I Got Laid Off And They Celebrated Her Promotion Chapter 06

Early the next morning, Luke went to my former office.

The receptionist recognized him. “Ms. Bennett finished her departure paperwork yesterday\”

“Did she leave a new address?”

“We can’t share that.”

“What company did she go to?”

The receptionist shook her head again.

“Ms. Bennett didn’t say.”

Luke stood in the lobby, suddenly unsure what else to ask.

The security guard recognized him.

“Ms. Bennett came out with some boxes yesterday and waited a while for a cab. She looked pretty

calm when she left.”

“Did she contact anyone?”

“I didn’t notice.”

Charlie went to HR, while Noah asked some of my former teammates downstairs.

They heard much the same thing.

I’d completed my paperwork, recovered the files on my laptop, and left without telling anyone

where I was going.

Back in his car, Luke opened his phone again.

My number was still saved in his contacts, but his calls wouldn’t go through.

He remembered what I used to do.

When something upset me, I’d retreat to my room, then come out a little later and make dinner.

Even when they left me outside the restaurant, all I’d done was ask in the chat, “Are you guys here

yet?”

This time, only the four of them remained in the group.

None of them knew what to say.

Sophie wrote first.

[Should we try to find Hannah?]

Charlie replied:

[We should.]

Noah said nothing.

A long time passed before Luke typed:

[Let’s find her and apologize.]

That evening, they visited several places near our old college.

The owner of a little diner remembered me, but shook his head when they described me.

“Haven’t seen her in ages. Didn’t you all used to come in together?”

No one answered.

Outside, Sophie suddenly asked, “Do you think she’d wanted to leave for a long time?”

Charlie looked at her.

“She told us plenty of times.”

“But she never actually said she was leaving.”

“Wasn’t she clear enough?”

Noah’s voice came out sharper than usual.

Sophie stared at him.

Charlie frowned. “Noah.”

“I’m just saying there’s no point asking each other that now.”

Luke stood at the curb, looking down at the group chat on his phone.

“Stop arguing.”

The four of them fell quiet again.

Later, they contacted a few mutual college friends and asked some of my former coworkers.

The answers came in bits and pieces.

Someone said Emma had recently moved out of state. Someone else said she was running a ne project at a company there. No one knew for sure whether I’d gone with her.

After searching for days, they saw a job posting Emma had shared in an alumni group.

It advertised positions at her new company, with Emma listed as the hiring contact.

Luke opened the company website. In a recent project update, he spotted a small line of text.

Project coordination: Hannah Bennett.

In the photo, I stood at the front of a conference room with a document in my hand, focused on my

work.

I’d already started a new job.

And I seemed to be doing well.