- You don't sell options, you exercise them. From that you get cash or shares. Then you might sell the shares.
- These weren't options. It was stock.
- You have tax liability when the shares vest, not when you sell them. (You might have additional tax liability if the shares left go up -- that would be capital gains and not employment income.)
Feel free to be mad. Just don't be DUMB and mad at the same time.