about the "incident" at the restaurant. The story, twisted and embellished by Sarah, had spread like wil

me wa

cement. Liam had been promoted to Vice President of Product Development. And a

as S

too. The promotion I had been working towards for two years, the one Liam had

nse of calm settle over me. There was nothing left for them to take.

HR and Liam. "I hereby resign from my position as Senior Architect, effective immediately." I

arah appeared in my doorway, holding two cups of

she said, her voice dripping with

at her. "I d

aive. Did you really think he loved you? You were just a conv

ou made it easy. All that talk about your 'five-year plan' and mar

t her, at her perfectly made-up

f my offic

y. "And you know what? I think I'll redecorate.

erate movement, she "tripped" over her own feet, sending th

t a pierci

Chloe threw he

hing her arm, her skin red and blistering, and he saw me standing there with my b

two strides and slapp

tinging, my ears ringing. The shock was so profound, i

e turned his back on me completely, rushing to Sarah's side, inspecting her arm with a fran

n the desk. It wa

diately. Your access to all company systems has been revoked. P

shamed, professionally ruined, and physically assaulted. T

't look at them. I walked past the staring, whispering faces of my colleagues, dow

.. free. They had taken everything, but they had also severed the last tie that bound me to them. I was