Chapter One

Chapter One

I got back from a business trip and found the company gone.

The old Lawson Manufacturing plant outside Dayton was locked up tight. A printed notice was taped to the window: We have relocated to our new facility.

I pulled up the company Slack to ask what was going on. A message popped up instead: “Your account has been deactivated.”

I called the sales director right away. When she picked up, Vanessa Reed said, “Ethan Cole, you haven’t clocked in to the system in months. The company has terminated your employment.”

“I’ve been out on the road with clients,” I said. “Field sales has never had to clock in...”

“Never had to before. Now that I’m here, you do. You broke company policy, and the policy is termination.”

With that, she hung up with a click.

I stared at my phone, dazed, and muttered, “The company’s gone. So who’s supposed to sign this fifty-million-dollar deal I just brought home?”

...

I called my boss, Rick Lawson, right away.

Because my numbers had always been good, the company more or less let me run free. I was out with clients most of the year, practically a remote employee.

The second he picked up, I said, “Rick, the company moves and you don’t tell me? And why the hell was I just fired out of nowhere?”

I’d always thought Rick and I got along. If the company had grown to what it was today, I’d had a big hand in it.

Rick answered right away. “That was Vanessa’s call. It’s not my place to interfere.”

Whatever warmth I’d had left in me went cold. Saying that was the same as saying yes.

I couldn’t help a cold laugh. “Rick, you’re sure you want to fire me?”

“Ethan, I know you’ve done a lot for this company. But the company’s treated you right, hasn’t it? You’ve pulled in plenty of commission over the years.”

“We’re trying to grow now. We can’t have you coasting on past glory forever. Right?”

Was this because I hadn’t closed anything in six months?

I’d told Rick from the start that I was chasing a huge deal, one that would take a lot of time and work. For six months I’d drunk with clients until my stomach was practically bleeding, and this was what I got for it.

“If the company’s going to move forward, we have to play by the rules. Ethan, don’t take it personally. The most I can do is another five grand in severance.”

“Five thousand dollars?” I laughed.

“Don’t knock it. That’s me doing you a favor for old times’ sake. Ohio’s an at-will state. We’re well within our rights. You can take it to the Department of Labor, and it won’t get you anywhere,” Rick said, his voice hardening.

“And frankly, if we really wanted to dig into it, you know as well as I do whether you were working out there or goofing off. We paid you a lot of base salary. If we pushed it, you’d be paying some of that back.”

A lot of base salary?

Two thousand a month. Less than a hundred and twenty grand over five years.

Plenty of flights, hotels, and client dinners on those trips had gone on my own credit card, and I’d never filed a single expense report. Now he wanted to talk to me about base salary.

“Fine. I accept,” I said.

“Doesn’t matter if you accept it or not. Ethan, let’s part on good terms. A big shot like you, a little company like ours just can’t afford you anymore.” Rick laughed heartily, and he couldn’t hide how pleased he was with himself.

I thought about everything I’d given that place. Drinking with clients in bars and steakhouses until I threw up had been routine.

The whole sales department had practically lived off me.

By the end, the entire plant was more or less running on my deals.

And just like that, they’d kicked me to the curb.

Not long after I hung up, Vanessa called again. “Ethan, I can’t believe you had the nerve to go crying to Rick. A freeloader like you getting fired? That’s just justice.”

“You actually thought Rick would save you? When I proposed letting you go, everyone voted yes.”

“Here. See for yourself.”

She sent me a screenshot. It was a poll in the company-wide Slack channel. They’d voted on me a long time ago.

Hundreds of people. Every single one of them in favor of firing me.

Not one person voted no!

That, I hadn’t seen coming.

Apparently everyone thought I was out there collecting fat commissions and doing nothing, while they were working themselves to death on the floor and in the office.

Just me, out there living it up.

“Everyone knows the score. Don’t embarrass yourself,” Vanessa said coldly. “And don’t think this company can’t run without you. Since you’re wondering, Rick already has a deal with Northfield Home. They’re signing in two days.”

Northfield Home?

Wasn’t that the client I’d just landed?

Only the contract wasn’t signed yet.

Since when had Northfield gone around me and signed directly with Rick?

I started to ask, but Vanessa just scoffed and hung up.