The morning came with the force of a hurricane. My phone didn’t ring; it vibrated itself off the nightstand with notifications. The photo was everywhere. “THE CEO AND THE NOBODY,” the headlines screamed.
I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the floor drop out from under me. My quiet life as an architect was gone. I was now a scandal, a gold-digger, a mistake.
I tried to call Anna, but her number was disconnected. The board of directors called me instead. They didn’t ask for my side of the story; they just asked for my resignation.
I was escorted out of the building by security guards who used to nod at me in the mornings. I stood on the pavement with my box of belongings, the cold wind biting through my coat. I had lost the job, the project, and her.