Chapter 5: What I Gave Up

After getting back together with Aubrey, I kept asking myself:

If I loved her so much, why did I marry Natalie in the first place? Was I chasing what I couldn’t have?

Deep down, I knew Natalie wasn’t just a backup. She was steady, reliable. But for a while, I couldn’t admit it.

Standing in the HR office, the answer hit me.

Jamie from HR told me Natalie had already finished handing off her work and left a resignation letter—just waiting for my signature to make it official.

Jamie handed me the envelope, Natalie’s handwriting neat and careful. My name printed across the top.

It hit me: I married Natalie because she always knew what I needed—even before I did. At work, at home, she was always there to ease my worries without a word.

But this time, it felt like she was letting me off too easy—like she was tired of cleaning up my messes.

If she’d waited for me to fire her, I would’ve given her a severance—one month’s pay for every year she’d worked. She deserved more than just a clean break.

I did the math in my head, guilt gnawing at me. Still, I signed "Agreed" and tucked the letter away.

I rehearsed what I’d tell Aubrey—how I’d spin it so she’d believe Natalie was really gone.

Jamie looked worried, fiddling with a stack of resumes. "Mr. Carter, who’s going to take over Natalie’s job?"

I shrugged. "Post a job ad and find someone new."

Jamie hesitated, voice dropping. "If we hire externally, with Natalie’s experience, we can’t offer just $30,000 a month. People with her skills start at $200,000 a year now..."

"Wait, what?" I set the folder down, eyeing Jamie. Was she trying to pull something?

Maybe she was angling for a raise, or covering for Natalie. Maybe she was just loyal to her old boss.

Either way, there was no way I’d pay that kind of money. We’re not some Silicon Valley giant.

"Jamie, the most I’ll offer is $75,000 a year. If you can’t hire someone, you don’t need to come to work anymore."

My voice was cold, final. That’s how you run a company—no room for excuses.

I left without looking back. Being a boss means moving forward, no matter how many people you leave behind.

I’d read enough management books to know: you can’t get too close to employees. Orders come from the top. If they can’t handle it, fire them. The company always comes first.

Someone will always step up when the pressure’s on. That’s how I convinced myself the work would get done—because it had to. That’s what being a boss means.