Legal situations deserved the same discipline.
The attorney listened.
Then asked, “Did you resign verbally?”
“Yes.”
“In writing?”
“No.”
“Did they accept?”
“CEO said if I walked out, it would be voluntary.”
“Any contract?”
“No.”
“Employee handbook?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a copy?”
“Probably.”
“Any evidence the replacement was selected before the test?”
“Potentially.”
“Do you possess company documents?”
“No.”
“Good.”
The attorney paused.
“Do not request them.”
“I already told the person not to send them.”
“Better.”
“What do you think?”
“I think your employer created an unnecessarily theatrical situation and may now have a documentation problem.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning we need more facts.”
Ethan smiled.
Finally, someone speaking his language.
Facts.
That afternoon, Vanessa called again.
Ethan answered.
“Hello.”
Silence for a beat.
“Thank you for answering.”
“What do you need?”
Vanessa’s voice sounded controlled.
“We should meet.”
“About?”
“Your resignation.”
“It was clear.”
“I disagree.”
“You asked me to fix an aircraft or quit.”
“That was a performance challenge.”
“No.”
“Ethan.”
“You added the resignation condition.”
“I was making a rhetorical point about accountability.”
“In front of HR?”
Silence.
She continued.
“You know I respect your work.”
“Yesterday was an unusual way to show it.”
“I made a mistake.”
The sentence surprised him.
Not enough.
But it was the first useful thing she had said.
“What mistake?”
Vanessa paused.
“Making the challenge public.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
There it was.
She still thought the location was the problem.
“Anything else?”
“I should have handled the restructuring directly.”
That was closer.
“Were you replacing me?”
Silence.
“Vanessa.”
“We were restructuring your role.”
“With Pierce?”
“We were considering several options.”
“Had he been promised my duties?”
“Not exactly.”
Ethan almost laughed.
“That's a lawyer answer.”
“I’m trying to be precise.”
“Then be precise.”
She exhaled.
“Pierce was expected to assume a new director position.”
“Over maintenance?”
“Yes.”
“Above me?”
“Yes.”
“Taking supervisory duties currently assigned to me?”
“Some.”
“Had that been decided before yesterday?”
Long pause.
“Yes.”
Ethan stared out the kitchen window.
There it was.
“What was supposed to happen to me?”
“We intended to offer you a senior technical specialist role.”
“No supervision.”
“Less.”
“Pay?”
“Comparable.”