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  Kristin tried to remain focused as people passed her small office, carrying boxes with their personal items and wearing stoic or despondent expressions. She kept her head down, glancing only out of the corner of her eye as she counted. This time, the layoff hit six people in her department. Last week, there had been seven.

  Kristin was glad to have the Roger-Smith account because she felt it offered her job security. This was her project, and the last three weeks of putting in sixty-plus hours a week was going to pay off when she landed the account. But her drive stemmed from more than her own job and promotion now. The firm had lost two significant accounts in the last month, leading to these layoffs, and the entire firm needed this new contract to survive.

  One thing was for sure – the pressure was immense, and though she’d told LeAnn and everyone else time and again that she could handle it, Kristin was not in a good place. The stress caused her to barely sleep and lose weight.

  Taking a deep breath and drinking from the cup of coffee that was now cold, she plowed ahead, determined to walk into the huge conference room this afternoon and wow the partners at the firm with her creativity. From there, she’d get the approval to put the final tweaks in place so they could present it to the client on Monday.

  She took her lunch break to run home and change, wanting to look thoroughly professional in front of the rest of the board. Kristin wanted that ‘VP’ title in front of her name, and she wanted the company to get out of the red before they lost any more people. In a navy skirt suit with white pinstripes and a white collar, topped off with a pair of sensible white flats, a silver necklace with a white opal pendant and matching earrings, and her mass of black curls piled on her head in a neat but loose bun. Kristin liked the image in the mirror and added just a touch of bronzer and a hint of coral lipstick.

  Glasses in place and briefcase in hand, she entered the room with confidence amidst corporate moguls who were not going to be easy to convince that she was the ‘man’ for the job. But with a fool-proof agenda that touted an in-depth look at the market, as well as a complete creative redesign of a failing ad campaign and projected gains for the client, Kristin felt prepared for anything.

  As she set up her presentation, the men around her settled into the chairs around a long conference table and watched her work, coffee mugs in hand. Kristin knew that the quiet muttering among them was likely snide remarks about her potential and what kind of drivel she was going to give them. That was fine; it would make her feel all the more superior when she awed them.

  For the next 45 minutes, Kristin commanded the room, all eyes on her, and several heads nodding agreement with her strategy. She knew she had them as she turned off the projector and flipped the switch to restore the overhead lighting. They muttered amongst themselves, and she thanked them and exited the room with her materials, heading to her office to await word on their decision. This was the worst part, and she truly just wanted to hear the resounding approval and polish off the presentation for the client.

  Feeling giddy, Kristin texted LeAnn, telling her how well it had gone and that this was in the bag. LeAnn’s vote of confidence of I knew you would! as a response made Kristin stifle a giggle. She was so enthused and anxious she couldn’t sit still, and when her phone beeped, she practically vibrated with joy. “Kristin, can I see you in my office please?” came the voice of Jordan Meeks, the VP who had assigned her the task of putting together the proposal.

  “Yes, sir, I’ll be right in.” She tried not to sound overly bright or confident, but there was a definite spring in her step as she hurried toward Mr. Meeks’ office. This was her opportunity, and she felt like she was walking the red carpet now, ready to accept her reward.

  The door was cracked, but she knocked anyway before entering, her manners demanding attention to protocol. “Have a seat,” Mr. Meeks told her, gesturing to the chair facing him from the opposite side of his desk. The office was huge, with lots of leather and old wood, and Kristin found herself thinking about how she’d decorate an office this size. With the bonus and raise she’d get with a promotion, she could certainly afford to be a little extravagant in her décor choices, but she didn’t much care for the stuffy feeling this sort of theme presented.

  “Thank you for your presentation today, Kristin. It was professional, and I could tell you put a lot of work into it,” he began, pulling at the sleeves of his Armani suit with a stoic expression.

  A red flag went up in Kristin’s mind. She’d seen him fidget with his suit before, and nine times out of ten, it was when he delivered bad news. “Thank you, Mr. Meeks. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on it, and I truly believe it’s the right strategy for this particular client. As I said in the meeting, I project at least a fifteen percent increase in profits over the next year based on the campaigns.”

  “So I heard,” he told her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as they finally fell on her. “Your input is very much appreciated, Kristin, and the firm has chosen to put your proposal in front of the client next week. It should help significantly in the recovery of our profit margins, should the client accept.”

  A wave of relief washed through Kristin, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from squealing in triumph. Be professional. “That’s wonderful, sir. I’ll put the finishing touches on it, and I promise I won’t let you down.”

  But his eyes were hard now, and Kristin gulped. “Kristin, we’re unfortunately unable to have you present this. I hate my job at times like this because you have been such an incredible asset to this company. The work you produce is phenomenal, and were it my decision, I would have you up there with confidence and poise, selling us to these guys. However, based on the numbers we’ve run and the position this company is in, we’re still under the gun to cut costs. I’m afraid the board has decided to let you go.”

  Go where? Kristin couldn’t process the meaning behind his words immediately, and she had to wonder where exactly she was going. “I’m not following, sir,” she said, her heart fluttering with panic.

  His scowl did nothing to reassure her. “I’m sorry, Kristin, I fought to keep you on. Your salary is one of the highest for any of our directors, and while I feel you are worth every penny and more, I couldn’t save you from this round of layoffs. It was decided this morning, before the presentation, and I wanted to tell you then, but my associates wanted to wait.”

  Kristin would have fumed that they’d used her to get the advertising strategy for such a big account, but she was too focused on the personal crisis this created. She didn’t just work to live; she lived to work. She was this job. There was nothing else in her life, and without it, she couldn’t afford to add something else.

  “Mr. Meeks, I can take a pay cut. I really need this job, and you know I’m willing to work harder than anyone else in this company.” She hated the plea in her voice.

  “I know that, Kristin. But a pay cut isn’t enough, and I can’t stop what’s already been put in action. I have your dismissal paperwork here.” He reached for a manila folder on the corner of his desk, glanced at what was inside, and passed it across to her. “You’ll find a somewhat generous allowance, with your health insurance remaining intact for the next three months at no cost, as well as a month’s compensation in the severance package, plus the payout of accrued vacation time and the value of your stock options as of today. You also have access to either take out or roll over your retirement fund.”

  Kristin’s hand shook as she grabbed the folder, opening it to peruse the information inside. “I assume it’s time for me to clean out my office and walk down the hall of shame like everyone else, with nothing but a box in my arms to show for the years I spent here.” She didn’t even try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

  “I’m very sorry, Kristin. I’ve got you at the top of the list, should we be able to reinstate some of the people we’ve let go. I think the company is doing itself a disservice by letting you go, but it’s out of my hands.” His eyes were sincere as
he told her, “If you need anything, call me. I’ll write letters of recommendation or help in any other way I can.” He passed her a business card with his personal cell number on it, and Kristin assumed that was her dismissal.

  Like a zombie, she grabbed an empty paper box from the mailroom, carried it to her office, and dumped all her personal belongings in it. She gazed around the empty closet-sized room one last time, logged out of her computer, and sighed. Refusing to show any emotion, she didn’t speak to anyone on the way out, and she held her head high as she stepped onto the elevator and headed out to her car.

  Shoving the box in the trunk, she drove on autopilot, making a stop for coffee, and went home. She didn’t unload the items from the trunk, simply going in and running a hot bath. She couldn’t remember the last time she wasn’t facing a deadline, the last time she got the opportunity to just relax without obligation. Kristin wasn’t one to relax or let go, and she’d have to find a goal to focus on if she was going to stay sane. But for now, she knew she was in shock, and she couldn’t focus at all. The best thing to do was to act like a normal person. Other people would wallow in self-pity and pamper themselves until they felt better. So, that would be her goal, at least for today.