"Mr. Jones, I'm sorry to inform you that you've been let go."
In a small conference room with a long, arc-shaped wooden table, Ethan Jones sat Across from him were a man and a woman in business suits.
Though the blonde woman who spoke wore an apologetic expression, her green eyes were devoid of emotion.
Ethan Jones nodded, accepting the reality. "Okay, I understand. So, what about compensation?" he asked.
"Compensation?" The blonde woman raised a eyebrow. She turned to her colleague beside her, who immediately let out a laugh. He tapped his index finger on the table — dong, dong, dong — then raised his voice.
"Mr. Jones, I think you misunderstand the situation." He waved the document in his hand. "We're firing you because your actions have caused significant economic loss to the company.
On the eve of our Odyssey product launch, you sent an invitation letter to Nolan Bushnell. That led directly to the other party plagiarizing our work — and we lost the market share that should've been ours.
Given the circumstances, the company is already being generous by not pursuing legal action. And you're asking for compensation?"
He leaned forward. "Do you think this is Washington? That you're here to recite 'I have a dream'?"
The sarcasm made Ethan Jones smile. "Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands to gesture for calm.
As he moved, the cuffs of his crisp white shirt peeked out from under his suit.
"Sir, I respect your right to speak. But before you do, let's make one thing clear." Ethan smiled.
"You and I are both employees of this company. The only real difference is that I work in marketing, and you work in human resources. So please, don't treat this place like it's your personal home, alright?"
He locked eyes with the man, The man's expression darkened in response to the pointed remark.
Before he could speak, Ethan turned his attention back to the woman.
"Since the company asked you to fire me, let's be clear." He took a breath. "Yes, California is an 'at-will' state, meaning an employer can terminate an employee at any time, for any reason — or none at all. But that doesn't mean you can fire me without consequences.
I admit I sent Nolan Bushnell an invitation to our product launch — yes, on the eve of the Odyssey release. But that wasn't my personal decision. It was a directive from the marketing department." Ethan's tone was calm, composed. "At the time, our department's core objective was simple — to promote the company's new product to the public.
The so-called plagiarism was an accident — an unfortunate one that no one could've foreseen or intended. But you can't use that as an excuse to deny me the compensation I'm entitled to."
There was even a faint smile on Ethan's lips as he spoke, but that gentle look only made the woman across from him purse her lips in frustration.
At that moment, she realized just how troublesome this man really was.
As HR personnel, their first task that morning had been simple — fire Ethan Jones. It had seemed like a routine assignment. After all, rumors of Ethan's misconduct had been floating around the company for a while. The only reason he hadn't been dealt with earlier was because the previous boss had been too lenient.
They'd assumed it would be easy. But when it came time to confront him, this man was as stubborn and unyielding as a redneck.
Scratch that — he was exactly like those WASPs on the East Coast.
Polished on the outside, but sharp underneath. She glanced at her colleague, whose expression now darkened with irritation. Realizing any further back-and-forth was pointless, the blonde woman straightened up and said coldly:
"Mr. Jones, I understand how you feel right now. I even understand the motivation behind your words. It's human instinct to protect oneself when facing consequences. But that doesn't give you the right to cause a scene.
Do you really believe that just because you didn't act alone, you hold no responsibility? That's not how it works. If the company chose to hold you accountable, there's no escaping it—"
"Then sue me." Ethan.
"What?" The woman blinked, momentarily thrown off.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, the picture of relaxed defiance.
"I said," he drew out the words, "go ahead and take me to court. If you truly believe I caused such massive losses, then file a lawsuit. Be my guest.
In fact, I welcome it. I'd love to stand in front of a judge and explain how this was an illegal termination.
Do you really think I don't know why I'm being fired? It's not about what happened with Bushnell. It's because the company has a new boss."
He paused, letting the silence linger for just a moment before continuing.
"Management wants to clean house — cut old employees, show sudden gains in the books, and inflate the company's value. That's not uncommon. A lot of companies do it. But most don't stoop to avoiding severance pay while doing it — because that's illegal.
Under California's labor laws, you're required to give employees notice before termination, and compensation based on tenure. If you're trying to dodge even that, I'll have no choice but to take this to the union."
He smiled again — wider this time, more deliberate. "I have a feeling the workers' union I belong to will love hearing my story."
He shifted forward slightly, voice lowering just enough to hint at the coming punchline.
"Especially when I mention that our new boss is... Philips. From the Netherlands, right?"
Ethan paused. "At a time when Europe's automotive industries — like Philips' — are threatening American jobs, do you really think it's wise to let a foreign parent company fire a local employee without compensation?"
He let the question hang in the air before pressing on. "When I tell the media that I was laid off without severance, what do you think they'll see? A smart business decision? Or a foreign corporation ignoring American labor laws? because right now, you are clearly breaking the law.
And if you keep denying it, what should I think? That this is corporate exploitation? A foreign company oppressing workers like me?"
He leaned back again. "If that's the case, I'll be forced to request support from American Legal Services. They were set up just last year to deal with exactly this kind of thing.
Or maybe I should write to the Affirmative Action Office in San Francisco — let them know I've experienced what feels an awful lot like discrimination. What do you think they'll say?"
At this point, Ethan straightened in his seat, adjusted the collar of his suit with deliberate care, and continued:
"Although I may be a white man by birth, I respect people of all colors — and their right to be heard."
His voice was calm, but there was a quiet intensity behind it.
"Because I believe, as this country once declared — all men are created equal."
The continuous speech made the faces of the man and woman twitch.
And when he calmly declared, "All men are created equal," the man — the same one who had earlier mocked Dr. King — frowned deeply.
Ethan hadn't shouted. He hadn't raged. But the calmness in his tone made his words even more unsettling.
They stared at him for a long moment… and finally chose to give in.
"Okay, okay, Mr. Jones — please, calm down," the blonde woman said, forcing a strained smile as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "We were just… joking."
Then she did the math. "You've been with the company for three years. According to our compensation policy, you'll receive four months' salary. At eighty dollars per week, that comes out to $1,280."
"I want the highest standard — 2N + 1," Ethan interrupted without hesitation.
The blonde woman drew in a sharp breath and went quiet for two seconds. Seeing the unshakable resolve in Ethan's eyes, she finally nodded.
"Fine. 2N + 1. That's seven months' salary — $2,240."
"Plus this week's salary," Ethan reminded her with a calm smile.
"I won't shortchange you," the man said with a gloomy expression. He scrawled a note on company stationery and shoved it toward Ethan.
"Take this to finance. They'll cut the check."
"Thank you," Ethan replied politely, accepting the note without acknowledging the man's attitude.
As he reached the door, he turned back briefly and added with the same calm, sharp tone:
"Sir, just one more thing I'd like to clarify — this isn't your home, and that wasn't your money I took. So, please… be happy."
"Oh, shit'' the only response he got was the sound of the door closing behind Ethan.
inside, the man fumed. He slapped the stack of documents on the table hard.
"Goddamn it! Doesn't he know our performance appraisals depend on how much severance we save the company?!"
His sharp voice echoed through the glass walls. Ethan heard it as he walked down the hall, but didn't turn around. He simply smiled and nodded at a few familiar colleagues on his way to the finance department.
Dismissal letter in hand, stride confident, he was headed to collect what he was rightfully owed.
The man's sharp voice still faintly reached Ethan Jones's ears, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he smiled, nodded politely to a few former colleagues outside the conference room, and walked briskly toward the company's finance department.
With the dismissal note issued by Human Resources in hand, he received his compensation without incident.
As soon as he stepped outside, he was greeted by the warm April sunlight of California. The sun light bathed the sidewalk, making Ethan squint slightly against the brightness.
He paused at the entrance, then turned to glance back. The company's main door, which faced away from the east, cast a long shadow across the pavement. In that dim contrast, the signage above the entrance — "Magnavox" — stood out starkly against the building's façade.
===========
Notes:
Odyssey – The world's first commercial home video game console, released by Magnavox in 1972. Nolan Bushnell – Founder of Atari and a pioneer of the arcade gaming era.
At-will employment – A U.S. employment principle allowing termination by either party at any time, unless otherwise contractually specified.
America Legal Services Company – A national legal aid organization established by the U.S. Senate to support workers' rights.
Magnavox – Once a leading American electronics brand, well-regarded alongside names like Polaroid in the 1960s. Known for innovation beyond gaming.