resignation
Resignation is the ceremonial settlement of debts called stress and expectation accumulated over years in an instant. Announced with a smile, it might open the door of the corporate prison or transfer you to the next cell. Believing they are free, the resigners deliver one final performance at the farewell party, seasoning office politics with subtle remarks. From the next day on, there are no guarantees or responsibilities, only a vague hope for the future and the risk of regret. True liberation, it turns out, is merely the beginning of new shackles.