First of all, I don't tolerate what I did and I encourage everyone to follow their company rules. I was working on a crypto CPA firm that has a high paying salary and I ended up getting caught contacting my client using my personal email. This happened because of one thing, I pity him. In one email, he said that he couldn't afford our services anymore during the middle of the engagement which made me wonder what if I reach out to him using my own email so he could file his taxes? The guy is 80+ years old and dyslexic and I do feel the need to help him.
So I reached out to him using my personal email and he was happy at first but when I brought up the payment, he wasn't really happy. I'm guessing that he want to do it for free or for a really low amount. I spent a week fixing his account and once I was done, I submitted his reports and everything via his email using my work email and in that email my manager and the owner is also tagged. May 1, 2026 close to midnight, I received a call from a US number and it feels heavy and doesn't feel good. I answered it, I heard the voice of the owner, she is frustrated and this statement up until this point is still in my head - "I'm gonna have to terminate your contract". My world shattered, while I was talking to her I don't know what to answer, head is blank, sad and super disappointed at myself.
After this happened, I am super depressed as there are bills coming our way and almost a week since I got fired, trying to apply everyday and no one is responding back to me which I totally understand because US tax season just ended and at the same time I'm having a feeling of being left behind and I might not be able to get another job and no one might hire me again. I can't get it out of my head and I'm super frustrated at myself, I destroyed my life, included my wife in this mess and she is almost three months pregnant. Currently, I do have a house and car that I'm still paying and I will lose both of them in about a couple of months from now.
I would appreciate anyone with their kind words and please be easy on me. I take accountability on what I did and learned a hard lesson to respect the rules. It's really hard for me to share this but I can't take it anymore and I feel the need to share it with other people as I feel I'm going to explode in any moment. While writing this, I do feel a little relief and if anyone has any advice for me, I would appreciate it!