The box stayed unopened in my closet.

It was April of 2024. The email arrived on a Tuesday afternoon. The subject line read: “Position Restructuring — Confidential.”

“Dear Miss Ashford,” it said. “As part of our ongoing organizational optimization, your current position will be eliminated effective July 1, 2024. HR will contact you regarding severance options.”

I read it three times. The letters swam, rearranged themselves, and settled back into the same devastating message. They were firing me.

That evening, I stayed late, organizing files no one would ever look at. Through the thin wall between my tiny cubicle and my father’s corner office, I heard voices.

Harold and Joanna were talking. “Can’t have her here when Josephine takes over,” my father was saying firmly. “It looks bad. The CEO’s sister working as a secretary. People will ask questions.”