Friday

I spent this morning trying to get my printer to work so I could print out my portfolio. I finally called David (my now former boss) at 11:30am to discuss moving forward. He didn't answer the call.

He called back an hour or so later and we arranged to meet at 2pm. He was ten minutes late and we met at the French cafe across the road from the office. I took the moral high road, said I understood what they needed to do and said I was open to an ongoing freelance arrangement. I then handed over my keys and company credit card. He said he would gather up my belongings and have a paycheck for me.

It was strange. Obviously I'm not welcome in the office. Funnily enough I didn't hear from a colleague I had confided in. I had tried to save her job and in the process, lost my own. I have the strangest feeling I have been set up. On top of it all, I have built their portfolio, they get to keep the work and now I'm out. As my mother put it, they've bled me dry and kicked me out. It doesn't feel good.

I came back and called C. When I told him about the keys and meeting outside the office his comment was that I wouldn't be going back there. I feel quite violated by the whole experience. Taken advantage of, used and abused. I feel like a fool to have confided in someone who has now obviously distanced themselves and has shown me clearly what a stupid thing it was. It reinforces the fact that there are no friends in the workplace. How naive of me to think we were friends.

So now I'm floundering. I have no idea where to go or what to do.