***
Earlier that day, Chris was in his office going over some data for a presentation that was due the following morning. While some might find the task arduous, Chris enjoyed it thoroughly.
"Hey Chris, you got a minute?"
Chris turned to see the General Manager poking his head into his office.
"Yep, what's up?"
"Can you come into my office for a few moments?"
"Sure sure."
It wasn't unusual for the GM to approach him like this, so Chris had no reservations as he followed the middle-aged man into his large office.
"Can you close the door?"
Only after hearing these words did Chris feel that something was odd. The guy often worked with his door open, unless it was official business that required some form of confidentiality.
However, he had no choice but to agree.
"Take a seat."
Chris walked over and sat at the chair in front of the man's desk, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He tried to put on a brave face, but there was a large part of him that was filled with dread.
The middle-aged man also sat down, unbuttoning his suit jacket and letting out a small sigh. His earlier professional facade had been relinquished and he looked tired.
Massaging his glabella, the guy seemed to have aged considerably in those few moments.
"Chris, you've been with the Yokohama Warriors organization for over 15 years." He stated, raising his gaze.
Chris just nodded. Since it was a statement, there was no real need for a response. However, the statement seemed to contain an underlying insinuation, one that left him feeling anxious and exposed.
A few moments of silence spread out between them as the General Manager seemed to be looking for the right words to say.
"Hiro, we've known each other for so long, there's no need to beat around the bush." Chris stated, hardening his heart.
At these words, Hiro let out a deep sigh, his expression turning remorseful.
"Chris, there have been some rumors surrounding you… One's that our sponsors aren't happy with." He stated, sounding rather tired.
"Rumors?"
Hiro nodded, "Exortion, intimidation, kidnapping..."
Chris's face fell at these words, his expression darkening. Instantly he knew who was at fault for spreading such a rumor, however there was something fishy about it.
'How could she have spread the rumor to the sponsors? She doesn't have that ability.' He thought, feeling a pit in his stomach.
Seeing his expression change, Hiro felt that Chris knew something.
"Why don't you tell me what's going on?" He asked.
Chris paused, debating whether or not to air out the dirty laundry. Since it was a family matter, he did not want it to affect his professional life.
Yet it seemed as if he didn't have a choice.
After a brief pause, Chris began to detail how Daichi had entered their family. Sparing no detail, he spoke of the abuse his adopted son faced at his mother's house and how they had swooped in to save him.
The signing away of any parental rights and the cash he'd given Sachiko, followed by the whole adoption process. He didn't even hide that he'd expedited the process through some contacts he had in the government building.
The GM Hiro just sat back and listened, never interrupting throughout the whole explanation. In his position, he wasn't afforded the luxury of displaying his emotions, even when hearing something as deeply disturbing such as this.
When Chris finally finished, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
While he was at home, Chris was the pillar of the family. In order to keep his family from worrying, he needed to shoulder all of the responsibilities, something that he thought he was capable of doing.
Yet only after speaking it out loud to a 3rd party did he realize that the pressure had been crushing him over the past 3 weeks. The stress and anxiety that he needed to endure by himself was like a knife, inching ever closer to his heart.
Now that he was able to unload his worries, he felt a sense of relief.
In reality, Hiro was shocked and appalled at the conduct of the woman Chris spoke about. As a family man himself, he could never imagine treating his children in such a way.
However, he was not standing in front of Chris as a family man in this moment. Although it pained him to do so, it was his job to ensure the future of the organization, especially since it involved hundreds of peoples jobs and livelihoods.
"Chris… Thank you for explaining everything to me." He stated softly.
Chris on the other hand, gazed at his boss and instantly knew that he wasn't going to like what the guy was about to say. His pained expression was a telltale sign of what was about to come.
"We were given an ultimatum for the continued sponsorship of the Yokohama Warriors…"
…
"Either we remove you from our staff, or we will lose our sponsorship."
Chris felt his body turn cold as the news was broken to him by a man he truly respected. Even after hearing the full story, Hiro had made the decision to stand by the company.
He would be lying if he said that it didn't hurt, but he was left with no choice but to accept the reality.
"I'm really sorry Chris… The board have made the final call. You're being let go, effective immediately."
With that, Hiro stood up and buttoned up his suit, waiting for Chris to stand up.
For Chris, the next few minutes felt like he was watching from an outsiders perspective. Everything turned gray as he packed up his things and walked out of the building.
Upon getting into his car, he sat there for a while, staring out the front window blankly.
30 minutes later he arrived home, not having any recollection of the drive back. Yuki had gone shopping for groceries and had not returned, leaving him sitting at the dining table, feeling numb.
"Dad, what's wrong!?"
Chris turned his head and saw the panicked expression on his sons face. He felt a lump form in his throat almost immediately as he tried to fight back his emotions.
"Oh hey Kenny, sorry I am just a little tired from work."