Blacklisted

The following day, despite the turmoil, Kevin returned to the company. Aware that Richard would no longer tolerate his presence, he entered Ford Group's headquarters with a hopeful yet uneasy heart. After all, he had contributed significantly to their successful bid for the West City project, or so he comforted himself.

However, as he approached the company doors and tried to swipe his card, there was no response. A sense of dread washed over him, and his heart sank with a bad premonition. More employees arrived, and Kevin, feeling increasingly guilty, sensed their avoidance, almost as if they saw him as venomous.

Left with no choice, he approached the security booth. "Your access card is no longer active," the guard informed him after checking it.

"Inactive? But it worked just yesterday. How could it be deactivated overnight?" Kevin's foreboding grew stronger.

"I don't have the details on that," the guard replied.