Chapter 3 - The Unexpected Summons
Two days later, just as Michael was putting on his only clean interview jacket, his phone rang. The caller ID displayed an unfamiliar corporate number originating from the downtown headquarters of Morrison Supply Chain Management—not the local distribution warehouse.
He hesitated before answering. "Hello, this is Michael Harrison."
"Mr. Harrison?" a crisp, professional voice asked. "My name is Sarah Jenkins, executive secretary to the corporate oversight board. We received a direct priority directive from the office of the Chief Executive Officer. You are requested to report to the executive boardroom at Morrison headquarters on 5th Avenue tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM sharp."
Michael frowned, his heart skipping a beat. "Headquarters? I was terminated from the regional facility by Derek Collins two days ago. Is this about my final severance?"
"It is not about severance, Mr. Harrison. Please be prompt," the voice replied firmly before the line clicked dead.
The following morning, Michael dressed in his best suit—slightly worn at the cuffs—and drove downtown, his mind racing with a thousand anxious possibilities. Was he being blacklisted? Was Morrison suing him for something?
He checked in at the gleaming marble reception desk of the corporate tower. The receptionist didn't blink an eye; she immediately escorted him past security and up the private elevator to the executive suite on the top floor. The doors slid open to reveal a sprawling, sunlit boardroom overlooking the city skyline, accented with polished mahogany and glass.
At the far end of the long conference table sat two individuals: an elderly corporate legal counsel and a woman seated in a high-backed executive chair facing the windows, her back turned to him.
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"Mr. Harrison, please step inside and take a seat," the legal counsel said, gesturing to a single chair placed directly across from the desk.
Michael swallowed hard, walked into the room, and sat down.
