You’re Fired
+25 BONUS
You’re Fired
I got to the office early, as I usually did, though not as early as I had planned. A few people were already there. I smiled and waved, bringing back the old Mina, the one they all remembered. They greeted me back but behind their tight, sarcastic smiles, I could see the judgment.
They thought they knew everything, just because they had read a few articles about me in some magazines online. I took it in stride and walked into my office, shutting the door behind me.
I started working on a document I had been working on before my leave. At exactly 8 o’clock, Eric walked in. His presence was unmistakable, and I could feel the air get charged immediately. I smiled brightly, expecting him to throw his first punch. He walked in with an air of confidence, his smile too big, too wide, too smug.
There was a look in his eyes, one of triumph, that immediately put me on alert. He had something up his sleeve.
“Good morning, Eric. How may I help you?” I asked, keeping my voice professional, suppressing the emotions inside me. This was still a workplace, after all.
“Good morning, Mina,” he said, his grin growing even larger. “I’d like you to help me by getting the hell out of this office.”
I blinked, unsure if I heard him right.
“Excuse me. What?”
“In fact, I want you the hell out of this building,” he continued, his voice laced with amusement and rising by the second.
“What I mean, Mina,” he said with a chuckle, “is that I want you as far away from Black Wind Company as possible.”
I felt a knot forming in my stomach. “What are you talking about, Eric? What do you.
mean?”
“I always knew you were slow,” he sneered. “What I mean, Mina, is that from this moment on, you’re no longer working here.
My heart skipped a beat. “You’re joking, right?”
His voice rose, each word cutting deeper than the last.
“Mina, you’re no longer a Black Wind employee.”
#25 BONUS
You’re Fired
I noticed then that he had deliberately left the door wide open, not bothering to close it behind him when he first got here, and people were peeking inside, eager to witness the unfolding drama.
“What I mean, Mina,” he emphasized, enunciating every word, “is that you’re fired, effective immediately. Get your things and get the hell out of my company.”
“This must be a joke,” I said, my eyes wide, as I stared at him in disbelief.
I could feel the commotion outside growing. People gathered near the door, their interest piqued, hungry for the juicy gossip. I could see the satisfaction in their eyes, the glee in their expressions. They were enjoying my humiliation, eager to see me fall from grace.
It didn’t matter to them that I had worked tirelessly for this company… all the late nights, endless meetings…They were just here for the entertainment.
“You can’t fire me,” I told him firmly. But Eric only smirked, clearly enjoying the
moment.
“Mina,” he drawled, taking a seat and getting comfortable, crossing one leg over the other.
He looked like he was settling in to enjoy every second of my humiliation.
“You’re forgetting who hired you.”
“I was hired because of my hard work,” I shot back. “I left my job at Hardwick’s to come work here because you needed me. You knew I was good at what I did.”
Eric chuckled, clearly amused by my insistence. “I hired you because we were engaged, Mina. Not because of your work ethic. I didn’t want you working for anyone else, didn’t want you on the other team. But now that we’re divorced and you don’t really contribute to this company any more, it’s time for you to go.”
“All I have done is pour myself and ‘everything I had into this company!” I retorted, my voice rising, but Eric was already dismissing me
“I’m firing you, Mina, and it’s effective immediately.” He placed a piece of paper on the desk, sliding it toward me.
“This is your termination letter. If you have any grievances, you can take them up. with HR. We’ve already filled your position.
He looked toward the door and called out,
