But the approval documentation wasn't attached.
I checked the record carefully.
My original observation remained.
A closing comment had been added by someone with higher authority.
I wanted to believe the issue had been resolved properly.
Perhaps the legal teams had approved the changes.
Perhaps the investors had negotiated a revised payment structure.
Perhaps the documents simply hadn't been uploaded to the system.
All of those explanations were possible.
I didn't want to assume wrongdoing.
So I sent a carefully worded request asking where the approval could be verified.
Three hours later, Martin appeared beside my desk.
"Naomi."
I looked up.
"Yes?"
"Conference room."
I followed him.
Inside were Martin and a human resources representative.
The representative smiled professionally.
Then asked me to sit.
My stomach tightened.
Martin folded his hands.
"We've been reviewing your performance."
I stared.
"My performance?"
He nodded.
"There have been concerns about your ability to work effectively with senior teams."
I looked toward the HR representative.
She remained quiet.
I took a breath.
"Can you provide examples?"
Martin glanced at a document.
"There have been issues with escalation judgment."
I stared.
"Is this about the Whitmore transaction?"
His expression changed.
He looked toward the HR representative.
Then back at me.
"This isn't about any single matter."
I felt my pulse quicken.
He continued.
"We've decided to restructure certain responsibilities."
The meeting lasted twenty minutes.
By the end, I had been removed from the transaction support unit and offered a temporary administrative assignment with fewer responsibilities.
I asked whether the decision was disciplinary.
They said no.
I asked whether my performance reviews had changed.
They said expectations were evolving.
I asked for the reasons in writing.
They said the appropriate documentation would be provided.
I left feeling as though the floor had shifted beneath me.
For several weeks, I tried to make the new assignment work.
I continued performing my duties.
Documented my concerns.
And sought advice through the firm's designated reporting channels.
But the pressure didn't stop.
My access to some systems was removed.
Colleagues became distant.
A manager who previously praised my work began avoiding me.
Then my position was eliminated during a restructuring.
The firm offered a severance agreement.
I took it home.
Read it carefully.
And contacted an employment attorney before deciding whether to sign.
The attorney was a Black American woman in her forties named Rachel Foster.