ANASTASIA


    "What?"


    All rules about how crucial our employers value silence at work eluded me as I screeched.


    Jojo looked around, her eyes wide with fear. "You''re too loud."


    My widened eyes mirrored hers but they were even bigger. "Are you serious?" I could feel my heart pulsating crazily in my chest. The world seemed to spin around me as I tried to process the information. She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Look around, Anastasia," she gestured around her. "Does the atmosphere denote that this is some dumb joke?"


    Oh my God. No no. "What? Why? Wait wait, When did this happen?" I spurtered out and I could already hear the quiver in my voice. God, please, let this be a cruel joke. But even as I prayed for that miracle, with the expression on her face, I knew it wasn''t joke.


    Rachel sighed and sank into her seat. For the first time I could see the big toll the news had already taken on her. Her lips were drawn down and eyes wide with fear.


    She shakes her head and sighed again. "It happened fast. What we heard is that the sale was finalizedst night, and the new owner


    Wante


    to make significant changes immediately. There is probability that those let go will receive a severance package, but..." she sighed again and said sadly, "It''s not good." This is unfair. Why would our former employer sell thepany


    125 HONUS


    without giving us at least a week''s notice? This is so unfair. "So When will we be notified? When will they start these significant. changes?"


    "HR is handling the notifications, but it has already started," she passed a nce behind me, "You probably noticed 1 this ce isn''t as filled as it normally is. Employees are being called into. meetings and told they''re being let go. I heard some even received. the call yesterday night immediately after the purchase was. finalized."


    What the hell! "What exactly is this new owner''s aim?"


    "Who knows?" She shrugged and seemed to wear her invincible ''it will be alright'' look back on as she got back to work.


    I stood to my full height and remained there for a full minute, a lot running through my mind.


    Why was thepany even sold? It was doing so well and even our employers seemed happy with the constant growth, so why?Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "And no one has returned to say what the new owner''s criteria is?"


    She looked up, frowning, "What do you mean?"


    I shrugged, "Perhaps we don''t have the type of skill set he desires in his employees."


    "Maybe," Rachel murmured and got back to work. Then she added with a quirked brow and a half shrug, "All I know I''m going to do my job as much as I can and make myself irreceable." "That''s another angle to approach this bad news from," I murmured as I headed to my cubicle.


    I was jumpy all through my day at work. The way my heart skipped a


    beat each time the telephone from other offices or cubicle rang rapidly wore me out as we all wondered, "Who is next?"


    But I still tried to emte Rachel. That day, I did the best job an assistant marketing coordinator could do.


    I created neutral marketing materials that were not need at the moment, I analyzed market trends for some of our existing products and future ones, paid extra attention to our social media tforms... I found out that some of the junior assistant marketing coordinators had already beenid off. This only sessfully made me more queasy and uneasy. They probably started from the lower levels, soon it would be my turn. I tried to reach the marketing manager that I worked directly under but he was not reachable. Has he beenid off? If he has, then I''d definitely have to go with him, won''t I?


    The day dragged on, each minute feeling like an hour. Every time someone walked past my cubicle, I tensed, wondering if they wereing to deliver the news. I caught snippets of hushed. conversations, saw people leaving with boxes of personal items, their faces a mix of shock and despair.


    I threw myself into my work with renewed vigor, hoping that my dedication would somehow shield me from the axe that was falling all around. I double-checked every report, triple-checked every figure, and made sureevery presentation was polished to perfection.


    By the time my rm clock chimed at 3:00 P.M. I didn''t want to leave. I wanted to stay till everyone would be out. I wanted to stay till I knew my verdict but Amie was waiting.


    I said my goodbyes, trying to cheer up my remaining colleagues who were clearly on edge like I was. As I walked out, I stop wondering whether this would be myst time leaving this office.