The Red String Theory

New Year, New Changes

The start of the new year brought along changes that neither Luna nor Sam ever expected. To Luna's surprise, Sam started to clean the house a lot more while she was at work and attempted to start making dinners. It was such a welcome change that Luna forgot about what happened on New Year's Eve. She enjoyed coming home from work to find the house somewhat cleaner than she was used to when Sam was left to his own devices and to find something that somewhat resembled dinner. It didn't matter to her that she frequently had to remake dinner.

To Luna's even bigger surprise, a few weeks into the new year, she received an e-mail to attend a meeting with her boss at the end of the week. She had been working exceptionally hard, and there were rumors of her being promoted to a new position. It felt like Luna had been working towards her promotion since she started, trying not to be bitter when someone else would be chosen over her for one reason or another. The way Luna figured it, the more she was passed up, the more experience she would receive. Eventually they wouldn't be able to say no to her. When she saw the e-mail, she was delighted. It was finally her time!

But when she arrived at the meeting, it was clear that it wasn't what she thought it was. Her supervisor sat just off to the side of her boss, avoiding all eye contact with her, and the usually warm office felt oddly cold. Luna sat down slowly in the chair across from her boss; concern etched into every line of her face.

"Well," Luna's boss Melissa started, "I'm afraid that there's no easy way to tell you this."

"No easy way to tell me what?" Luna questioned, looking between Melissa and her supervisor Danielle. Danielle still refused to look up at Luna, instead picking at something on the top of Melissa's desk.

"Well, unfortunately, we have to let you go."

Whatever Melissa started to say after that, Luna completely tuned out. Her blood ran cold, and her stomach seemed to plummet to the floor. Let go? Luna stared at Melissa blankly, watching as her lips moved but not taking in a single word being said. Even when silence fell in the room, Luna still couldn't figure out what she was supposed to say.

"Luna?" Melissa finally prompted. "Are you going to say anything?"

"What do you mean I'm being let go?" Luna finally asked when she found her voice again. "I don't understand."

"Well, that's why we're letting you go and not firing you," Melissa said with a shrug. "We are very aware of how much work you've put in while being here."

"I've been here for going on six years now. You can't just get rid of me."

"We're downsizing, and, unfortunately, we had to remove your position. At least now you can collect unemployment."

"I can collect unemployment?" Luna answered with a scoff. "Unemployment doesn't last forever, you know."

"It's better than nothing. Unfortunately, that's it from our end. Security will accompany you to your desk so you can gather your things, and then you will be escorted out."

Luna stared at Melissa for a long moment before slowly standing. She couldn't believe what was happening. Why had Luna bothered putting in so much time and effort over the past almost six years only to be let go so coldly? She was a hard worker, constantly stepping in when needed and in departments she didn't work in. Why was she the one being let go and not anyone else? Luna had seen the finance reports, and nothing in them would say that the company was in any financial trouble. In fact, the reports said the opposite. The company was at its highest point financially.

Being escorted back to her desk to clear off her things was one of the most excruciatingly embarrassing things that Luna had ever experienced. Jackson, the security guard for their office's floor, was someone who she had considered a fair acquaintance, and he was treating her like a criminal. When Mike ran up to her desk, Luna could barely respond.