I stopped to help a woman who was dy//ing on the side of the road and lost my job because I arrived late, but when I returned to collect my things from my desk, my entire life was about to change.

My own professional life had ended in less than five minutes.

There’d been no warning, no discussion of severance, and no acknowledgment of what I’d contributed over four years.

Only Gavin’s order to gather my possessions and leave.

I leaned back and closed my eyes.

Immediately, I remembered the woman on Route 18.

She’d been standing beside a dark sedan, gripping the open driver’s door with one hand while pressing the other against her chest.

Initially, I assumed she was searching for something inside the vehicle.

Then her knees buckled.

I was three cars behind her.

An SUV ahead of me slowed briefly, then continued.

A van did the same.

For one terrible moment, I almost followed them.

My foot remained on the accelerator.

I thought about the presentation scheduled for 8:30.

It was our most important potential account of the year, and Gavin had repeatedly warned everyone against arriving late.