I was so upset I could hardly utter a coherent sentence. Worst of all, Edmund started referring to me as "Lazy Lester." OK, my first name is Lester, but I resented his adding insult to injury, especially when the whole thing was so unfair. One week later, when the project went online, my team members were given bonuses. I was let go.

Two months after that, the system developed hiccups -- and my ex-team members couldn't iron out the bugs. The CEO called to apologize for the way Edmund had treated me, and she asked me to sign on as a consultant. I told her that I had a new job, a new company car, and a new boss who appreciated my efforts. One who happened to be the CEO of LaceLand's major competitor.