Sarah didn’t yell. She didn’t panic. She pulled me into a tight hug and whispered that we would figure it out. We had a small cushion, enough to keep us afloat for a couple of months if we were careful, and I had a clean record in corporate logistics. Still, the weight of the suddenly uncertain future pressed down heavily on both of us.
Two hours later, my phone rang. I expected it to be a recruiter or a automated notification, but the screen showed the agency’s main office line. I stared at it for a moment before answering.
“David?” It was Brenda, the office manager. Her voice sounded strained, almost breathless. “You need to come back to the office right now.”
“Brenda, Caleb fired me,” I said quietly. “I’m not coming back to cause a scene.”
“No, David, you don’t understand,” she urged, her voice trembling slightly. “You left your personal belongings on your desk, but that’s not why you need to get here. Caleb is asking for you. Everyone is waiting for you. Just… please come.”
Before I could ask another question, the line went dead. Sarah looked at me, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Go,” she said firmly. “Get your things, face him, and close that door with your head held high.”
I drove back across town, my stomach churning with anticipation and confusion. The drive felt longer this time, the midday sun reflecting harshly off the glass facades of the financial district. When I walked through the glass doors of the building, the security guard—who usually barely glanced up from his desk—looked at me with wide eyes and immediately tapped the elevator button for me.
When the elevator doors opened on the fourth floor, the usual noise of keyboards typing and phones ringing was entirely absent. The open-plan office was dead silent. Every single head turned as I stepped onto the carpet….
