No one had expected me to tear that secret open in front of everyone.
The truth was, it had been an open secret in the company for a long time—Miles Sullivan was Marlene's idealized love from college. Her untouchable first love.
To win him over, she'd written a hundred love letters. Confessed dozens of times.
Rejected. Every single one.
The day Miles flew overseas, Marlene stood in the rain and wept. She spiraled for months before she finally pulled herself together.
Everyone knew. No one dared bring it up.
"Jacob Gilbert!"
"You're truly despicable—trying to guilt-trip your way out of being fired!"
Miles Sullivan shattered the silence by pinning yet another accusation on me.
Right on cue, Marlene snapped out of her daze and turned on me, shouting:
"Jacob!"
"Stop making up excuses!"
"If you don't want to be here, then get out! As of today, you're fired!"
Look at her—lashing out from sheer humiliation.
I was silent for a few seconds.
"Fine."
"What?"
Marlene blinked, caught off guard.
"I hope you—all of you—don't live to regret this."
My gaze swept across every face in the room before settling on Marlene's. I unclipped my employee badge, tossed it on the floor, and walked out.