Then Gavin spoke. Too fast.
“Christopher is a very valuable employee. One of our best.”
I turned and looked at him.
He’d fired me less than four hours earlier.
Eleanor looked amused. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“So valuable that you fired him on the spot.”
“That was emotional. A mistake. Chris, listen, maybe you and I should go talk privately. In my office.”
“No,” I said.
Everybody turned toward me. Even I was surprised by how easily that word came out.
Gavin blinked. “What?”
“I said no.”
“Christopher. I can reverse it. I’ll reverse it right now. Full reinstatement.”
“I don’t want you to.”
Silence.
And that was the moment that everything finally felt real. Not the firing. Not Halston Capital. Not Eleanor Halston.
That sentence. I don’t want you to.
For four years, I’d wanted Gavin Mercer’s approval. Wanted him to see my work. Wanted the promotion. The corner office. Wanted to prove I belonged.
And just like that, none of it mattered.
Gavin looked almost wounded. “You’re throwing away four years.”
“No, Gavin.” I picked up the cardboard box. “You did.”
I walked to my desk and started packing.
Sophie’s lopsided mug. Lucy’s headphones. Two framed photos of the girls at the beach last summer, grinning, ice cream melting down their wrists. A notebook full of campaign ideas. And from the back of my top drawer, a tiny plastic astronaut that Lucy had hidden there two years ago.
My coworkers came over, one at a time. Some hugged me. Some apologized for not saying anything that morning when Gavin was yelling. One of the junior designers whispered, “You deserved so much better.”
Nina cried. That almost made me cry too.
When I finished, Eleanor was still standing there, waiting.
“You don’t have to stay,” I told her.
“I know.”
“Then why are you?”
“Because I want to see how a man carries himself after losing something he thought mattered.”
“That sounds like an experiment.”
“Most interviews are,” she said.
I smiled.
And that’s when Mr. Albright came out of the conference room fast, holding his phone, his face a completely different color.
“Mrs. Halston.”
She turned. “What is it?”
He looked at Gavin. Then at me. Then back at her.
“We have a serious problem.”
Ethan Blake is a skilled Creative Content Specialist with a talent for crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives. With a strong background in storytelling and digital content creation, Ethan brings a unique perspective to his role at TheArchivists, where he curates and produces captivating content for a global audience.
Ethan holds a degree in Communications from Zurich University, where he developed his expertise in storytelling, media strategy, and audience engagement. Known for his ability to blend creativity with analytical precision, he excels at creating content that not only entertains but also connects deeply with readers.
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