Lay Me Off To Collapse the Company

Last night, I got my layoff notice. The official excuse? Too old, under-educated, and holding the team back. This morning, HR pulled me aside with a sympathetic sigh. "Look, Gina, you really pissed off the wrong person this time." I followed her gaze across the floor of Brown Media. Two weeks ago. Catherine Chase, the CEO’s niece, dropped into the sales department with a squad of her college buddies, branding themselves the "Elite Youth Squad." Yesterday, I rejected her project proposal. Catching my eye, Catherine smirked. "Some aging, uneducated women should just stick to being housewives. Save yourself the embarrassment." I didn't argue. I just signed the severance paper in silence. What she didn't realize was that I never needed Brown Media. They begged me to stay. Before walking out, I posted a simple status update… “Officially resigned. Let the fun begin.” Within seconds, my phone blew up. Chapter 1 It didn't take long for the comments to flood in. “Gina! Consider my company! Whatever you were making there, I’ll triple it!” “Think bigger, Gina. Come to my firm. Just name your price!” Switching over to my direct messages, a text popped up from Ms. James, one of my VIP clients. “Gina, didn't we just discuss the new deal? You're resigning before we even sign the contract?” I typed back, “I’m sorry, Ms. James. My name was put on the restructuring lay-off list. A new rep will be assigned to handle your account.” She sent another message with a confused emoji. “You? Laid off? Is your company trying to go out of business?” I replied with nothing but a helpless sigh emoji. She immediately shot back, “If you aren't there to oversee it, I’ll need to reconsider this entire partnership.” Reading through the comments and private messages, a wave of relief washed over me. Ten years in this industry meant I had built a powerhouse client network. Countless headhunters had tried to lure me away with massive bonuses, but I had always turned them down out of loyalty. Back when I was a fresh college graduate, I submitted dozens of resumes and got radio silence in return. Just as I was about to give up, our CEO, Gabriel Chase, took a chance on me. Over the years, I treated the company like my own. I personally double-checked every file, big or small. I never let Gabriel down. I kept securing big deals after big deals while fighting to raise my team's salaries step-by-step. But recently, the air in the office had turned sour. A week ago, Catherine and her team made a critical error that almost cost the company millions. I gave her a firm reprimand. That very night, Gabriel gave me a "stern talk" and docked my bonus. Three days ago, Catherine rallied the sales team to leave on the dot every day, causing productivity to plummet. Despite staying late to fix her mess, the team whispered behind my back that I was a slave-driving hag. Suddenly, a notification pinged on the company group chat.. “Effective today, Catherine Chase is appointed as the new Sales Director.” The chat erupted in applause and congratulations. Among them were employees that I had personally trained from day one. Those messages were a cold splash of reality. This place really wasn't for me anymore. "Director Collins," Catherine purred, pushing my office door open. She leaned against the frame, eyeing the half-filled box on my desk. "Packing up?" She smirked. "Make sure you wipe the desk clean on your way out. Consider it practice for your future as a full-time housewife. “Take your time, it's your final contribution to this firm!" I glanced at her, then turned away in silence. Annoyed by my lack of reaction, she stepped closer and pointed a finger at me. "What's with the high-and-mighty act? So what if you're the top producer? I can fire you with a single word!" I let out a soft laugh. "Is that so? Does your uncle actually know about this layoff list, Catherine? Or did you pull it all by yourself?" Gabriel was currently abroad on a business trip and had explicitly requested not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. I had a feeling he had zero clue about my departure. After all, no sane CEO would fire their top sales generator, the backbone of the company, on a whim. A flash of nervousness crossed her face, but she quickly masked it with smug arrogance. "Uncle Gabriel has spoiled me since I was a kid! Even my grandparents listen to me. “Who are you? Just an employee. So what if I fire you? What could possibly happen?" She sneered. "Stop trying to play mind games with me. You're just bluffing because no other company wants a washed-up old woman like you!" I smiled calmly. "I doubt you can handle my job." She opened her mouth to snap back, but stumbled over her words. "Do you know any of our key clients' personal preferences?" I pressed on. "Do you know how to negotiate high-stakes deals? “Do you even know how to put together a viable sales strategy? “An executive role isn't a trophy title for a pretty face, Catherine. Fantasy won't run a department." I picked up my box and walked toward the door. "I suggest you try to land at least one real client, so you don't end up on your knees begging me to come back." "Beg you to come back?!" she screeched, her face flushing red. "In your dreams! Hand over all your client files before you leave!" I tapped my temple softly. "Sorry. Everything is in here. Good luck." As I walked through the open-plan office, not a single person stood up to say goodbye or defend me. I didn't feel hurt anymore, I was just curious. Without me to clean up their messes, and without me fighting tooth and nail for their pay raises... How much longer would they enjoy their cozy high salaries? I couldn't wait to see how long this company would last. Chapter 2 On my way home, my phone buzzed endlessly. Opening the main office group chat, a tidal wave of notifications flooded my screen. Scrolling up, I saw Catherine serving a heavy dose of corporate delusion to the team with an arrogant pitch. “I firmly believe a new era requires fresh thinking. We are young, dynamic, and full of potential. The old ways are obsolete and rigid! “Starting today, we strictly leave on time! Under my leadership, things are only going to get bigger and better for everyone!” Below her pitch, a chorus of praise poured in, punctuated by cheap, thinly veiled digs aimed at me. Seconds later, a notification popped up. I had been added to a new chat group. The ringleader was Brandon, the office’s resident brown-noser. “Our new director is a hundred times better than Gina! At least she doesn't slave-drive us with overtime!” Others immediately jumped on the bandwagon. “Finally! She’s gone. Besides squeezing the life out of us, what did Gina ever actually contribute?” “Agreed. Gina was an old witch. Overtime, overtime, constant overtime.” “With a boss like Catherine, I would gladly work here forever.” “Right? She never loses her temper. She’s always so sweet!” Neighboring texts flew in hot and heavy, backstabbing me at every turn. Then, my finger slipped and I accidentally tapped a sticker. The very next second, a notification read, “You have been removed from the group chat.” Seeing all of that, it would be a lie to say it didn't sting. I never loved overtime. Having walked in their shoes, I knew how exhausting it was. But when your skills fall short, you make up for it with time. Clients wouldn't pay for incompetence. Every extra hour I ever assigned was solely to fix unfinished work, and I was always the last one to leave the building. On top of standard overtime pay, I always fought upper management to secure extra bonuses for them. Who knew that helping them earn more money made me a tyrant? I opened my social media feed, and one particular post caught my eye. “No one knows what it feels like to constantly be kept in the shadows, or how suffocating it is to deal with someone who thinks they know better than everyone else.” Below it, a coworker commented, “Stella, your day has finally come! She's out.” Stella replied, “Yes! Finally, No one knows how much I've had to endure.” I almost laughed out loud from sheer frustration. Stella was the very first junior associate I took under my wing. I poured endless effort into training her. When she messed up, I took the fall with executive management. When she needed to close deals, I put my own reputation on the line to back her up. When Catherine was appointed director, Stella was the first to offer her congratulations. And when I packed my desk and walked out, she didn't even glance my way. I had assumed she was just laying low to protect her job. Turns out it was this all along. Well, at least now, when we inevitably run into each other in the business world, sentimentality won't hold me back. From this moment on, none of their mess was my problem. --- Once I got home, I left every single company group chat and set my phone to Do Not Disturb. For ten years, I had eaten cold meals at odd hours and slept just enough to stay alive, all for the sake of the company’s bottom line. I never made time for myself. My friends begged me to take a break, and my family told me not to be so stubbornly loyal. Right now, I was ready to give myself the permission to let go. Over the next few days, no work messages bothered me, and I was in no rush to jump into a new job. After being strung tight for a decade, I just wanted to rest and actually enjoy life. Work had consumed almost everything I was for far too long. Occasionally, I would still catch glimpses of company updates on my feed, though it was mostly bootlicking. Posts about Catherine buying coffee for the entire department, Catherine taking everyone out for dinner, and so on. Every day at six sharp, these kiss-ass posts hit my timeline like clockwork, as if they were tailored specifically for my viewing pleasure. I couldn't care less. That was, until Friday rolled around... And my timeline went completely silent. --- Chapter 3 The moment I unlocked my phone the next morning, my screen was flooded with notification alerts. Over forty missed calls and a mountain of unread text messages. Most were from heads of other departments, leaving increasingly urgent texts. “Major issue with the sales pitch. Call me back ASAP!” “Client is demanding an in-person meeting. Give me an update now!” “Where the hell are you?” Even Gabriel, our CEO, had tried calling me from halfway across the world. Clearly, no one had any idea I had been laid off. When Gabriel finally got through on my second line, he didn't even give me a chance to speak. "Gina! Where are you during business hours? Do you think I pay you a top-tier salary so you can idle around? "Other departments are coming directly to me with complaints!" he barked over the phone. "The entire sales team is in absolute chaos! "And what’s going on with Ms. James?" he continued, furious. "The deal was basically done, and now she suddenly claims the proposal is garbage and wants out?" "You haven't dropped the ball once in ten years, why are you messing up the second my back is turned?" "Gabriel, I've actually already…" I started. "I don't care what your excuse is!" he cut me off. "Get your ass back to the office right now and fix this!" Click. He slammed the phone down. When I tried calling back, it went straight to an automated busy tone. --- My phone buzzed all day. It wasn't until that evening that a friend in another department filled me in on the full disaster. Ever since I walked out, the sales team had slacked off completely. Besides a few legacy employees, most of the desk staff were fresh graduates Catherine brought in. Catherine was young and she completely lacked management experience. Without me steering the ship, a team that barely knew the core business in the first place went into a complete tailspin. When a major client demanded a pitch on short notice, they couldn't produce a new strategy in time. Desperate, they submitted an old draft. The client blew a fuse on the spot, blacklisting Brown Media for good. Apparently, Catherine, who strolled into the office at 10 AM, froze when she heard the news. She completely dropped her sweet boss persona and lost her mind in front of everyone. My friend sent a short clip recorded on a phone. Catherine's screech was crystal clear on the phone. "I gave you high benefits! I let you go home on time! Is this how you repay me?" "Why couldn't you finish the proposal? Why did the negotiation fail? You useless idiots, are you all brain-dead?" "Nobody goes home tonight! You're working until this is fixed, even if you have to sleep in the office!" My friend followed up with a barrage of texts. “Gina, you have no idea. The lower staff were completely stunned. They stood there like statues for minutes. “And Catherine got reamed out by executive leadership for over an hour. She walked back to her office with bloodshot eyes.” --- A crisis like this would take tremendous effort to resolve, even for me. Building high-stakes client databases and navigating tense negotiations wasn't something you learned overnight. Without me, they had fallen apart. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for Brown Media. At 8 PM, I deliberately posted a photo to my social media story. A cozy, steaming pot of hotpot in my dining room. I captioned it, “Nothing beats a hotpot and a good night’s sleep on a rainy day.” I was no saint. They threw me to the wolves when I left, and I wasn't going to take that lying down. Returning the flavor felt pretty good. A few former subordinates couldn't help themselves and commented, “Gina... I finally realize how good we had it with you.” Minutes later, terrified that Catherine might see it, they quickly deleted their comments. --- The next morning, my feed was plastered with a post Catherine had shared at 1:00 AM. “Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor. What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!” I snorted out a laugh, closed the app, and opened my laptop to polish my resume. Just then, my phone rang. It was Stella. I hesitated for a second before swiping the answer button. Silence stretched over the line. Just as I was about to hang up, I heard quiet sobbing. "Gina..." she choked out, her voice trembling. "Can you... can you please come to the office?" "No," I replied without hesitation. She gasped softly, stunned by my blunt refusal. After all, she used to be my favorite junior associate. "Please, I'm begging you," she sobbed. "If you don't come, I'm ruined!" That caught my attention. I grabbed my coat and called a ride. I wanted to see for myself just how ruined she really was. Chapter 4 The second I stepped into the building, I noticed something was off. Inside the elevator lobby, I froze for a beat. Standing right in front of me was the CEO, Gabriel, alongside a delegation of senior executives. I gave them a polite nod. "Ah, Gina!" dynamic senior VP, Mr. Brown, smiled and asked. "I hear Catherine has been doing a fantastic job running the sales floor lately?" Before I could answer, I felt Gabriel’s sharp glare drilling into the back of my head. "My apologies, Mr. Brown," I replied smoothly. "I haven't been in the office, so I wouldn't know. “If you want to know how well she’s doing, you might want to see it for yourself." He nodded thoughtfully. "Catherine is a sharp kid," Gabriel cut in quickly, trying to control the narrative. "With Gina out of the office these past few days, the sales department was a bit chaotic. “Thank goodness Catherine stepped up and turned things around. In fact, she’s finalizing a major contract with Mr.Klaus from Alpha Tech today!" Alpha Tech was one of the biggest heavyweights in our industry. I had dealt with Mr.Klaus before, he was notoriously difficult and insanely demanding. The only reason I closed our last deal with him was because I spent weeks digging into his operational pain points, prepping contingency plans, and negotiating every detail to perfection. "Plus," Gabriel added proudly, "Catherine brought in a crew of elite Ivy League grads to form a high-IQ, young talent squad. “Extremely capable. I’m planning to pit her group against Gina’s team in a direct performance race to spur healthy competition." I mentally rolled my eyes. Healthy competition? He just wanted to spark internal warfare to elevate his niece. Thank God I had already walked away. Ten years of loyalty, and it turned out people change when greed comes into play. "What do you think, Gina?" Gabriel asked, casting a warning glance. I forced a tight smile. "Gabriel, you might not be aware, but I’ve actually…" "Elevator's here," he interrupted with a wave of his hand. "We'll talk later. “Come with us to the main boardroom. We’re signing with Mr.Klaus today. You should watch and learn a thing or two." Before I could correct him, he swept past me into the hall. --- When we entered the boardroom, Stella’s eyes lit up with immediate relief the second she saw me. Catherine, on the other hand, sneered. "What is Director Collins doing here? Nowhere else to go, so you came crawling back to beg for your job?" The room went dead silent. The senior execs frowned, their faces darkening instantly. "Who is this?" Mr. Brown asked, his voice cold. Gabriel quickly jumped in. "This is my niece, Catherine. She’s young and a bit unfiltered, don't mind her." Mr. Brown glanced at Catherine, unimpressed, before turning to Gabriel. "It’s no exaggeration to say that Gina is the backbone of this enterprise. Keeping her just in sales is already underutilizing her talent. “You’d better make sure she’s treated with the respect she deserves." Catherine choked on her words. Panic flashed in her eyes, but she didn't dare say another word, quietly backing into the corner. --- A few minutes later, Mr.Klaus arrived. The moment he spotted me, he walked right past the executives to chat. "Gina! Good to see you," Mr.Klaus smiled. "I was catching up with Ms. Brown from Beta Corp the other day and she mentioned you had resigned. “I was ready to pull out of our deal entirely. After all, if you're not overseeing it, there's no point. “But your team assured me you were still on board. Looks like I misheard!" I glanced over at Stella. She looked at me with pleading, terrified eyes. So that was her game. She had lied to keep the client at the table, expecting me to bail her out when things got sticky. Ignoring everyone's tense glares, I stepped forward and looked Mr.Klaus dead in the eye. "You didn't mishear, Mr.Klaus," I said calmly. "I was officially laid off by our new Director, Catherine.”