Might as well. Rick needs the money

Rick glanced at the form Pricilla had handed him. She flashed him a smile with her bright white teeth and leaned forward just a little more. Common distraction techniques that told him something was not quite right here.

Sure enough, the 'standard' release form was full of commitments. In exchange for his severance, he agreed never to talk to anyone about anything he'd ever done at Bio-DNA, he disclaimed any credit for his own marketing campaign, and he agreed to pay the company's legal bills in the event that they sued whatever company hired him for violation of his non-compete agreement.

"You know I can't sign this." He shoved the form back at her.

"Rick, you don't want to take the company on." She took his hand, then dropped it as if he was on fire which, maybe, he was. "Since Trump stacked the courts, no worker gets much of a hearing. The company will eat you alive if you try to sue them and, frankly, what lawyer would even take your case. Not that you have a case. Texas is a right to work state which means they can fire you for any reason whatsoever. Take the money. At least it's something."

He wondered if she was just doing her job and protecting the company or if she was offering good advice. Either way he didn't have much chance. He'd never been the kind of guy to save money and his savings were pathetic. He needed that severance. The thing that really stuck in his craw was having to pretend that the marketing campaign he'd spent three years of his life on had come from Pete's mind. Seriously, Pete could sell but his creativity had been surgically removed.

"I appreciate the advice," he lied. "I guess I have to sign this."

She sighed and reached for a business card. "You can contact me if you need anything. The URL for your resume assistance and details of your COBRA are in the package."

A security guard, one of the big ones with shaved heads and steroid zits, had been hanging outside Pricilla's cubicle. Now he walked in, a cardboard box in his hands. "Security cleared out your office, Mr. Peters. I'll take your keys and access card."

Before he could think, Rick stood outside Bio-DNA's lab with a cardboard box in his hands and the promise of a few weeks pay all he had to show for three years of hard work for the company.