Action and Reaction

I left the office yesterday with a feeling I'd never had before: a feeling of power, of importance. It's not that my everyday tasks are unimportant, but I feel like keeping Julius out of power may be a turning point for this office. I'm positive that keeping Julius out of the managerial position means a secure future for our branch.

Today was the day to carry out the plan. Caius, Casca, Trebonius, and several other senior employees wrote a letter of dismissal to Julius. The letter mentioned several harassment charges that the members of the conspiracy had uncovered as we spied on Julius. The actual offenses were minor and would have only resulted in a waning at most, however in the letter, all of his actions were severely exaggerated. Julius would have no choice but to step down. Several of the higher-ranking men in the office are part of a board that voted on all major issues in the office. It works the same way Washington does. If the majority of the board votes for a given proposal, it is passed onto me. I have the final say. The board, which includes Caius, Casca, and Trebonius, voted unanimously to fire Julius. They all signed the letter. When they brought it to me, I signed my name. As my pen made its last stroke, I felt a burden being lifted off my shoulders. It was done.

The board members went to deliver Julius the letter as I watched on my computer through a security camera. As they presented Julius the letter, everything was quiet. He read through carefully. He became angry. I heard him mention how the charges were inflated and unfair. He began rifling through papers in his desk for his lawyer's phone number. In his anger, he began shouting the names signed at the bottom of the letter. As he read, I left my office and walked towards his.

As I neared the door, I heard him yell, "Caius Caius..." I turned the knob. As I entered, I heard, "Marcus Brutus." Julius' voice immediately dropped off after saying my name. He started at me in disbelief. "You too Brutus?" He paused. "Then I will leave."

As he said this, he stood up and walked out. The crowd parted to let him past. We looked out the window as he entered his car, and sped off. There was still work to do. This had to be explained to the other workers. As I walked out of my office, I bumped into Julius' best friend, Anthony.

"Where did Julius go?" he asked.

I told him that Julius had been dismissed. His face sank. He insisted we tell him why. Caius shoved the letter into his hands. As he read it, I saw his face take on a look of skepticism. I interrupted and snatched the letter out of his hands. I told him that we had our reasons. A horrible feeling of guilt spread over me. I'm a terrible liar. However, his reaction erased my guilt. He accepted our excuse. He vowed to not reveal the contents of the letter. His only request was to say a few words about Julius when we revealed the news. It was incredible. It was a perfect victory.