Love After Layoffs novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Mr. Ketterman

The invitation came Thursday morning and said, "Vendor Town Hall, Friday, 10 a.m., Ketterman Auditorium. Attendance requested."

"It's a trap," said Yvonne. "They'll tell us how sorry they are and hand us a muffin."

"I'm going anyway," I said.

"Of course you are. You want to see his face."

I did.

Justin had not come home Wednesday night or Thursday, and his phone went straight to voicemail.

Friday at ten I sat in the fourth row of the Ketterman auditorium in my navy blazer.

Yvonne sat on my left, and the seat on my right stayed empty.

Two hundred laid-off vendors filled the room.

The stage had a long table with a water pitcher and four name cards.

The card on the far left said "Justin Doyle, Strategic Sourcing."

He walked out first, in a new charcoal suit and a fresh haircut, smiling at the crowd.

He saw me in the fourth row.

His smile held for a moment, and then he looked at the ceiling.

"Thank you all for coming," he said into the microphone.

"These changes are difficult."

"I want to assure you that every decision was data-driven and made with care."

A man behind me muttered something rude.

"Your agency's contract ended because it scored lowest on the scorecard," Justin said, looking at nobody. "That's how the system works."

I stood up.

"My agency scored highest on that scorecard for three years in a row," I said.

"I saw the numbers."

"You signed the cut yourself."

"You told me that, in the lobby, in front of about a hundred people."

The room went quiet in a way I felt on my skin.

Justin's mouth opened and shut.

"Ma'am, if you have a complaint, there's a form."

"There's a form," I repeated. "Of course there is."

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