“Go on ahead,” I said to him. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“You sure?”
“It’s fine. Go.”
I looked at Nellie. “Could you do me a favor, please?”
“Of course.”
“Would you start packing up my office for me? Mostly personal things.”
Her eyes rounded. “Are you…?”
“Please just do that for me. Okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She turned and hurried in the other direction.
A meeting. One I hadn’t been invited to.
Bitch.
I took a sip of coffee and let the flavor permeate my tastebuds.
Everyone in that room had most likely seen me having sex by now, which was humiliating in and of itself, but that Vanessa had orchestrated it just burned. I was beyond hurt at this point because hurt happened when you cared about someone. Like Lars. His rejection hurt because it was the end of a relationship that I’d messed up. But Vanessa? The shit she’d done had come from a place of hate, and I wouldn’t cry over someone who obviously hated me.
I walked down the hall and didn’t hesitate to push open the conference room door.
The sight in front of me was so much worse than what I’d envisioned, and the air left my lungs for a moment.
“Well, hello, darling.” Hugh’s smug smile made me want to puke. “So good of you to come congratulate me. I’ve just been made the newest president of Sheri Lee.”
“You fucking bitch.” The words came out before I could stop them as I faced Vanessa. “I want to see you in the hallway. Now.”
She arched a brow. “I don’t take orders from you. In fact, you’re not even supposed to be here. You’re nothing more than a consultant, and this is an executive staff meeting.”
“So you want to do this here?”
“Do what?”
“Why would you do this?” I asked quietly, my eyes never leaving hers. “After all I’ve done for you—”
“What you’ve done for me?!” She got to her feet, slamming her hands down on the table as she leaned forward, a snarl on her face. “Throwing me crumbs every time you made a million dollars? Millions of dollars you don’t even deserve! You’ve never worked hard a day in your life. Everything just fucking comes to you. Modeling jobs, awards, endorsements—and all because you’re fucking fat? It’s disgusting. You’re disgusting.”
Though my stomach was churning with embarrassment, I’d die before I let her see it. “And you think you can run this company like I can?” I almost laughed at her, but I was too pissed.
“I’ve been running it!” she snapped.
“You’ve been doing what I tell you to do. You haven’t had a creative idea of your own since—oh, I don’t know…never.”
“Fuck you.” Vanessa’s face was a mask of fury and I couldn’t believe I’d never seen this side of her before.
“Come on, love, this isn’t the time or the place.” Hugh put a gentle hand on hers and it suddenly clicked.
“Oh. My. God. You’re fucking him?” I threw my head back and laughed derisively. “That’s what this is all about? Talk about disgusting.”
“Get out!” Vanessa shrieked. “Get out of my conference room right fucking now! Security!” She was screeching, and I just watched her, waiting to see if anyone would dare to try and walk me out of here. Technically, she couldn’t fire me for six months, no matter what. Marian had seen to it. So although I had no desire to be here another second, I’d suck it up just to piss her off.
“I will fucking kill you!” Vanessa yelled, coming toward me.
“Babe, stop.” Hugh grabbed her hand. “This is what she wants. If you lay a hand on her, we lose everything. Remember that.”
Vanessa was breathing hard, her face red. “I’ve taken everything from you, you fat bitch. Your husband, more than half of your money, your company, and even that retarded boyfriend of yours—I have everything and you have nothing. How does it feel, Sheridan? Huh? How the fuck does it feel to be the one with nothing?”
I shook my head in disbelief. How had I missed this level of hatred and jealousy? If she’d wanted Hugh, I would have happily let her have him years ago, but the sad thing was that deep down I knew she didn’t really want him—she just wanted to hurt me.
“At least I have my dignity, which is more than I can say for you.”
“Dignity?” Vanessa’s voice got even more shrill. “When that fucking video goes viral, you won’t be able to look anyone in the eye ever again. And that’s next. I’m nowhere near through with you, Sheridan.”
My blood ran cold but there was no help for it now.
“Fuck you, Vanessa. See you in court, Hugh.”
I turned and stalked out of the room.
I took an Uber home because I was carrying the box of personal items Nellie cleared out of my office. I was crying again, dabbing my eyes with a tissue as the driver watched me worriedly in the mirror. Even though I hadn’t let her see it, Vanessa had truly taken everything from me. Releasing that video would be the end for me professionally. People would eventually forget but I’d probably never get another modeling job or be able to show my face in public again without being the fat chick who’d done unspeakable things on camera at sixteen.