Okay Until It Wasn't

The smart ones left first.

Not the disloyal ones. Not the complainers. The smart ones. The people with options. The ones who could read a room and knew what was coming.

They left quietly. No drama. Two weeks’ notice. “Time for a new challenge.” The socially acceptable lie that means “I can see what’s coming and I choose not to be here for it.”

The ones who stayed said “it’s fine.” Said “every company has problems.” Said “I’ve got too much invested.” Said it was okay.

It was okay until it wasn’t. And the distance between “okay” and “not okay” was about three seconds. The time it takes to read a script across a table from someone who won’t make eye contact.