Initially, I attempted to decline.
My wife had only recently delivered our baby. Our son was not even a week old, and leaving them at such an important time felt completely inappropriate.
However, my manager continued urging me to reconsider, explaining that senior management had already begun asking questions about shipping documents containing my signature.
I should have declined the assignment again.
I should have accepted whatever consequences followed at work if staying home was necessary.
Instead, I convinced myself that fulfilling my responsibilities required me to leave.
I mistook anxiety for duty and placed my confidence in relatives I believed would care for the two people who meant everything to me.
I called my mother.
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