I had always been a dedicated and loyal employee, and I thought I had a good relationship with my boss, Greg. He was strict but fair, demanding but always willing to listen.

Years had passed since I joined the team, and I had worked long hours to prove my worth. I had earned my position, or so I thought.

So, when Greg called me to his office one afternoon, I assumed it was just a routine meeting. But that day changed everything.

“Lena,” he began, without looking at me, “I’m afraid we have to let you go.”

My mind went blank for a moment.

 

“What? Why?” I stammered, as a wave of confusion and disbelief washed over me.

“I’m sorry, Lena. We just don’t have the budget for your position anymore,” he explained, avoiding my gaze. “It’s nothing personal, just business. You’ll get severance, and HR will walk you through the details.”

I couldn’t process his words. How could everything change so quickly? I had just completed a big project, received positive evaluations, and had done everything I could to contribute to the team. There had been no warning, no signs that my job was in jeopardy.

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice trembling. “I’ve worked so hard for this company. Why now?”

Greg sighed, visibly uncomfortable. “It’s not my decision, Lena. It’s a company decision. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

I gathered my things, my head spinning. As I walked out of the office for the last time, I tried to shake off the feeling of betrayal. The impact was too great. I had given everything to this job, and now, I had nothing.

The next morning, I woke up to a message that sent a chill down my spine.

“Meet with me. I need to tell you the truth. – Sarah.”

It was from Sarah, Greg’s wife. I hadn’t heard from her in years, and I didn’t even know she had my number. My heart raced as I read the message. What did she want? Why contact me now, after everything that had happened?

I hesitated. Why would Sarah, someone I barely knew, reach out to me now? I considered ignoring the message, but something inside me pushed me to meet with her. Maybe there was something I needed to know. Maybe this was the missing piece to the puzzle.

I agreed to meet her at a small café downtown, hoping for answers.

When I arrived, Sarah was already sitting at a table, her hands clasped nervously. She looked different from how I remembered—older, more tired—but there was an undeniable intensity in her eyes.

“Lena,” she said, her voice low and serious. “Thank you for coming. I know this must seem strange.”

I nodded, unsure what to say. “Why did you want to see me? What’s going on?”

Sarah took a deep breath, her eyes drifting to the window before meeting mine again. “I don’t know how to say this, but I feel you need to know the truth. Greg didn’t fire you because of budget cuts, Lena. That’s a lie.”

I stared at her, stunned. “What do you mean? He said it was because of budget cuts.”

“It’s not that,” Sarah confessed, her voice trembling. “He fired you because of me.”

I blinked, trying to process what she was saying. “Because of you? What do you mean?”

Sarah’s face filled with guilt. “Greg and I… our marriage has been in crisis for months. We’ve been fighting constantly, and he… well, he’s been seeing someone else.”

I gasped. “Greg is cheating on you?”

Sarah nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “Yes, but not with just anyone. With you.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. The air caught in my throat. “What are you talking about? I never—”

“I know,” she interrupted, wiping away a tear. “But Greg thought it was you. He’s been obsessed with you for months, Lena. He wanted to fire you earlier, but he couldn’t. That’s why he’s been so distant lately, why he stopped talking to you in meetings. He was trying to push you away so he wouldn’t feel guilty for the way he felt about you.”

I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. My world was crashing down.

“The thing is, it didn’t work,” Sarah continued. “The night before you were fired, Greg and I had a huge fight. I found out everything, and he admitted it. I told him I couldn’t keep living like this, that he had to choose between you and me. So, he decided to fire you, Lena. That was his way of solving the problem. He thought that if you disappeared, he could save our marriage.”

I sat there, stunned, my heart racing. Never, not in my wildest nightmares, had I imagined something like this. Greg’s behavior had been strange lately, but I always assumed it was due to work stress or personal issues. I never thought he had feelings for me, let alone that he would act on them.

“I’m so sorry, Lena,” Sarah said, her voice full of remorse. “I never wanted you to be the victim in all of this. I didn’t know how to fix it, but I didn’t want you to pay the price for his mistakes. I just wanted you to know the truth.”

I couldn’t process what I had just heard. My mind was racing, and my heart was heavy with everything that had happened. I had been fired, betrayed by someone I trusted, and unknowingly caught up in a toxic marriage. Everything felt like a nightmare.

“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered finally.

Sarah reached out and placed her hand on mine. “I’m not asking you to forgive me. I just wanted you to know what really happened. I don’t want you to think it was your fault.”

I nodded slowly, still in shock. “Thank you for telling me. I don’t know what I’ll do now, but at least I know the truth.”

Sarah gave me a sad smile. “Take care, Lena. I hope you find peace in all of this.”

As I walked out of the café and into the bright sunlight, I felt the weight of everything Sarah had told me. My career, my trust in Greg, even my perception of myself—everything was in shambles. But at least now I knew the truth. And the truth, painful as it was, was the first step toward rebuilding my life.