Her name is Kim. I hadn't put their last name in my phone for some reason, and had added someone else's number to my contact list with their first name only; the same first name. So when I searched “Kim” I dialed the first entry without thinking twice.
I got the voice-mail and thought “oh this is embarrassing,” and proceeded to dial the proper Kim this time.
Then I got a call back about 5 minutes ago.
And it was lovely.
It was a brief chat, we laughed about my mistake, exchanged quick summaries of how we've both done throughout the last two COVID years, and wished eachother well going forward.
I left the small company for 30% better pay, and a job that suited my skills and background better. They understood, took it in stride, and asked that I keep detailed notes as I transition out of that job. In return, they were supportive and gave me a good word for moving forward, and I've had to use them as character references multiple times since so that's really helped.
In short the one thing I've learned is the companies worth working at are also the ones that won't make a big deal when you leave. I hope everyone here eventually gets as lucky as I have, and gets to experience what having an awesome boss like Kim is like.
Good employers exist, and they're out there. Don't take shit from the bad ones.