The Beginning of the End

Vivian’s words maintained their unwavering cheerfulness as she delivered a message that sent chills down Alex’s spine. “Consider this a friendly reminder, okay? We really wouldn’t want to see you go. You can go back to your tasks now.” The tone in which she addressed him left Alex worried, for he was a seasoned veteran at the company.

Yet, a disconcerting realization began to dawn upon him—the encounter was but a preliminary step toward an imminent departure. A disheartening pattern emerged as he recalled the abrupt early retirements of other senior engineers, and he couldn’t help but envision similar cryptic encounters with Vivian as their prelude. At this point, the seeds of revenge started to blossom in Alex’s mind…