"Alice, the company has decided to terminate your employment." HR director Janet's voice was flat. I glanced at my phone—the photo of the positive pregnancy test still lit the screen. I’d just found out yesterday. Today, I was being let go. "On what grounds?" "Restructuring." I almost laughed. Three months ago, my colleague Jessica got pregnant. Our boss even gave her a bonus and three months of paid leave. The day after I find out, I'm suddenly "restructured." "And the severance?" "Two months' salary." After six years, standard compensation should be around $120,000. She was offering twenty. "Fine," I stood up. "But a reminder—the Astra Group contract renews next week. I haven’t handed over the files yet." Janet paled. I walked out. An $18 million account. Good luck landing that without me. 1 The conference room door clicked shut behind me. I leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. My palms were slick with sweat. Down the hall, my boss, Bonnie, was standing by the door to the breakroom. When she saw me, she picked up her mug and strolled over, her pace infuriatingly casual. “Alice. All done in there?” she asked, as if she were asking what I wanted for lunch. “Bonnie,” I said, looking her straight in the eye. “I want to know why.” “Why what?” “Three months ago, Jessica announced her pregnancy, and you gave her paid leave.” I held her gaze. “The day after I find out I’m pregnant, I’m being pushed out.” Bonnie smiled. “Alice, you make it sound like the company is targeting you.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Jessica’s situation is different from yours.” “How is it different?” “She has a high-risk pregnancy. She needs to rest. You don’t.” “That doesn’t mean you can fire me the very next day,” I said, my voice tight with anger. “I’ve worked here for six years. I’ve handled the Astra Group account by myself from the very beginning.” A flicker of something—annoyance? unease?—passed through Bonnie’s eyes. “And?” She set her mug down and leaned in closer. “Alice, let me be honest with you. This company doesn’t pay people to sit around.” “You’re pregnant. You’ll be on leave for at least half a year, right? Who’s going to manage the account then?” “I can work remotely while I’m on leave, I can—” “And you think the client will be okay with that?” she cut me off. “Look, don’t get emotional. This was a company decision, not something I could control.” I clenched my fists. “Then what about Jessica? She’s taking leave, too. Why does she get to stay?” Bonnie’s expression shifted. A subtle, unnatural stiffness, the look of someone caught off guard. “Her situation…” “How is her situation any different?” I pressed. “She’s only been here a year, she’s never managed a major account. Why does her pregnancy get her a vacation, while mine gets me fired?” Bonnie was silent for a few seconds. Then she laughed. “Alice, you’re a capable employee, no doubt.” “But you think you’re more important than you are.” She turned and walked away, leaving me with one final, cutting remark. “This company will do just fine without you.” I stood frozen in the hallway, watching her go. My phone vibrated. A message from my husband: How did it go? I didn’t reply. Because I saw someone else. Jessica was coming out of Bonnie’s office, holding a folder. She saw me and stopped for a second, then walked over with a smile. “Alice, I heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you taking some time off?” Her baby bump was just starting to show. And the file in her hand… I saw the title. Astra Group 2024 Partnership Renewal Proposal. It was the proposal I wrote. My name had been crossed out. Hers was written in its place. 2 I didn’t say a word. Noticing my stare, Jessica instinctively hid the folder behind her back. “Alice? Is everything okay?” “That’s my proposal,” I said, pointing behind her. “I worked on it for three months. I just finalized it last week.” She blinked. “Oh, this?” “Bonnie said you were leaving, so she asked me to start getting familiar with the account.” “When did I say I was leaving?” Jessica’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second. Then it was back. “Alice, you’ll have to ask Bonnie about that. I’m just doing what my manager told me to do.” She tried to step around me, but I blocked her path. “Jessica, be straight with me,” I said. “What do you know about this?” She looked up at me, her eyes darting away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alice. I’m just taking over a work assignment.” She sidestepped me and hurried away. I stood there, pieces clicking together in my head. Jessica had joined the company three months ago. Bonnie had introduced her as a distant cousin and asked me to “show her the ropes.” And I did. Client files, communication protocols, email chains—I taught her everything, step by step. I thought I was training my successor. Turns out, I was training my replacement. My phone vibrated again. Three frantic messages from my husband. How’s the baby? What did the company say? Don’t panic. Whatever it is, we can talk about it when you get home. I shoved my phone in my pocket and walked toward my desk. As I pushed open the glass door to our department, two dozen pairs of eyes snapped toward me, then quickly looked away. The office was eerily silent. Liz, the office gossip, was staring intently at her screen, motionless. The intern, a young man named Jake, opened his mouth as if to speak, then shut it. I walked to my desk. A cardboard box was sitting on my chair. Next to it was a document. Employee Offboarding Checklist. They’d even packed for me. I picked up the list. First item: Astra Group project files and client contact information. Second item: Shared departmental drive administrative access. Third item: Company-issued laptop and access card. At the bottom, a line was reserved for my signature. The date was today. I put the list down and opened my laptop. Before I could even type my password, a message popped up on the screen: Your account has been disabled. Please contact the IT department with any questions. The account was locked. They weren’t even giving me time to process it. “Alice.” A quiet voice came from behind me. I turned. It was Jake, the intern. “What is it?” He bit his lip, his eyes flicking toward Bonnie’s office. “During the morning meeting…” “What meeting?” “The daily huddle. Before you went into the conference room, Bonnie already told us.” His voice got quieter. “Told you what?” “That you had resigned for… for personal family reasons.” “She also told us to be understanding and not to pressure you.” I stared at him, stunned. “I resigned?” Jake nodded. “She also said Jessica would be temporarily taking over the Astra account. Her exact words were… ‘at Alice’s recommendation.’” He looked at me, his expression troubled. “I just thought… I just thought it was strange. You work so hard. Why would you suddenly quit?” I didn’t answer. Bonnie’s office door opened. She stood in the doorway and beckoned to me. “Alice, come in for a second.” 3 I walked in. Bonnie was sitting behind her desk. She gestured for me to close the door. “Have a seat.” I remained standing. “Bonnie, I have a few questions.” “Go ahead.” “First, on what legal grounds am I being terminated?” “Departmental restructuring. Didn’t Janet tell you?” she said, flipping through a file without looking up. “Second, why did you tell my colleagues that I resigned?” Bonnie’s hand paused. “Alice, you’re a veteran employee. Isn’t it better to part ways gracefully?” “I don’t need grace,” I said, my eyes fixed on her. “I need a reasonable explanation.” She finally looked up. “What explanation do you want?” “Is there a problem with my performance?” “No.” “Have I ever caused the company any losses?” “No.” “Then why are you forcing me out?” Bonnie sighed. “Alice, you’re a smart woman. There are some things I’d rather not say so bluntly.” “I’m not afraid of blunt.” She looked at me, a complex expression on her face. “Fine. I’ll be direct.” “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” “Yes.” “Your pregnancy, maternity leave, and nursing leave will add up to at least a year. Can you work normally during that time?” “I can—” “You can what? Work remotely? Part-time?” She gave a small, humorless smile. “Alice, our clients aren’t idiots. Astra Group pays us eighteen million dollars a year. Why should they wait for you to have a baby before they talk business?” “Then you could have at least let me complete the handover—” “There’s no time,” she cut me off. “The renewal window is next week.” “And besides…” She paused. “Besides what?” “Besides, Mr. Vance at Astra already knows you’re leaving.” I froze. “What?” “I spoke with him this morning,” Bonnie said, her expression perfectly calm. “I told him you were resigning for family reasons and that Jessica would be taking over. He said that was fine.” My head was spinning. She had notified the client before I was even called into the meeting. This wasn’t a negotiation. It was a dismissal. “So,” Bonnie said, standing and walking around her desk to face me, “you sign the papers, and we can all move on amicably.” “If you don’t sign…” Her voice dropped. “Alice, it’s been six years. You know how I operate. I have a hundred ways to make you sign.” She patted my shoulder. “Don’t burn your bridges.” I stood there, motionless. She walked past me and opened the door. “Oh, one more thing.” She glanced back. “Finish the handover by the end of the day. You don’t need to come in tomorrow. I’ll have the front desk mail your things to you.” The door closed. I was alone in her office. Outside the window was the city’s central business district, a forest of skyscrapers and a river of traffic. I had worked here for six years. I had started as a junior assistant and worked my way up to marketing manager. I had landed the Astra Group account all by myself. And now, they were kicking me out. Without even giving me twenty-four hours. My phone rang. I pulled it out. The caller ID read: Dominic Vance. Marketing Director at Astra Group. My college classmate. He had been the one to bring me this project. Because he was my guy. I answered. “Alice, what’s going on?” Dominic’s voice was urgent. “Your boss Bonnie just called me, said you’re resigning?” “I didn’t agree to it,” I said. “What do you mean you didn’t agree?” “Dominic, I’ll explain everything later,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Right now, I just need to ask you one thing.” “Shoot.” “Next week’s renewal. Can you hold off on it for a bit?” There was a two-second pause on the other end. “Alice, what are you planning?” “What am I planning?” I looked at the file on Bonnie’s desk. The Astra Group Renewal Proposal. My blood, sweat, and tears for the last three months. The cover page now bore Jessica’s name. “Dominic,” I said, my voice steady. “I’m planning on showing some people that they can’t just take this eighteen million dollars.” 4 At three o’clock, I ran into Jessica in the breakroom. She was making coffee and her hand jolted when she saw me. “Alice.” “Hey.” I went to the water cooler and filled a cup. She stood there awkwardly. “Alice, Bonnie asked me to go over the Astra files with you this afternoon. Is now a good time?” “It’s fine.” I turned to face her. “Jessica, can I ask you something?” “When you found out you were pregnant, what did Bonnie say to you?” She froze. “What do you mean?” “I mean… how did she arrange your maternity leave?” Jessica looked down, stirring her coffee. “Bonnie told me to focus on my health and not to worry about work. She also said she’d give me a raise when I came back.” “How much of a raise?” “Twenty percent.” I laughed. I had been there six years and only got a five percent raise last year. She’d been there one year, and was getting a twenty percent raise for getting pregnant. “What’s so funny, Alice?” “Nothing.” I put my cup down. “Come on, let’s go to my desk. I’ll give you the files.” She followed me, her steps small and hesitant. At my desk, I took a flash drive out of my drawer. “Everything for the Astra account is on here. Client contacts, email history, price quotes, draft contracts—it’s all there.” She took it, surprised. “So fast?” “I always keep backups.” I looked at her. “There are a few other things I should tell you.” “Okay.” She opened the notes app on her phone, ready to type. “Dominic Vance is the main point of contact. He’s a pretty laid-back guy, prefers to talk business in informal settings. We closed the last deal over drinks.” Jessica nodded seriously. “Also, he doesn’t like corporate jargon. The more direct, the better.” “Got it.” “And one last thing.” I paused. “Dominic is a very loyal person. He’s worked with me for three years because we’ve known each other since college.” Jessica’s fingers stopped typing. She looked up. “You and Mr. Vance were classmates?” “We were.” I looked her straight in the eye. “He’s the one who brought this account to me.” The breakroom was suddenly very quiet. I could see it in her eyes—panic, calculation, and a faint, tell-tale flicker of guilt. “Alice…” “I’m not trying to cause trouble,” I said with a small smile. “I’m just reminding you that some things can’t be solved just by swapping out a person.” I picked up my bag. “The files are all yours. I’m leaving now.” “Alice!” she called out after me. “What?” “Are you… are you really resigning?” I didn’t answer. I just walked away. As I reached the elevator bank, I heard hurried footsteps behind me. It was Bonnie’s voice. “Jessica, how did it go? Did she hand everything over?” “She did.” “Are the files complete?” “They are, but…” “But what?” “Bonnie, Alice and Mr. Vance were college classmates.” A few seconds of silence. “I know.” “So…” “It’s fine,” Bonnie said, her voice as composed as ever. “Dominic Vance is a businessman. He cares about the bottom line, not old friendships. As long as the terms of the contract are good, it doesn’t matter who the contact person is.” The elevator arrived. I stepped inside and pressed the button for the ground floor. Bonnie was right. Dominic was a businessman. But she had overlooked one crucial thing. The most important thing to a businessman isn’t the terms of the contract. It’s trust. 5 It was almost seven when I got home. My husband was waiting at the door with a glass of warm milk. “What took you so long?” “Handing things over.” I slipped off my shoes and dropped my bag on the couch. He followed me and pressed the glass into my hand. “What did the company say?” “They told me to finish the handover today and not to come in tomorrow.” “What about the severance?” “Two months’ salary.” He stared at me. “You’ve been there six years. The law says you’re entitled to N+1.” “It should be about $120,000,” I said, sinking onto the couch and taking a sip of milk. “They’re only offering twenty grand.” My husband sat down next to me, silent for a moment. “What are you going to do?” “What do you think?” He looked at me. “I think you’re not the type to take this lying down.” I smiled. “You know me so well.” “Of course I do.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “So, tell me. How are you going to make them pay?” I leaned against him, staring at the ceiling. “I brought in the Astra Group account myself. Bonnie knows that Dominic and I were classmates. What she doesn’t know is that Dominic was the one who approached me three years ago. He had just been promoted to marketing director and needed a reliable agency. He chose me, not the company.” My husband understood. “So, if you leave, he leaves with you?” “Not necessarily,” I said, shaking my head. “Dominic’s a smart guy. He’s not going to sacrifice business for a personal relationship.” “Then what’s your leverage?” I picked up my phone and pulled up an email. “This is Astra Group’s internal procurement process. Every partnership has to go through three levels of approval: the marketing director, the procurement department, and the VP of Finance. Dominic is just the first gatekeeper.” My husband glanced at it. “And you can get past the other two?” “The head of procurement is a woman named Heather,” I said. “Last year, her son was applying to a private international school. The consultant quoted her $18,000. I called in a favor and got it done for five. She told me she owed me one.” My husband raised his eyebrows. “And the VP of Finance?” “The VP of Finance is a guy named Michael. I don’t know him. But,” I said, swiping to another email, “he just submitted his resignation last month. Next week is his last week. The new VP is an external hire and hasn’t started yet. Which means the renewal approval this week is basically just a formality on the finance end. As long as Dominic and Heather sign off, the contract will go through.” My husband was silent for a few seconds. “You had this all planned out?” “No,” I said, putting my phone down. “I honestly thought I would work at that company until I retired. I thought they saw my contributions. I thought Bonnie was my boss, not my enemy.” I closed my eyes. “They’re the ones who broke the rules first.” My husband didn’t speak, just tightened his arm around me. After a long moment, he said, “So, when are you going to make your move?” I opened my eyes. “Next Wednesday. The last day of the renewal window.” “That’s the day Bonnie is taking Jessica to Astra Group to sign the contract. She thinks she has it all figured out. She thinks Dominic will play along. She thinks the client won’t care who their contact person is.” I smiled. “I’m going to show her that that eighteen million dollars was never hers to begin with.”
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