The Pink Slip
I brought the termination to my husband, the CEO. He coldly cited company policy—a five-break daily limit—and backed her decision to maintain her authority. "Now you can focus on the baby," he said.
I spotted lace lingerie with snowflake embroidery under his sofa. A bitter laugh escaped me. I tossed the notice on his desk, walked out, and called our biggest competitor.
"Do you limit bathroom breaks?" I asked. "If not, I'll be in your office tomorrow with a new client to sign."
1.
"Elara, are you messing with me?"
On the other end of the line, Marcus Thorne’s voice was laced with disbelief.
"I'm not joking," I said calmly. "If you agree, I'm bringing the Sterling Group account with me. We sign tomorrow. Once it's done, your company will be the biggest player in Northgate City."
Marcus hesitated. "Did you and Leo have a fight? Are you just using me to make him angry?"
He continued, his voice softening. "Everyone in the industry knows you're the engine of that company. You're the one who carries all the weight for Leo."
"You sold the apartment your parents left you so that kid from nowhere could start his business. You've landed every major deal they've ever had."
"For the Sterling account, you worked yourself so sick you were fainting from morning sickness. Your team wanted to take you to the ER, but you refused because you were afraid of delaying the signing. You just..."
I froze, wondering how he knew all that.
As he finished, a bitter smile touched my lips. He was right. Everyone knew how much I'd sacrificed for Leo.
I once believed we were building an empire together, from scratch. Today, that beautiful dream was shattered.
Leo and I had no connections, just two kids from a small town with big dreams, fighting our way to the top in the big city. We started with nothing and finally, painstakingly, built our own company.
Six months ago, I told him I was pregnant. His hands were shaking with excitement.
But when I suggested we finally make it official and get married, he fell silent for a long time.
"Elara," he finally said, "once we land the Sterling Group contract, we'll be the industry leader. Our dream of making it in this city will finally be real."
"Don't you want to walk down the aisle at the height of our success?"
"Let's just wait until the Sterling contract is signed. Then we'll get married, okay?"
I agreed.
Yesterday, Sterling confirmed. The signing was scheduled.
I was so overwhelmed with joy that I stepped out of the office and promptly fainted on the sidewalk. I was rushed to the hospital.
The moment I woke up, I hurried back to the office to finalize the contract.
But my key card wouldn't work. Facial recognition failed. I'd been blacklisted.
I managed to get a friendly intern to let me in, only to find all my personal effects dumped in a trash heap. My wedding photo with Leo was covered in muddy footprints, my smiling face scribbled over with a black marker.
And sitting at my desk, my desk, was the new assistant—Crystal Snow.
She was scrolling through her phone, her long, red nails tapping the screen. She pulled up a video file: three months of security footage of me going to the bathroom.
"New company rule," she said with a smirk. "No more than five bathroom breaks per shift, five minutes max each time."
"You've been going more than ten times a day. Who knows if you were actually working or just slacking off."
"If everyone behaved like you, how would this company function?"
I was baffled. Since when was this a rule?
I went straight to Leo's office and told him everything.
He was dismissive. "I hired Crystal from a top-tier firm for a reason. Her rules are based on their best practices. Of course, we have to follow them."
I fought to keep my voice even. I told him I was pregnant, that the stress and workload were making my morning sickness unbearable, that the bathroom trips were a necessity.
He waved his hand impatiently. "That's just your weak constitution. Don't use it as an excuse."
"Maybe I make an exception for your morning sickness today. But what about tomorrow? What's to stop anyone from faking a stomach ache after slacking off in the bathroom, demanding I look the other way? How am I supposed to manage that?"
My face flushed with anger, my eyes stinging with tears. In his eyes, my pregnancy was no different from a case of diarrhea.
Before I could argue further, Crystal walked in, phone in hand.
"Elara," she said, her tone dripping with false sympathy, "the new policy is to streamline our workforce. That means pregnant employees are the first to go. I was trying to do you a favor by not firing you outright, given your relationship with Leo."
"But you've broken the rules too many times. If I don't act, no one will take me seriously. How can I lead the team?"
She looked me up and down. "Besides, you're a high-risk pregnancy. You should be at home resting. Running to the bathroom all day to goof off not only kills productivity, it makes the whole company look unprofessional."
I stared at her, my voice cold. "My pregnancy and my bathroom trips didn't stop me from landing the Sterling contract for this company."
"And I'm the Vice President. No new rule should be implemented without my approval."
Her eyes welled up with tears. Leo slammed his hand on the desk.
"That's enough!"
He saw the shock and hurt in my eyes and his scowl deepened. "This rule came from me. If you have a problem, take it up with me. You're fired. Stop pulling rank on her."
"And don't you dare use that contract as leverage," he snarled. "Crystal told me everything. You were in the bathroom all day while the rest of the team did your work for you."
"If being pregnant and working is so stressful that you have to hide in the bathroom, then Crystal firing you so you can rest at home is a favor! You should be thanking her, not bullying her in front of her direct supervisor!"
His jaw tightened. "Now, apologize to Crystal."
Apologize?
I took a long, hard look at this man, my partner of ten years, from college dorms to the corporate world.
I remembered when a key developer challenged my authority, simply because I was a woman. Leo, without a second thought, fired him on the spot, disregarding the critical tech the man controlled.
He held my hand in front of the entire company and said, "Elara is my wife, and she is my partner. Disrespecting her is disrespecting me. And this company has no place for anyone who disrespects women."
That speech went viral. We were lauded as the best startup of the year.
That was only a year ago. Now, he was letting some new assistant disrespect me, discriminate against me for being pregnant.
I took a deep breath, ready to unleash a decade of fury, when my eyes caught it again. The lace underwear under the sofa cushion.
The tiny, embroidered snowflakes.
It wasn't mine.
A wave of nausea and disgust washed over me. I stumbled, and as I looked up, I saw Crystal watching me with a look of pure triumph.
It was hers.
Suddenly, all the words caught in my throat felt meaningless.
I pulled my employee ID from my pocket and tossed it onto the sofa.
"You want to fire me? Fine. As per my contract, a severance of 2N+1. If that money isn't in my account by tonight, I have no problem taking this to arbitration. We'll see who's embarrassed and paying fines then."
"And one more thing," I added, my voice ringing with cold finality. "I landed that project. You fire me, you can kiss the Sterling Group goodbye."
I watched the color drain from their faces, then turned and walked out with a scornful laugh.
The first thing I did was call Marcus.
They could have their sordid affair. They were not getting the project I bled for.
Marcus's voice came back over the line, firm and resolute.
"I don't care if you're using me to get back at him. I'm taking this seriously. You come to my company, the VP position is yours. And if you're worried about managing work with the baby, I'll help you."
"That won't be necessary," I said with a small smile.
For some reason, his voice seemed to drop a little at my answer. "Alright. See you at the signing tomorrow."
I hung up and went home to pack. Thank God we never got married. At least I wouldn't have to deal with a divorce.
But the baby…
I placed a hand on my belly. After a moment, my gaze hardened.
Better to have no father than to have one like Leo.
I started packing as soon as I got home. In the corner of our study was a storage box with a note taped to it: "Leo's Treasures - Do Not Touch."
It was the box where he kept every gift I'd ever given him, even used mugs and hair ties. "One day," he'd said, "we'll show all of this to our son. Proof of our love story."
I wanted a clean break, but seeing that box made my heart ache. I opened it.
And I froze.
It wasn't filled with my old things. It was a sordid collection of toys, lubricants, and scraps of fetish lingerie.
My head exploded.
On the desk, Leo's laptop was open. His chat with Crystal was still on the screen, new messages popping up:
"Of course I defended you. If you hadn't been here to help me... de-stress... these past few months, I would have lost my mind."
"Wear the bunny costume tonight. A little pre-celebration for the signing tomorrow, okay?"
My vision went black at the edges. Clenching my jaw, I transferred the entire chat history and all the videos to my phone.
It wasn't enough. My eyes landed on a bag of fresh peaches on the counter. I grabbed a handful and rubbed them vigorously all over the lingerie and toys in the box, making sure the microscopic fuzz got into every crevice.
You two like to play? Then play hard.
Just as I finished packing and was about to leave, the front door opened.
Leo walked in. He saw my suitcase and froze, then broke into a grin.
"What's this? I say a few harsh words and you're running away from home?"
"I was just being professional. You're my wife, so I have to be even stricter with you. It's the only way to get the staff to respect the rules."
"Alright, stop sulking. I bought your favorite fish. We're celebrating the signing tomorrow."
Before I could speak, Crystal waltzed in behind him.
"Oh, sister-in-law, I don't like it steamed. Make it spicy, okay?"
"That's right," Leo chimed in. "Crystal likes bold flavors. Make it good."
He added, "Poor thing's been working so hard she hasn't eaten all day. Not like you, taking the day off to rest."
He tried to shove the bag of fish into my hands and push me toward the kitchen.
My face went cold. I threw the fish back at him. "I'm not cooking."
His expression darkened instantly. He grabbed my arm. "What the hell is wrong with you? Has the pregnancy made you stupid? Don't you understand basic courtesy?"
"You embarrassed Crystal at the office today! I brought her here specifically so you could make her a nice dinner as an apology, and this is how you act?"
"Leo, it's okay," Crystal interjected, the perfect martyr. "Elara's carrying your child. It's normal for her to be a little moody. I can handle it."
"Moody doesn't give her the right to be a tyrant!" Her words only fueled his anger.
He dragged me to the kitchen, shoved me inside, and locked the door.
"You're not coming out until you've cooked dinner!"
I fell hard. A searing pain shot through my abdomen. A cold sweat broke out all over my body.
I scrambled to the door, pounding on it with what little strength I had. "Leo! Let me out! My stomach... I fell... take me to the hospital..."
I heard Crystal's saccharine voice from the other side. "Leo, I think Elara's just angry I'm here. She's probably just using the baby to guilt you. Maybe I should just go?"
The footsteps outside paused. Then, Leo's voice, colder than ice:
"I ask you to make one meal, and you threaten me with the baby's safety? You're being irrational."
I couldn't tell what hurt more, my heart or my stomach. I just kept pleading, my voice growing weaker.
"Fine. Don't cook. Come on, Crystal. We'll go to a Michelin-star restaurant."
"Oh, Leo, you're the best~"
The pain was so intense I could barely speak. "I'm not lying... It really... hurts..."
The only response was the slam of the front door.
My world went black.
I woke up in a hospital room.
And sitting by my bed was Marcus.
He saw my eyes open and let out a huge sigh of relief. "I called you a dozen times, you didn't pick up. I was terrified. I thought after your fight, Leo might have... done something. So I came to check on you."
"I found you passed out on the kitchen floor. The doctor said you just fell and bruised your stomach. The baby is okay."
I gave a weak, bitter smile. He wasn't wrong. Leo had done something.
I thanked him, my voice hoarse, and reached for my phone. I needed to contact the Sterling Group and let them know I was now with Marcus's firm.
But my screen was flooded with texts from Crystal.
And a video.
"Look at you, the washed-up housewife. So what if you're carrying Leo's baby? He still kicked you out and gave your job and your office to me."
"Leo told me he's sick of you. All you do is work, work, work. No fun at all. And you stink now that you're pregnant. He prefers someone young and fun like me. Hehe, maybe it won't be long before I'm taking your place at home, too."
"Oh, and he said a housewife has no business being the project lead for Sterling. Don't bother showing up to the signing tomorrow. I'll go in your place. Save everyone from having to look at your bloated, pregnant body."
I stared at her taunts, my face a blank mask.
Before I could even process my anger, Marcus exploded.
"Who the hell does she think she is, talking to you like that!"
He stared at me, his eyes red with fury. "And you're not even angry? Do you really love him that much? Enough to let this... this trash walk all over you?"
He looked away, his voice thick with emotion. "Elara, if I had a wife like you, I'd treat you like a queen. I would never, ever let anyone hurt you."
I calmly typed a reply to Crystal: "You can have the trash. You're not touching my project."
I looked up at Marcus, confused. "What did you just say?"
He gritted his teeth. "Nothing. I just said, I'm your boss now. They try to steal your project, I'll destroy them."
I nodded. "Good."
The doctor warned that I needed complete bed rest, or I could lose the baby. I immediately requested three months of maternity leave from Marcus, to begin right after the signing.
As I was leaving the maternity ward, I ran into a couple frantically scratching themselves, their skin covered in angry red welts.
It was Leo and Crystal.
When Leo saw me, his face went pale. He rushed toward me. "Elara, did you do something to my things in the study? What did you put in there? The doctor can't find the allergen, we can't stop itching!"
I knew immediately. They'd used the peach-fuzzed lingerie.
I feigned ignorance. "What things? Describe them to me. Maybe it'll jog my memory."
His face cycled through shades of red and purple, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words.
I smirked and pulled out my phone, showing him the chat logs and the videos Crystal had sent me.
"Oh, you mean this bunny costume? I was eating a peach yesterday. Some of the fuzz must have fallen on it by accident."
"You!" he hissed, his face livid. "You're insane! You went through my laptop? You had someone film us? What are you trying to do?"
He pointed a trembling, rash-covered finger at me. "You did this to us! I won't let you get away with it! Get on your knees and apologize to me and Crystal right now! And sign the Sterling project over to her!"
"Or the wedding is off, and you can be an unemployed single mother!"
I looked at him, my expression cold, and dialed the wedding planner.
"Yes, that's right. The wedding is canceled."
I hung up and faced Leo's apoplectic glare.
"For the past ten years, I was blind," I said, my voice eerily calm. "I mistook a piece of trash like you for a treasure."
"But my eyes are open now. I'm happy to give you up and cancel the wedding. But there is no way in hell I'm handing over my clients and the Sterling contract I fought for tooth and nail."
I added softly, "You should probably start thinking about how you're going to explain losing the Sterling deal to your investors. Oh, and don't forget my severance pay."
I turned to leave, but Leo lunged forward, grabbing my arm.
"I was wrong, Elara! You know how stressed I've been! And with you pregnant, I was afraid to touch you, I didn't want to hurt the baby... I just... I couldn't help myself..."
His voice was a desperate, pleading whine. "We were drunk, it was an accident! She promised it wouldn't affect us! We agreed it was just until you gave birth, then I'd be completely devoted to you and our child!"
I pulled my lips into a sneer. "And you think I'd believe that?"
I glanced at my phone. The signing was about to start.
I looked up at the man I had loved for a decade. "Can't we just part ways peacefully, Leo? I'm only taking what's mine. I'm not trying to ruin your company."
His face was ashen. "But I don't want to lose you," he mumbled. "I never imagined losing you."
I gave him one last, deep look. "When you were doing all of this, did you ever once stop to think how much it would hurt me? If you had, even for a second, you would have known I'd leave you. You know my personality."
His lips moved, but before he could speak, I started walking away.
He scrambled after me. "I was wrong! Elara, please! Give me one more chance! For our child's sake! Just one chance! If you don't want me seeing Crystal, I'll pay her off, I'll send her away!"
"And you can come back to work! After the baby is born, I'll create a new position for you..."
I shook him off, my patience gone. Suddenly, a car screeched around the corner, heading straight for me.
I had no time to react. The impact sent me flying.
Pain exploded through my body. I hit the pavement hard. A pool of blood began to spread out from beneath me.
My body convulsed in agony. I reached a trembling hand toward Leo. "Help me," I choked out. "Save the baby."
Leo's face was sheet-white. He started to move toward me, but then Crystal stumbled out of the driver's seat, crying, and threw herself into his arms.
"Leo, what do I do?" she wailed. "I saw you talking, and she was going to leave with the project... I was just so anxious, I wanted to follow her... I think I hit the gas instead of the brake!"
"I don't want to go to jail! Leo, please, help me!"
I writhed on the ground, the pain unbearable. "Leo..." I begged him, my voice a broken whisper. "That's your child... You can't just let our baby die."
A flicker of conflict crossed his face. Then, his expression hardened. He took Crystal's hand and turned to the police officer who was just arriving on the scene.
"Officer, I'm her husband. We had an argument. She got upset and ran into the street. It wasn't this young lady's fault."
He then knelt beside me, his voice low and urgent. "The baby's gone, Elara. We can't ruin an innocent girl's life over this."
"Think of this as compensation for forcing Crystal to leave. And since you can't make it to the signing now, let me and Crystal handle it for you. We'll sign the contract."
"After this, I promise, I'll come home. I'll be good to you."
"Leo!" I screamed, my eyes burning with hatred. "You bastard! You will regret this!"
A paramedic tried to pull him away, urging him to sign the consent forms for my emergency treatment.
But he was already helping Crystal up, turning his back on me. "Sorry, we have an important meeting. Just let her lie in the ER for a bit. I'll be back to sign the papers later."
And with that, they got in another car and drove away.
The pain finally consumed me, and I passed out.
Crystal, dressed in a brand-new designer gown, walked into the Sterling Group's conference room on Leo's arm, her head held high.
One of the Sterling executives looked around, confused. "Where's Ms. Elara? I thought she was the project lead on this."
Leo answered calmly, "Elara was terminated for gross misconduct. Crystal will be taking over the project."
The executive was stunned. "What? You fired her? Who's our point of contact then?"
"Crystal, of course," Leo said, looking at her with a doting smile. "We owe this success to Crystal. Her new policies streamlined our operations and optimized our staff, which is what allowed us to land this deal. With such a talented new project lead, I'm confident we'll deliver even better results for Sterling."
Crystal puffed out her chest, her face flushed with victory. "That's right. I won't let Leo down. I'll achieve even greater things than Elara ever did."
Across the table, the head of the Sterling delegation stood up, his face an icy mask.
"I'm sorry, but we signed on for this project because of Ms. Elara, and Ms. Elara alone. If she is no longer with your company, then I see no reason to continue this partnership. The deal is off."
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