How I Recovered After Being Fired — No Apologies, Just Boundaries
- Karen Waleska
- May 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 30
Before I could name the loss, I had to face the silence it left behind.
On January 15, 2025, a last-minute Teams meeting landed on my calendar…No subject line. No warning. Just dread.
At 2:30 p.m., I logged in.
The camera was on.
Two people were on the other end.
An alleged policy.
A final written warning I had already disproven.
A goodbye.
They spoke like it was routine — but for me, it was a rupture.
The silence between their words felt heavier than the decision itself.
They gave me the rest of the day to “process it.”
Then they logged off.
Have you ever known something life-changing was about to happen—before a single word was spoken?
The Discarded Laptop
The part that stung most wasn’t the loss — it was the lack of humanity.
They seemed more concerned about the equipment than the person returning it.
That laptop sat in my garage for weeks. It wasn’t about laziness; it was about grief.
Every time I looked at it, it reminded me of the effort that suddenly didn’t matter.
If it weren’t for a friend who offered to drop it off, it might still be there — gathering dust and silence.
What object in your life still holds the weight of what you weren’t allowed to say?
The E-Mail That Reopened the Wound
Weeks later, I got an email. No message — just an attachment titled:
Termination of Employment 1.15.25.pdf.
It came from someone I once trusted. Let’s call her Velma
I stared at it for a long time.
The timestamp made no sense. The silence felt deliberate. And the pain?
It returned all over again.
I stared at it for a long time.
The timestamp made no sense. The delivery felt deliberate.
And the pain? It came roaring back.
Has a delayed message ever reopened something you were working hard to heal?
The Boundary Email
This time, I didn’t freeze.
I wrote back — simply, clearly, and without apology:
“Receiving this message now has done nothing but relive a moment I’ve worked hard to process. I ask that you not contact me again about this matter.”
No rage. No overexplaining. Just boundaries.
The reply was dismissive, but it didn’t matter. Because in that moment, I realized something powerful:
I could choose clarity over closure.
And I no longer needed validation from the people who erased me.d me.
Healing isn’t about getting an apology — it’s about giving yourself permission to stop explaining.
📥 From Shock to Stillness — A Free Reflection Worksheet
If you’re navigating the silence after being fired, this is for you
Download “From Shock to Stillness” — a one-page guided worksheet designed to help you process what happened, ground your thoughts, and take your first step toward clarity.
Click here to download the free worksheet.
If You’ve Been There Too
If you’ve been fired without warning, support, or explanation—please hear me:
You are not broken.
You are not behind.
You are not weak for being hurt.
You were betrayed—not failed.
You were silenced—and now, you get to speak.
This blog is not just for closure. It’s a mirror. If you’ve been fired without a face, this space was created so your story no longer has to end in silence.
“Some things aren’t glitches. They’re patterns.”
Remember, your story doesn’t end here. Together, we can find new beginnings.
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
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