How could this happen to him? It was inconceivable. All his wealth and status only to end up like this. Earlier that night, a meeting had run unexpectedly late much to his annoyance. That's just the way business went sometimes, though. Still, that did nothing to stifle his irritation.
After all, he had casinos to gamble at. He had women to sleep with and exotic foods to gorge himself on. Not to mention, the assortment of fine beverages to get drunk off of. If there was a word to describe, Philip Cullen, it would be bullish. His aggressiveness had gotten him far in his line of work. Of course, inheriting the company from his dad was also helpful.
Both treated those beneath them save for the higher-ups like dirt yet their employees could attest that Philip was the worst of the two. You see, his dad performed his cruelty from a distance. It wasn't often he cared to check on the progress of his employees' work in person. On the other hand, his son watched them like a hawk. Anyone who fell short would meet humiliating scrutiny or be outright fired.
That wasn't all he did. The words bonuses and raises were not in his vocabulary unless they were for himself. All of the employees were under his foot and they knew it. When you already have a lot of money starting out, smaller businesses don't last long, and therefore, you are the only place people can find work, no matter how demeaning it may be.
He made sure to pay his workers enough so they wouldn't quit. What choice did they have? Even if they were reduced to tears every night after brutally long shifts, at least they could afford their utilities and to put food on the table. What really motivated them was their fear of Philip. If he heard anyone even utter the word union, they would be out on the street.
With the cost of living being higher in that area, it wouldn't take them long to end up in squalor. Many wanted desperately to move away from there. Sadly, they weren't being paid enough to afford that luxury. All they could do was endure. Philip's dad taught him to know when he was getting a raw deal and that nothing was off to gain the upper hand.
As mentioned before, the meeting took far longer than he was expecting. The people he talked with were not easy to convince but he managed to do it. Now, he would soon be a lot richer.
The moment they left, he called his chauffeur to pick him up. Philip leaving was always cause for momentary celebration around the workplace even if his lackeys would make sure people still kept their noses to the grindstone. A stretch limo with an older-looking driver pulled in front of the building. He got out, letting out a shudder at the burst of cold washing over him in contrast to the vehicle's warm interior.
"Good evening, Sir. I hope your meeting went well," He told Philip, opening the door for him.
All he received in response was silence, which in the case of Philip interacting with most of his employees tended to be as good as it got. His driver could tell he was in one of his moods and knew to keep conversation to a minimum. Once inside, Philip grabbed the champagne he saved for rather grueling workdays. Then rather than pouring it into a glass, drank straight from the bottle.
"Hey," he said to his driver.
"Yes, sir?"
"Take the shortcut. I want to get home fast."
"Of course, sir."
Philip lived a ways away from work, resulting in longer commutes, not that it usually mattered when most days, he could come and go as he pleased. This time, though it did. He lacked the patience for how long the drive would normally take and that was going to cost him greatly. The road his driver took him on was one only he and the other elites knew about.
Traffic was terrible in that area so that was a way they could cover distance a lot more quickly. It overlooked a sprawling forest with lakes on either side. The view was quite lovely. However, Philip wasn't paying attention to it, instead, looking at his phone, specifically his bank account of which he had many.
