He’s so determined. So sure. It would be so easy to get caught up in it. Way easier than letting my conscience and my doubts nag at me. But do I want easy, or do I want to be smart?
“I’d better finish getting ready,” I mumble.
“Okay.” He kisses me, then looks deep into my eyes and kisses my nose. “Miss you kissing me back. Last night though, that was nice. Very nice.” He drops another kiss on my forehead and then rubs my stomach sweetly before sliding by me, leaving me standing there swaying. Swaying toward him and his magnetic pull.
***
“Call me after you meet with her,” Killian says as he sees us out the door.
Susanna waves at him and we head to the elevator.
“God, girl… if you can’t forgive, can I have him?”
“If you’re gonna be with Killian, what about the hot veterinarian?” I ask.
Last night she regaled tales of her first date with him and sounded smitten.
She twitches her lips in contemplation as we get into the elevator. “The veterinarian does show promise.”
I smile and push the button, wondering what she would say if I told her the truth. All of it. What would Suse do in my shoes?
The thing is, I can’t. I just can’t tell a soul.
***
After finding my cubicle devoid of my laptop, I knock on Shara’s door. The door is opened by Celine from Human Resources.
“Violet,” Celine greets.
My stomach drops.
And then I see Frank, Shara’s boss, and Shara. Frank plasters on a smile that strikes me as fake. Shara looks at me and smirks, before examining her manicure. And it doesn’t feel good. It feels like she’s looking forward to whatever is about to go down.
She’s pissed that Killian went off on her yesterday and I’m about to pay for it. She liked me best when I was meek and broken, saw me getting strong and didn’t like it, saw me getting happy being in love and hated me for it. And lately has seen me getting meek again and is going for the throat.
“Good. You’re actually here,” Shara says like she doubted it would happen. “Let’s head to the little boardroom.”
I’m feeling mildly barfy and am doing my best to hide it.
Celine gives me a tight smile as Frank greets, “How are you doing, Violet?”
“I’m okay so far today, thanks,” I say and follow them, knowing down to my gut that this isn’t good.
I taste puke at the back of my throat, but I swallow it down as I sit in one of the four chairs of our small boardroom by reception.
I’m about to be fired. And I’m angry about it. Really angry. Because I don’t deserve it.
“We’ll get right to it, then,” Celine says. “Our team has been working hard planning a reorg. We’re finalizing an acquisition of a competitor and as a result, we’ll have more staff than we do positions. It’s going to mean some initial staff cuts. In light of the skillset required as well as the cost of doing business, we regret to inform you that our new org-chart results in your position being eliminated.” She smiles.
It’s practiced. This is her job, firing people and trying to make it seem like it’s not personal.
But it is personal.
“You’re firing me because I’m pregnant,” I say, immediately.
And seeing their reaction – all three of them flinching – it ignites something in my blood. Anger? Confidence? I don’t know, but I’m gonna go with it.
Celine looks mortified. Her mouth opens, but Frank speaks first.
“No,” Frank corrects. “Not at all. But in light of your pregnancy happening with the timing of the reorganization, this works in your favor because you’ll be getting triple the severance package you’d have gotten otherwise, along with a glowing letter of recommendation that, according to Shara, might not be fully warranted.” He tilts his head and regards me in a way that drips with condescension.
How would Frank even know? He spends a big chunk of his time on the golf course schmoozing and having liquid lunches. I resist the urge to say that. Instead, I grind my teeth. Furious. I shoot a look of indignation at Shara. She smiles at me and shrugs.
“It’s a matter of skills and our short-term needs as well as the expense involved,” Celine says, shooting Frank a disapproving look.
“I have the skills. Shara recently told me how my skills would make me an ideal candidate for an upcoming promotion. The amount of money I saved the company alone last year through second sourcing paid for my salary several times over, and-”
“Things have changed with this merger,” Frank interrupts, doodling on a notebook while he talks. “It’s complex and unfortunately, we’ll have to say goodbye to several of our long-timers. It’s not personal.”
Shara is sitting back in her chair, smiling at me. Her smile drips with evil.