My Exit, Their Downfall

Synopsis

Fifteen years at Apex Industries. I started as a technician, and I stayed one. I never got promoted. Not once. Three core patents. Everyone in the company knew they were worth millions. But in the inventor column? My name was nowhere to be found. Last Friday, HR called me in. "Jessica, we're restructuring. And you're on the list." That same day, the tech department put out an announcement. Lily Hayes had been promoted to Technical Director. She's thirty-two and joined three years ago. I was the one who trained her. I walked her through every piece of software, hand in hand. Now she sits right next to me, wearing that sweet smile. "Jessica, at your age, it'll be tough out there. If you want, I could ask around. Maybe I can find you a cleaning job." I didn't say a word, just signing the separation papers with my eyes down.