I recently witnessed a colleague get laid off in a shocking manner, and it prompted me to make a drastic decision myself. My former colleague, who consistently exceeded his sales goals—delivering double what was expected—was called into a one-on-one meeting with his boss and HR present. Despite having planned a significant international trip for his milestone birthday, he was informed in a mere 25 seconds that the company was going in a different direction. To make matters worse, he was immediately walked out of the building, losing not only his job but also his vacation payout due to the timing of the layoff. This left his team, who had been performing exceptionally well, in disbelief. Feeling the weight of this situation and recognizing the lack of loyalty in the corporate world, I decided to follow suit. I was in the middle of a product rollout but chose to leave without warning, just like my colleague. It was a moment of clarity for me—if they could treat someone so dedicated this way, I needed to prioritize my own interests as well.