and enough desserts to feed an army. The table was set with her fine china, and crystal glasses. Alexander found himself seated between Abby and Stuart, directly across from Tanya and Garrett. Perfect.

Garrett had been trying to get Storyart’s attention since they’d arrived, but Storyart had smoothly deflected, staying close to Alexander and catching up. Now trapped at the dinner table, Garrett saw his opportunity. Mr. Collins, I didn’t know you’d be here. I’m Garrett Cole, marketing manager at tech corporation.

I’ve been with the company for three years. Stuart looked up from his plate, his expression politely neutral. Garrett? Yes, I’ve seen your name on some reports. Garrett puffed up like a peacock. I’ve been working on some really innovative strategies for our Q4 push. The analytics have been phenomenal.

I’d love to discuss them with you sometime. Maybe over golf. I don’t golf, Storyart said flatly, turning back to his conversation with Alexander. Tanya jumped in, her voice sharp. Garrett’s being modest. He’s the one who developed the new marketing framework everyone’s talking about. His boss says he’s on track for VP. Alexander sipped his wine, saying nothing.

Abby kicked him gently under the table. A warning or encouragement. He wasn’t sure which. Garrett’s attention shifted to Alexander for the first time. Alex, right? Tanya’s mentioned you. You do computers or something? Something like that? Alexander replied evenly. It’s a tough field. Lots of competition. I imagine you’re scrambling for clients, especially in this economy.

Garrett’s tone was dripping with condescension. Several people at the table shifted uncomfortably. Mercedes fork stopped halfway to her mouth. I manage, Alexander said. Tanya laughed. A brutal mean sound. Alex does freelance consulting. He worked from home. It’s very flexible. The implication was clear.

Alexander was struggling while Garrett was thriving. Garrett leaned back, warming to his audience. You know what, Alex? I can maybe put in a good word for you. At Tech Corporation, we’re always looking for junior developers. The pay isn’t great to start, but it’s steady. Better than chasing contracts. The table went silent.

Mercedes looked ready to intervene, but Alexander caught her eye and gave a subtle shake of his head. That’s generous, Garrett. But I’m quite happy with my current arrangement. Pride’s a dangerous thing, buddy. You’ve got to be realistic. I mean, what are you really making from freelancing? 40, 50 grand a year.

Meanwhile, Tech Corp just gave me a year-end bonus that could buy a car. Garrett smirked. Stuart coughed into his wine. Alexander could see him fighting laughter. Abby spoke up, her voice cold. Dad’s doing just fine, Garrett. Maybe we should talk about something else. I’m just trying to help, sweetie. Your dad’s too proud to admit he’s struggling.

I see it all the time. guys his age who can’t adapt to the changing tech landscape. They get left behind. Tanya placed her hand on Garrett’s arm. Garrett’s right. Alexander, you should really consider it. Stable income benefits. Maybe you could finally upgrade from that tiny loft. Alexander’s loft was 3,000 square ft of prime downtown real estate worth $2.5 million. But he didn’t correct her.

Mercedes had heard enough. Perhaps we should. Garrett interrupted her. No, no, it’s fine. I’m just being honest. Alex seems like a nice enough guy, just stuck in the past. The world’s moved on. You need to be aggressive, innovative. That’s why I’m succeeding at Tech Corp. I don’t just follow orders.

I create solutions. I’m a thought leader. Stuart’s jaw twitched. Alexander placed a subtle hand on his arm. A thought leader, Alexander repeated. Interesting. Tell me, Garrett, what’s your biggest innovation at Tech Corp. Garrett’s chest puffed up again. The Phoenix implementation strategy. I developed a framework for utilizing advanced predictive analytics to optimize marketing spend across 17 different channels simultaneously.

Increased ROI by 32%. The board was blown away. My VP said it was the most innovative approach he’d seen in 15 years. Stuart was gripping his wine glass so hard Alexander thought it might shatter. The Phoenix implementation strategy, Alexander said slowly. Catchy name. I’m good with branding. It’s about understanding the technology and making it work for you.

Most people just see numbers. I see opportunities. And this technology you’re using. Where did it come from? Garrett waved his hand dismissively. Some external contractor developed the base algorithm years ago. But the real genius isn’t how you apply it. That’s where I come in. The contractor just wrote code. I turned it into a business strategy.

Some contractor, Alexander murmured. Tanya jumped back in, sensing an opportunity to twist the knife. See, Alexander, this is what success looks like. Garrett’s going places. He’s already being considered for regional director. We just bought a house in Lincoln Park. Four bedrooms, completely renovated. Congratulations, Alexander said genuinely.

I’m sure you’ll be very happy there. His calm response seemed to irritate Tanya. She’d expected hurt or jealousy. Garrett, emboldened by wine and ego, pressed on. You know what, Alex? I feel bad for you sitting here watching your ex-wife thrive with a real man, knowing you couldn’t provide for her the way I can. I’ve got to sting. The table erupted in uncomfortable murmurss. Abby stood up.

That’s enough, Garrett. Sit down, Abigail. Tanya snapped. Garrett’s just being honest. Mercedes stood as well. In my house, we treat guests with respect. Garrett stood, swaying slightly. The wine had gone to his head. Respect? This broke loser shows up to family dinner like he belongs here. He couldn’t keep his wife happy. Can’t hold down a real job.

And he’s sitting next to my boss trying to what? Network. It’s pathetic. He grabbed his wine glass and before anyone could react, threw the contents across the table. Red wine splashed across Alexander’s face and sweater, dripping onto Mercedes’s antique tablecloth. The room exploded. Mercedes started shouting. Abby was crying.

Family members jumped up, but Alexander simply sat there, wine dripping from his face, perfectly calm. He pulled out his handkerchief and carefully wiped his face. Then he looked at Storyart, who was staring at Garrett with undisguised fury. “Steuart,” Alexander said quietly. “Maybe now would be a good time for that phone call.

” Stuart pulled out his phone, his hands shaking with rage with pleasure. Chapter 4, The First Crack. The chaos continued around them as Alexander calmly wiped wine from his face. Garrett stood triumphantly, Tanya’s hand on his arm. Both of them smirking as if they’d won some victory. The rest of the family looked horrified. Mercedes grabbed a towel and rushed Alexander. I’m so sorry.

This is unforgivable. It’s fine, Mercedes. Really? Alexander’s voice was steady, almost serene. He looked at Garrett. Feel better now? Actually, yeah, I do. Someone needed to put you in your place. Garrett’s confidence was at its peak. He turned to Stuart. Mr. Collins, I apologize. You had to witness this family drama.

Some people just can’t handle being around successful individuals. Stuart stood slowly, and there was something dangerous in his posture. Garrett, I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say. Of course, sir. Like I said, I’d love to discuss my performance review. You’re fired. The room went silent. Even the relatives who’d been cleaning up the wine spill froze.

Garrett laughed nervously. I’m sorry. What? You’re terminated. Effective immediately. Security will box up your desk on the 26th. Your access cards will be deactivated tonight. You have 30 days to remove yourself from company health insurance. The color drained from Garrett’s face. You can’t. This is a joke, Mr. Collins.

I’m one of your best performers. You’re a fraud. Stuart’s voice was ice. You’ve been claiming credit for work you didn’t do. Presenting insights generated by proprietary technology as your own innovations and systematically lying to your superiors about your contributions. That’s grounds for termination and possibly legal action. Tanya stood up.

This is ridiculous. You’re firing him because he threw wine at your friend. That’s abuse of power. I’m firing him because he’s a thief and a liar. Stuart turned to Alexander. Alex, would you like to explain or should I? Alexander stood brushing wine drops off his sweater. He looked at Garrett with something close to pity.

The Phoenix algorithm, the external contractor. Who developed it? That was me. Garrett’s face went from pale to gray. That’s your lying. Am I? Alexander pulled out his phone and opened his email. Here’s the original licensing agreement between myself and TechCP signed 5 years ago. $50 million upfront payment plus 3% of all revenue generated using the algorithm.

Stuart, how much revenue has Phoenix generated for Tech Corp? Approximately $2.1 billion, Stuart replied. Abai’s eyes went wide. She’d known her father was comfortable. But this, Alexander continued, his voice calm, but carrying to every corner of the room. That means I’ve received roughly $113 million in royalty payments over five years.

This quarter alone, I made $12.3 million. The algorithm you’ve been claiming as the foundation of your innovations, I own it. Every single line of code, Tanya sat down heavily, her face, Ashen. But here’s the thing, Garrett. I didn’t mind you using it. That’s what it’s for. Companies license it to improve their business.

What I do mind is you presenting its outputs as your own genius. You’ve been telling people you developed the Phoenix implementation strategy when really you’ve just been reading the reports my algorithm generates and repackaging them. Garrett’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. I I added value. I interpreted the data.

You copied and pasted. Stuart interjected. I pulled your reports this afternoon after Alex called me. 87% of your innovative strategies are word for word from Phoenix Outputs. You’ve been committing intellectual property fraud. Everyone uses the algorithm. Garrett’s voice was desperate now, looking around the table for support and finding none.

Everyone uses it and credits it properly. Stuart said, “They don’t claim they invented the insights. You presented yourself to the board as the creator of novel methodologies. You’ve been lying to collect bonuses and promotions based on someone else’s work.” Alexander’s phone buzz. He glanced at it and smiled slightly. Ah, here we go.

That’s my lawyer, Rowan. I forwarded him Garrett’s internal presentations earlier this week. He’s confirmed we have grounds for a lawsuit for unauthorized appropriation of proprietary intellectual property and fraud. Garrett stumbled backward. You’re suing me? Not yet. That depends on how cooperative you are.

Alexander’s voice remained calm, but there was steel underneath. You have two choices, Garrett. Option one, you sign a statement admitting to the fraud. Return all bonuses received based on false performance claims. I believe it’s roughly $85,000 over the past 18 months and agreeing never to work in tech analytics again.

You do this quietly and we don’t pursue legal action or Garrett’s voice was barely a whisper or we go to court. I have documentation of every instance where you claimed credit for Phoenix generated insights. I have emails where you explicitly told colleagues you developed these strategies yourself. I have internal memos where you pitch yourself for promotion based on innovations that were actually my algorithms outputs.

In court, this becomes public record. Your name gets attached to fraud. You become unhirable in any professional capacity, Stoyard added. And Tech Corp will pursue its own legal action for the bonuses paid under false pretenses. We take intellectual property very seriously. Garrett looked at Tanya desperately.

She was staring at Alexander like she was seeing him for the first time. How long have you known? She whispered. Alexander turned to her. That he worked for tech corporation since you started dating. that he was committing fraud. About 6 months ago, Stuart and I have been documenting everything and you just waited. I waited for the right moment.

You wanted to parade him in front of our family, show everyone how much better off you were. I thought it was only fair to let the truth come out in the same venue. Mercedes was smiling behind her napkin, enjoying this far more than she probably should. Garrett found his voice again.

You did this for revenge because Tanya left you? That’s pathetic. No, Alexander said calmly. I did this because you threw wine in my face and call me a broke loser in front of my daughter and family. The revenge was already planned. That just determined the timing. He looked around the table at the stunned faces. For 3 years, I’ve watched Tanya post on social media about her successful new life with her executive husband.

I’ve listened to Abby tell me stories about Garrett’s arrogance and condescension. I’ve seen the way you both looked down on me, pitted me, assumed I was struggling, and I said nothing because I didn’t care. My success doesn’t require an audience. But tonight, you made it personal. You humiliated me in front of people I care about. So, yes, Garrett, I planned this.

I’ve been planning it for months, and it’s not over yet. Chapter 5. The depths revealed. The room remained frozen. Everyone processing what they just witnessed. Garrett stood there, his expensive suit now looking like a costume, his carefully crafted image crumbling. Tanya finally found her voice. You’ve been rich this whole time.

While I was struggling with a mortgage, asking you for help with Abby’s tuition, you were sitting on millions. Alexander’s expression hardened. I paid a buy’s tuition in full all four years, plus her housing. I’ve never missed a single payment to you, Tanya. The divorce settlement gave you the house, half our savings, and alimony until you remarried, which you did 6 months ago, and in my obligation.

I’ve been more than fair. Fair? You let me think you were barely scraping by. I never lied to you. You assumed there’s a difference. He turned to Abby. Did you know I was struggling? Abby shook her head, tears streaming down her face, but she was smiling. You paid for everything. You took me on vacation to Italy last summer.

You bought me a car for my 18th birthday. I knew you were doing well, but she looked at Garrett with disgust. I tried to tell them. I told mom you were successful, but she didn’t want to hear it because she wanted to believe her own narrative. Mercedes said sharply that she traded up that Garrett was the better man.

Pride is a terrible thing, Tanya. Stuart’s phone rang. He looked at the screen and smiled coldly. It’s our head of legal. Excuse me. He stepped into the hallway. Garrett seemed to be having trouble breathing. My career? You destroyed my career over wine? No. Alexander corrected. You destroyed your career by being a fraud. I just expedited the timeline.

Eventually, someone at Tech Corp would have noticed that your genius strategies dried up the moment the algorithm updated or changed. You were always going to get caught, Garrett. I just made sure it happened in front of the people who needed to see who you really are. He looked at Tanya, and that includes your wife.

Tanya’s hands were shaking. The house, the mortgage on the new house. Garrett said his promotion would cover it, but but now there’s no promotion, no job, no bonuses to return. Alexander’s voice wasn’t cruel, just factual. You overextended based on future earnings that were built on fraud. That’s not my problem, Tanya.

Stuart returned and his expression was grim satisfaction. Legal just confirmed something interesting. Garrett, you signed an intellectual property agreement when you joined Tech Corp. It explicitly states that any work product, any innovations, any strategies developed using company resources or proprietary technology must be properly attributed.

You violated that agreement systematically. They can’t prove. We can’t. We’ve been tracking algorithm usage. Every time someone runs a Phoenix query, it’s logged. We match your reports to query timestamps. 93% of the time you ran a Phoenix analysis within 48 hours of submitting a new strategy. The correlation is undeniable. Garrett sat down heavily, his head in his hands.

But Alexander wasn’t done. He pulled out a folder from his bag. He brought it knowing this moment would come. There’s more, Garrett. I’ve been very thorough. He slid several photographs across the table. These are from the Tech Corp leadership conference in Miami last September.

You told Tanya you were at a training seminar. Tanya grabbed the photos, her face going white. They showed Garrett at a beachside bar with a blonde woman kissing her, his hand on her waist. Her name is Fahaney. She’s a sales rep from your Miami branch. You’ve been seeing her for 7 months since before your wedding to Tanya. Tanya’s hand flew to her mouth.

You said that conference was mandatory, that spouses couldn’t attend. Garrett’s head snapped up. You had me investigated. You had me followed. I hired a discreet investigator. Yes. Once I knew you were committing fraud at Tech Corp, I wanted to know what else you were lying about. Turns out quite a lot. Alexander pulled out more documents.

You’re also underwater on your Mercedes lease. You’re three months behind on payments. Your credit score is $580. You have $67,000 in credit card debt. Most of it from trying to maintain the appearance of success. The designer suits, the expensive dinners, the watch you’re wearing, all bought on credit you can’t afford.

Tanya was crying now, but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears of rage and humiliation. The house he just bought. Garrett put down 3% with an adjustable rate mortgage because it was the only way you qualified. When his promotion didn’t increase his income enough, he planned to refinance using techp stock options he claimed were coming.

Stock options that were predicated on his innovative performance, performance that was fraudulent. Mercedes whistled low. You’re not just a fraud, boy. You’re a disaster. Stuart looked at Alexander with newfound respect. Remind me never to piss you off. This is insane. Garrett shouted, standing up again. You can’t just destroy someone’s life like this.

You destroyed your own life,” Alexander said quietly. “I just documented it. Every piece of information I’ve shared tonight is a matter of record. The fraud, the debt, the affair, all real, all your choices. I didn’t create these problems, Garrett. You did.” He stood and addressed the room. I came here tonight knowing this would happen.