The Confidential Settlement

“The terms of this agreement are confidential.”

Which means: the amount they paid is secret. The reasons are secret. The accusations are secret. The admissions are secret. The existence of the agreement is, technically, secret.

What’s not secret: that you left. That you left suddenly. That your position was eliminated. That someone new is doing your job with a different title.

The settlement seals the story but not the evidence. People can see the wound. They just can’t hear what caused it.

Confidentiality doesn’t protect both parties equally. It protects the one with reputation to manage and resources to enforce. The other party gets a check and a muzzle.