The company director fired me in front of everyone. Two hours later, he called me and said, “Dress up and meet me by the lake. Don’t tell anyone we’re meeting.” When I arrived, he asked me to take a photo with him… and the next morning, that photo was hanging on his office door.
When Mr. Wilson said, in front of everyone:
“Emily, pack up your things. As of today, you no longer work here.”
I stood there for a few seconds, completely frozen.
The office went so quiet that I could hear the sound of the keyboard at the next desk.
“I… may I ask why?” I finally managed to say.
Our director wouldn’t even look me in the eye.
He was seventy-eight years old—strict, cold, and extremely reserved. He had been with the company since before I was even old enough to go to school.
“You’ll understand the reason later,” he said. “For now, leave.”
Those words hurt more than if he had simply told me I was a terrible employee.
Everyone was watching me.
My direct supervisor, Mark, lowered his head.
Karen, who had been trying to get my job for years, couldn’t even hide her smile.
I packed up my bag, my notebooks, and the small framed photo I kept on my desk, and then I left the building.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, I started to cry.
I had worked at that company for nearly five years.
For the last two years, I had stayed late week after week. When the company was going through financial difficulties, I had barely taken any time off.
And now, I had simply been fired.
Without any explanation.
About two hours after I got home, my phone rang. The screen showed:
Office services
See more
Food
food
Home furnishings
Mr. Wilson.
For a moment, I thought about ignoring the call.
