My attention returned to the phone. “I appreciate your understanding, Mr. Chairman. I’m glad we could come to an agreement.” I paused, allowing myself a moment to let the gravity of the situation sink in. “Thank you.”

Robert seemed to shrink as I hung up the phone, the finality of it all settling in around him. The life he had known was over, and we both understood that.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “We could have figured something out.”

I shook my head, feeling a sense of clarity I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. “No, Robert. That’s where you’re wrong. You made your choice when you decided to throw me out, to belittle and demean me. You thought my worth was tied to a job, to money. But it’s not. And now you’re facing the consequences of your actions.”