Working as a driver for the owner of a mid-sized company was never the dream, but it paid the bills. If I had to be honest, I would tell you that what I had always wanted to do was own my own construction company, but life often works in funny ways.

The silver lining to being a driver was that I got to go to fancy places and I got to work alongside my wife, Alice. We’d met years ago, long before either of us ended up working at the same place. But when Alice got the job as Mr. Taylor’s personal assistant, she dropped him my resume.

“It’s going to be okay, Colin,” she told me one evening when we were making pasta for dinner.

“He needs a personal driver, and you can do that. Neither of us have to stay there forever, but the pay is good enough for the moment. So, until something better comes along for us, we’ll have to make do.”

“I know,” I agreed. “It’s just that this is so far from my dream that I feel as though I’m going to get stuck in this. But it’s okay, I’ll only get stuck if I settle. And I’m not doing that.”

Our boss, Mr. Taylor, was a piece of work. On the surface, he seemed like the typical entrepreneur. You know, the sharp suits, always attached to his phone, and he had a way of talking that made you think he knew something you didn’t.

But the truth was simple: Mr. Taylor was a man who thrived on control, and the tighter his grip on the company and all his employees, the worse things got for us all.

Alice had been dealing with his moods for months. Recently he had been gearing up for a big business meeting that would invite new investors into the company, putting his security empire on the map.

“You’re stressed, Alice,” I said simply when she told me how tight her shoulders felt.

“He’s under a lot of pressure, darling,” she said. “Which means that I’m under a lot of pressure.”

She tried to shrug it off, but I could see the toll it was taking on her. Alice was constantly on edge, always double-checking everything, afraid of making even the smallest mistake.

Then, last week happened.

Over the years, Mr. Taylor had gotten close to Alice, and he trusted her deeply. So, when it came to negotiating a new contract with a few new contractors, he sent Alice in.

“I’ve groomed you, Alice,” his voice boomed. “It’s straightforward, and everything is in the presentation and the booklets that we’ve made for them. All you’ve got to do is present and see if they have any questions. Then flash them a smile and make them sign. Easy.”

Alice beamed. I knew that she loved the extra responsibility and wanted to prove her worth to him. She was tired of being a personal assistant and wanted more.

But when she came home that night, her face was pale.

“The meeting didn’t go well,” she admitted quietly. “They backed out. All of them.”

“What? Why?” I asked, feeling the pit in my stomach start to churn. I knew that there was going to be a fallout. Mr. Taylor was bound to let everyone know how disappointed he was in Alice.

Putting the kettle on, I sat Alice down, encouraging her to tell me everything.

“He insisted on quite a few ridiculous terms,” she explained. “I tried to tell him that they wouldn’t go for it, but he wouldn’t listen. I mean, Colin, there were clauses for up to fifteen million dollars. As in, if anyone backed out, they had to pay him that amount of money, and it would have been viable once the contract was signed.”

“And let me guess, he’s blaming you?”

She nodded her head sadly.

I took my wife’s hand and squeezed tightly.

“It’s not your fault, love. Mr. Taylor tries to be a calculated man, but he always takes shortcuts. He should have known better.”

But the next day, as I walked up to the office to tell Mr. Taylor that I would be taking the car for a service, things escalated to a whole new level.

Mr. Taylor called a meeting, dragging everyone from their desks into the open office area. I stood at the back, unsure of whether to stay or just leave with the car. But then I saw my wife, her eyes sunken and her shoulders slouched.

“Everyone!” Mr. Taylor barked. Immediately, the chatter died down.

“I want you all to look at Alice. Take a good, long look at her.”

Alice shifted uncomfortably, her face turning red.

“This is what a failure looks like! No wonder our new potential partners backed out. She looks all hunched over and scary. Like a scarecrow! Alice is a prime example of what not to look like. Alice is the perfect example of a mistake hire!”

A few nervous chuckles rippled through the crowd, but most people just looked away. I could feel the blood boiling under my skin. I’d never seen him go this far.

Before I could stop myself, I was moving forward, pushing my way through the crowd.

“Hey, that’s enough!” I shouted.

Mr. Taylor turned, his eyes narrowing.

“Oh, and here comes the knight in shining armor,” he sneered. “Come to defend your damsel in distress?”

I squared my shoulders, meeting his gaze.

“You’re the failure here. You don’t get to talk to Alice like that. It wasn’t her fault that the deal fell through. You were the one who insisted on those terms!”

“Excuse me?” he barked. “Do you think you know how to run a business better than I do? You’re just a driver.”

“Yes, and you’re just a bully,” I shot back.

The office was deathly quiet, everyone’s eyes darting between the two of us.

“You’re fired!” he spat, his face twisted in anger. “Both of you. Get out!”

Alice let out a small gasp, but I took her hand.

“Come, let’s go,” I said.

We left the office, the door closing behind us with a heavy thud.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I really didn’t want you to lose your job.”

“It’s not your fault,” I reassured her. “We’ll figure something out. We always do.”

But as we drove home, the weight of what had happened started to sink in. And I knew that I couldn’t just let this go. Not this time.

Later that evening, Alice was busy in the kitchen. She was making dumplings from scratch, something that she only did when she wanted to keep her mind and hands busy.

“Colin, I tried so hard. And now… Now we’re both out of a job because of me.”

I moved closer to her, wrapping my arms around her.

“It’s not over yet,” I said. “I know where he’s going to be tonight. He as one more meeting with those partners. It was on my schedule this morning.”

“So you’re going to crash his meeting?” she asked, wiping her eyes.

“Trust me, this will be good,” I said, grabbing my keys.

I drove to the hotel where Mr. Taylor’s meeting was, and as I pulled up to the front, I spotted his luxury car parked in the lot. I started to get overwhelmed and wanted to turn away, but I couldn’t leave without doing anything.

Walking inside, I made my way to the restaurant area where he always had his meetings.

And then I saw him. Mr. Taylor, sitting at a secluded table in the back. But he wasn’t with a business partner. No, he was with a woman.

They were sitting too close together, his hand on her knee, with glasses of wine on the table in front of them. Before doing anything else, I fumbled for my phone, snapping a few quick photos before slipping back out into the lobby.

Then I drove to Mr. Taylor’s house; Mrs. Taylor was going to see this.

“Colin! How lovely to see you!” she said when she opened the door.

“Hi, Mrs. Taylor,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I need to show you something.”

Her brow furrowed, but she nodded.

I took out my phone and handed it to her.

“Is that… is that my husband?” she said in disbelief.

“I’m sorry, I thought you should know.”

Quickly, I told her what had happened at the office and how Alice and I had lost our jobs.

“Don’t worry. Send these to me. I’ll round up the investors and put an end to this entire thing. I’d like to see what he does without any money. And anyway, this was my father’s company; there’s a clause in my marriage contract stating that if infidelity is proven, the company will fall to me solely.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Give me a week, Colin,” she said. “You and Alice will be reinstated in your roles. You will both work for me. Enjoy the week off, and I’ll see you on the other side. There’ll be compensation for the duress my husband put you under. And when you rejoin the company, a raise.”

I went home buzzing with the news. I couldn’t wait to tell Alice that we were rid of the man who had treated us like garbage. And now, there were a whole new set of possibilities that lay ahead.

Who knows, I may even be able to leave my driving job and follow my passion again.