The company director fired me in front of everyone. Two hours later, he called and said, “Dress nicely and meet me by the lake. Don’t tell anyone we’re meeting.” When I arrived, he asked me to take a photo with him… and the next morning, that photo was hanging on the door of his office

“You’ll understand the reason later,” he said. “For now, go.”

Those words hurt more than if he had simply told me I was a terrible employee.

Everyone was staring at me.

My direct supervisor, Mark, lowered his head.

Karen, who had been trying to get my position for years, couldn’t even hide her smile.

I packed my bag, my notebooks, and the small framed photo from my desk, then walked out of the building.

The moment the elevator doors closed, I started crying.

I had worked for that company for almost five years.

For the past two years, I had stayed late week after week. When the company was going through financial difficulties, I had barely even taken vacation days.

And now they had simply thrown me out.