Eddie was a diligent employee. He and his colleagues knew that. He had been working for the company ever since its inception, and though he had surpassed his retirement age, he still completed his work like clockwork, which was much appreciated by everyone.But to Eddie's utter disappointment, everything changed one day.
"The purpose of this notification is to inform you regarding your position in the company... We regret to inform you that there will be a major reduction in the workforce due to corporate restructuring."
The words in the email stared back at Eddie. His fingers, which had been typing furiously just moments before, were now still. Tears streamed down his face as he saw several colleagues around him sharing the same sh0cked look. He hated that look. He had just become a part of the unemployed crowd. What h:u:rt Eddie the most, however, was that he had spent his entire life working for the corporation, only to be fired. How could they do this to him?
Still in sh0ck, Eddie scrolled down to the bottom of the email to check if there was any mention of his layoff being temporary. And there it was: "Unless otherwise notified, you should consider the layoff permanent."
Eddie slumped back in his chair. He suddenly felt exhausted, a weariness he had never experienced in his career. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen, which displayed the notification of his termination. Then, something caught his eye—the real reason he was fired.
The company’s founder, Rachel, had transferred ownership of the company to his only grandson, Dan. The young man had started his tenure by restructuring the workforce, and in his opinion, Eddie was simply too old to continue working for the company. Dan reasoned that the company needed younger minds, people who could meet the monthly KPIs. According to him, Eddie and others like him were just filling seats, doing nothing.
So, Dan made the decision to terminate Eddie and others who were considered "too old" to contribute.
Eddie's hands trembled as he packed his belongings into a plain brown box. He had seen people in movies do that after they were fired, but he never imagined it would happen to him.
After leaving the office, Eddie went straight home. He lived alone—his only son had moved abroad, and his wife had passed away from cancer years ago. Without a job to keep him occupied, Eddie felt empty. For some, their job is everything. Eddie was one of those people. He realized the road ahead wouldn't be easy. He would need something to keep himself busy.
Could he do something around the house? Start a YouTube channel? But that idea didn’t appeal to him. He longed to be back in his office, doing his work, creating reports, and feeling needed again.
To his surprise, a month later, Eddie received a call that would change his life.
"Am I speaking to Mr. Eddie Mitcher?" A firm voice asked.
"This is Eddie speaking. What is this about?"
"Good day, Mr. Mitcher. I’m Alexander Hoffman, Mr. Richard Benson’s lawyer. I’m calling to inform you that following Mr. Benson’s death, you are now the new owner of his IT firm. We’d appreciate it if you could come to my office to finalize the formalities."
Eddie almost dropped the phone. "What? Are you sure you're calling the right Eddie? Maybe there's some misunderstanding!"
"If I’m not mistaken," the lawyer continued, "you and Mr. Benson were childhood best friends. He admired you greatly. He often mentioned how you stepped down from top management to become a regular employee, even though you co-founded the company together with Mr. Benson."
"Yes, I did, but..." Eddie stammered.
"Well, as a favor to you, he requested that I inform you about his decision," the lawyer said, “We are waiting for you at our office to discuss the details.”
Eddie was in sh0ck. Rachel had passed away, but why had she transferred the company to him? Hadn’t she made Dan the owner just a month ago? And what did the lawyer mean by "We are waiting for you"? Who were "we"?
Eddie made his way to the lawyer’s office, hoping to get answers. There, he met Dan, who explained why his grandfather had chosen Eddie to inherit the company.
"Grandpa wanted me to learn everything about running a business because he wanted me to be a good businessman like him," Dan confessed. "That’s why he handed me the company. But I made some terrible decisions, and I fired people who were critical to the company's operations."
"I admit I wasn’t a good boss. I don’t mind if Grandpa appointed you as CEO. He knew you were the one who could handle it. I’m sorry for what I did," Dan continued, his voice filled with regret.
Eddie was moved. "He left the company in my care, and I won’t disappoint him," he said. "But you need to toughen up, young man. I won’t go easy on you. I’m not firing you, but I’m not going to let you slack off either. If I’m not mistaken, that’s the favor he asked of me, right?" Eddie asked, and Mr. Hoffman nodded.
"Alright then," Eddie sighed, smiling slightly. "Get ready, Dan. This is going to be a bumpy ride, boy!"
After taking over the company, Eddie worked tirelessly, focusing only on what would help the company grow and improve, while taking Dan under his wing. Eddie showed Dan how hard it was to achieve something worthwhile. Years later, when Eddie felt confident that Dan was ready for the responsibility, he appointed him as the company’s new CEO.
"I was h:u:rt when you fired me," Eddie admitted to Dan on the day Dan became CEO, "but it’s true that I’m getting a little old for the monthly figures. Now, as I enjoy my retirement, make sure you don’t let your grandfather or me down. We have high expectations of you, Dan."
Dan promised he wouldn’t let anyone down. Under his leadership, the company thrived, and Eddie was certain that Rachel would be proud of both her friend and her grandson.