Hesitation

**A few months later**

“What do you mean? You’re really quitting?” I asked as shock took over me.

“Keep your voice down…” Richard warned as he looked around to see if anyone had overheard us.

That was when I realized that I had raised my voice without meaning to. I was just too shocked when he suddenly told me that he was quitting his job at the end of the month. That meant that there was a little more than a week until his last day at the company. I never imagined that Richard of all people would be the one to leave the company first out of everyone else at the CEO’s office. He was so serious about his job and is also well known for his loyalty to the company.

“Did something…bad happen to you after the merger or something?” I asked while stating my best guess.

“Not at all. Everything is fine. It’s just the choice that I made, and it has nothing to do with the company. There’s nothing wrong with the company,” he replied firmly.

“I see…” I murmured.

I didn’t dare ask why he was qu