My father fired me because his biological son wanted my job — Karma didn’t let it go

You know how sometimes things come full circle? Well, that’s been the story of my life.

I have been working at my father’s construction company since I was 15. At first, it was simple tasks like filing and cleaning his office, and then I was given more responsibilities as I went through school. And this was not because I wanted to, but because I had to.

My father, or technically my stepfather, didn’t let anyone pass for free. He had one rule and he followed it to the letter. If I wanted to live in his house, I had to earn my keep.

“It is what it is, Sheldon. Take it or leave it,” he told me.

Obviously, I had no choice but to accept it. Where else would I go?

He married my mother when I was 10, and from then on he always said that I was his “responsibility.”

I never felt that way, because when I turned 16, I had to pay rent, which meant I had to work at his company after school and work at the local ice cream shop on the weekends.

But it was okay, I didn’t complain once. I thought it was all part of his version of tough love.

Over time, I moved up the ranks of the company. When I finished high school, my stepfather gave me no choice but to join the company full-time.

“I’m sorry, Sheldon,” he said to me one night over dinner. “But there’s no room for you to go to college or whatever. Now that you have the time and the ability, you need to join the company properly.”

“Sounds good to me,” I said, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.

To me, it seemed like my stepfather wanted me there, and that was a big deal.

So I started doing the dirty work. I cleaned construction sites, carried materials until I could get my muscles defined, and did whatever else was needed. I worked hard, wanting to be proud of the company – it was a family legacy, after all.

By my mid-twenties, I was already a foreman. I thought I had proven my worth, not only as an employee, but also as a son.

Then everything changed. David returned. His biological son.

David hadn’t been around for years. After my father’s divorce, he sided with his mother and blamed his father for everything.

“He said horrible things to Dad,” my mother once told me, when I asked her why we didn’t see David.

“So that’s it? It’s like I don’t see my biological father?” I asked.

“Sort of, honey,” she said. “But your father was a cruel man, cruel to the core.”

While David was gone, I took on the role of son. I did everything, I tried hard, but when David decided to reappear, all that seemed to fade away.

“I don’t understand,” I said to my mother one night. “David hasn’t spoken to Dad in over a decade. And now he’s back, acting like nothing ever happened between them?”

My mother sighed and cut me a piece of banana bread.

“Your father missed him, sweetheart,” she replied quietly. “He’s just trying to fix things.”

I sighed. I could understand that, but it still didn’t sit right with me.

A few days later, I was called into my father’s office. He didn’t even look up from his desk. He just cleared his throat.

“We have to say goodbye to you, Sheldon,” he said.

“What?” I blinked, trying to take it in. “Are you going to fire me? Really, Dad?”

He finally looked up, but refused to make eye contact with me.

“David is coming in and, well, we don’t have room for both of them in management. He has a degree, you know? In Construction Management.”

“So what?” I asked, trying hard to remain calm. “I’ve been here for over a decade. I’ve earned it.”

“It’s time for me to help David get back on his feet,” she murmured. “He’s my son, after all. And I’ve wasted so many years on him.”

I sat there for a second, stunned.

“I thought I was your son too.”

“You are, but not by blood,” he said.

And just like that, it was over. No severance pay, no handshake, not even a thank you for my years of hard work. I felt anger rising, but I kept my cool.

“Okay,” I said, standing up. “Very well. Good luck.”

I left not knowing what would happen next.

“Move in with me,” my girlfriend, Bea, told me when I told her what had happened. “You don’t need to see him every day after this. Take some time.”

I listened to him, and within a few hours, he was out of our house and in his apartment.

Within a week, I landed a new job at a rival construction company. I had made some solid connections over the years, and they didn’t hesitate to hire me.

“It’s for a project manager position, Sheldon,” the owner told me. “I know it’s not what you’re used to, but I’ve followed the projects you’ve overseen. I know you can handle this.”

I accepted without hesitation. This new role meant more pay, and best of all? More respect.

“You’re going to love it here,” my new boss told me as he showed me my new office. “We take care of our people, Sheldon. None of that messing around I’ve heard your dad does. And don’t worry, we cover dental, medical, and everything else.”

I smiled. I could already tell that this was going to be a totally different experience than what I was used to.

It didn’t take long for me to settle into my new job, and I loved every second of it. I had projects ranging from building movie theaters to shopping malls and even theme parks. It was only going to get better from there.

“I miss you at home, honey,” my mother told me when we met at a coffee shop for breakfast one weekend.

“I know, Mom,” I said. “I miss you, too. But you understand why I had to move, right?”

“Of course I understand, Sheldon,” she said sweetly. “And it was time for you to leave the nest, too. But to be honest, there seems to be something big going on with Dad’s company. He’s been really stressed out. He and David aren’t talking anymore. They’re just polite to each other.”

“Trouble in paradise?” I asked sarcastically.

“I think so,” my mother said, buttering a slice of toast.

It wasn’t long before whispers began to fill our area; talk of my father’s company going bankrupt seemed to be the biggest news. Apparently things hadn’t been going well since David had taken over.

My stepbrother had been losing clients, mismanaging projects, and making mistake after mistake. Some of the same clients I had built relationships with left my father’s company and signed with me instead.

Then one day, I was sitting in my office, looking through a stack of resumes when I came across David’s.

“No way,” I muttered, staring at the paper. It was surreal. The same David who had replaced me at my father’s company was applying for a job at the new one.

I couldn’t resist. I called him for an interview.

When David came in, he looked exhausted, as if life had beaten him down. At first he didn’t even recognize me, but when he did, the color drained from his face.

“Sit down,” I said.

He sat down, clearly uncomfortable. The confidence he had before was gone.

“I started looking through his resume. ‘Why are you looking for a job here?'”

He swallowed.

“I need something new. Things didn’t work out at my father’s company.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“I just… made some mistakes. I lost some clients.”

“I see,” I replied, leaning back in my chair. “You do realize this is the same industry, right? We’re not going to make this easy for you.”

David nodded.

“I’m willing to work,” he said.

“We’ll let you know,” I said.

When he left, I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of satisfaction and pity. Karma had done its work. Still, it felt good to know that I had landed on my feet while David hadn’t.

A few weeks later, my phone rang. It was my father.

“Sheldon, come back,” he said simply. “The company is failing. David left after screwing up again. We’re in trouble. I need you back. Help me out, maybe you can take over.”

I let the silence hang in the air for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” I said quietly. “But I’ve moved on. I’m happy where I am.”

He sighed heavily.

“I understand, son. I’m… I’m proud of you, you know?”

“Thank you. I wish you the best,” I said.

“Will you be coming to dinner soon?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes, maybe,” I said.

When I hung up, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The years of trying to prove my worth were over.

Read also: Some little kids gave me a note after their dad dropped them off at a coffee shop — I said “Oh my God” out loud when I read it

What would you have done?

If you liked this story, here’s another one for you.

I made my boss regret humiliating my wife in front of the entire office

When Colin and his wife, Alice, end up working at the same company for tyrannical businessman Mr. Taylor, they think they’ve gotten a good deal while pursuing their passions. But after a mistake at work, Alice is ridiculed in front of everyone, prompting retaliation from Colin. When the couple lose their jobs, Colin is left fighting for revenge…

Working as a driver for the owner of a mid-sized company was never a dream, but it paid the bills. If I had to be honest, I’d tell you that all I’d ever wanted to do was own my own construction company, but life often plays funny tricks on me.

The upside of being a driver was that I got to go to fancy places and work alongside my wife, Alice. We had known each other for years, 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 left him my resume.

“Everything’s going to be okay, Colin,” she told me one night as we were making pasta for dinner.

“He needs a personal driver, and you can do that. Neither of us has to stay there forever, but the pay is good enough for now. 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 like I’m going to get stuck in this. But that’s okay, I’ll just get stuck if I settle. And I’m not going to.”

Our boss, Mr. Taylor, was quite a case. At first glance, he seemed like your typical businessman. You know, the kind who wears smart suits, is always glued to his phone, and has 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 of its employees became, the worse things became for all of us.

Read the full story here.

This work is inspired by real people and events, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or the depiction of characters, and are not responsible for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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