I have been a senior developer at this mid-sized logistics company for nearly four years. I built their entire internal tracking system from the ground up using Python and some custom scripts. It is not perfect, but it works, and I was the only one who truly understood the architecture. Last month, HR called me in and told me that due to "strategic restructuring and budget constraints," my position was being eliminated effective immediately. They gave me a mediocre severance package and escorted me out the door. It stung because I had put in a lot of unpaid overtime to keep that system running.
Fast forward to yesterday. I get a frantic call from my former manager. Apparently, the system hit a major snag after a server update, and the two junior devs they kept on can't figure out why the database is throwing errors. My manager sounded desperate and told me that "the whole operation is at a standstill" and that I needed to hop on a quick Zoom call to walk them through a fix. He framed it as a "quick favor for the team" since I know the code better than anyone. I told him that since I am no longer an employee, my professional relationship with the company ended the moment security walked me out.
He then tried to guilt trip me by saying that the junior guys are stressed and that I am "sabotaging their hard work" by leaving them with what he called "messy, undocumented spaghetti code." I laughed and pointed out that I had requested two weeks of dedicated documentation time three months ago, which he denied because "new features were the priority." I told him if they wanted my expertise, my consulting rate is $250 an hour with a four-hour minimum, paid upfront. He got angry, called me "unprofessional" and "petty," and hung up. Now, a couple of my old colleagues are texting me saying I am being a jerk and that I am hurting people who had nothing to do with me getting fired.
I feel for the junior devs, I really do, but I am not a charity. I was told I was a budget burden, so I am acting like one. I left the documentation I was allowed to write in the company repository. If they can't figure it out, that is a management failure, not my personal responsibility. Am I the asshole for letting their system burn?
AITA?