Can do unspoken workplace unspoken rules

Our company got a new General Manager, parachuted in from corporate headquarters. Rumor had it he was a close confidante of some bigwig up there. Eager to make a splash, he fired me – the company's top sales rep – on his first day, then transferred all my clients to himself. He also drastically cut the commission rate for everyone, then ran off to HQ to take all the credit. At the annual meeting, he boasted, "See how amazing I am? Just a few months in, and I've already boosted the company's profits by millions!" While he was patting himself on the back, he had no idea the company was about to implode, all thanks to him.

1.

I was the team lead – basically a sales director – at an internet marketing company owned by a major corporation. Our business was all about connecting with clients, helping them package, promote, and sell their products online. I was nearing 30, and I handled 60% of the company's clientele. I’d also taught myself coding, web design, e-commerce – the whole nine yards. So, my performance was stellar; I was consistently the top performer.

Then, our previous GM left for another opportunity. My colleagues started joking, "Hey, Sarah, when's the celebratory dinner? You’re practically the next GM, right?"

I played it cool, "Nothing's set in stone yet."

"Come on, it's a done deal!"

I just smiled, but secretly, I was excited. Why else had I worked so hard, turned down so many other job offers? It was all about moving up the ladder.

The next day, we got the news: Corporate was sending down a new GM, a guy named Chad. Supposedly some hotshot "professional manager." A lot of my colleagues were outraged on my behalf. I felt a pang of disappointment, but quickly pulled myself together. "My commission checks are pretty sweet," I told myself, "It's all good."

But on Chad’s first day, he called me into his office and told me I was fired.

2.

"Why?" I asked, completely stunned.

"Well, you're thirty, right? Not exactly a spring chicken anymore. Women over thirty, their abilities, their energy… it all goes downhill, you know? Plus, you're not married, no kids. I bet you're getting all that pressure to settle down, start a family. As GM, I have to manage risk. Of course," he added with a shrug, "that's not the main issue. The main issue is, I looked at your client list. Mostly long-term clients, over a year each. Stable relationships like that… they'll be fine without you. So, sorry, the company doesn't keep dead weight."

Chad, with his slicked-back hair and slightly paunchy physique, gave me this faux-sympathetic shrug. I just found him utterly ridiculous.

"I manage sixty percent of this company's clients! What more do you want? And yes, I haven't personally brought in new clients recently, but that’s because I delegated those leads to my team. Did you even look at their numbers?" I argued, getting angry.

He just smirked, this know-it-all look on his face. "Like you said, I can hire a newbie to manage those new clients. And for your sa...