I Got Laid Off And They Celebrated Her Promotion Chapter 07

After joining Emma’s company, I spent two days getting familiar with the project files.

The client’s project lead had already changed twice. Documents were scattered across departments,

and the numbers in the timeline didn’t match.

Emma handed me the files.

“We were going to give this project to someone else, but the client still isn’t happy. Take a look and

see if you can handle it.”

I finished the last page and asked, “Aren’t they expecting another presentation next week?”

“They are.”

“Then we still have time.”

I reorganized the task assignments and clarified who was responsible for what.

That afternoon, I sent an updated timeline to the project chat.

Lily Parker read it and asked, “Hannah, is this part something I missed?”

“No. The source for the earlier numbers changed. Check with the vendor first. I’ll work out the

timing with the client.”

She nodded and left.

Every problem on the project went to the person responsible for it. Even though I was new, everyone followed the process and worked with me. No one was waiting to watch me fail.

When something went wrong, the person responsible logged what had happened, then worked with

me on a solution.

For the first time, I realized how peaceful it could feel when work ran smoothly.

A week later, the client sat through our revised presentation and agreed to keep the project with us.

At the end, the client’s representative stayed behind.

“The last two companies just sent us revised files. Neither one broke down the problems for us. Ms.

Bennett, your plan is practical.”

I closed my laptop and thanked him.

Emma waited outside the conference room and handed me a lemonade.

“Nice work.”

“Everyone helped.”

“You used to say that, too.”

I smiled but didn’t answer.

On the drive back, Emma asked, “Were you nervous?”

“A little at first.”

“It didn’t show.”

“Because I knew I’d prepared.”

She turned to look at me.

“If you’d believed in yourself like that before, you might have left that company ages ago.”

I watched the streets rush past the window and said quietly, “Back then, I thought staying was the responsible thing to do.”

Emma didn’t push me any further.

She just turned down the music in the car.

Whenever my old projects succeeded, I thought of the team first. By the time everyone else celebrated, I was usually already dealing with the next problem.

This time, Emma scheduled a celebration for Friday night.

She asked about my favorite cake in advance, and Lily double–checked my food allergies.

When the cake arrived, the project team urged me into the middle.

Holding the cake knife, I suddenly felt awkward.

“Just stand here, Hannah,” Lily said. “I’ll take the picture.”

I stepped into the frame.

Everyone was visible in the photo.

Later, Lily shared it in the project chat and added:

[Thanks to Hannah for pulling this project out of the mess it was in.]

Reading that, I remembered all the projects I’d rescued before.

Back then, I’d get a quick “Thanks for your hard work” and move on to the next one.

Now someone had put my name beside the result.

At the same time, Luke and the other three sat in his apartment, looking at the project photo on the

company website.

Sophie stared at the screen. “She really is doing well.”

“She was always good at her job,” Charlie said.

Noah leaned back on the couch without a word.

Luke enlarged the photo and saw the badge from my new job around my neck.

Emma and my teammates stood beside me.

There was no place for any of them in that picture..

“When are we going to see her?” Sophie asked.

“Tomorrow,” Luke said.

Charlie hesitated.

“Shouldn’t we contact her first? Showing up at her office might be a bad idea.”

Luke looked down at his phone.

My number wouldn’t connect anymore.

“She won’t take our calls.”

“Then we’ll wait outside the office.”

Sophie looked up at him.

“What if she doesn’t want to see us?”

Luke didn’t answer.

He thought that if he explained himself face–to–face, I’d give them another chance.

But he couldn’t be sure I’d still be there waiting, the way I always used to be.