I got ~25K stock options from a startup while I was working as a Software Engineer. The company was sold so it was time to cash out the stocks $$$. My team was

I got ~25K stock options from a startup while I was working as a Software Engineer. The company was sold so it was time to cash out the stocks $$$. My team was working on a separate side product than what the original company was doing. After company's exit, we learned that we will continue in a spin-off company instead of joining to the others. We agreed to leave the company, signed the papers etc. In the evening, I visited the stock brokers website in order to calculate how much money that I will get. $$$ I felt like having a cold shower when I saw that all of the stocks that I vested so far is gone. It is crossed with red mark and comment says: `Voluntarily given up.` I had a horrible night, trying to understand how this has happened to me. Next day, I learned that it is just an issue with the broker and I will get my compensation so I relaxed. That was my horror story.