The day he was fired, Manhattan left him no door open

Grant wore a tailored suit and a tie as expensive and cold as a blade. He glanced at the envelope in Darren’s hand and smiled with the polished pity of a man who had never had to fear losing anything. “You were useful,” Grant said. “But useful isn’t the same as valuable. Finance doesn’t pay for sentiment.” Some coworkers laughed softly behind him. Darren said nothing. He just looked Grant in the eye. “You want to say something?” Grant asked. “You cut me because I kept pointing out that Everpoint Labs’ reported receivables didn’t match its actual cash conversion cycle,” Darren said. “You treated that report like noise.” Grant shrugged. “They’re headed to the Nasdaq next week. Markets buy stories, not anxiety from junior staff.”