The termination letter was a single, crisp sheet of paper. It bore the Hale Holdings logo and Sterling’s precise signature. It cited “redundancy due to project restructuring.” It was a lie so bland it was almost an insult. Isabella read it standing in Sterling’s new, larger office, the one that had once been a conference room overlooking her Vega site. Her hands did not shake. The numbness that had protected her for weeks now served as a perfect insulator.
“Of course, we value your contributions, Ms. Hart,” Sterling said, not looking at her, adjusting a pen on his blotter. “But given the new executive direction, the lead design role is being… absorbed. However, we’re not without compassion.”
He slid a second document toward her. A contract. The title read: Temporary Events Assistant - Ha
