Chapter 99. Pillado
Lilly Bradley
During the day at the office, I pushed through as much work as I could so I could leave a bit earlier. I wanted to buy a dress for the annual event on Saturday, and I wanted to look pretty. To leave early, I would have to talk to Mr. Paige. I headed to his office, and through the glass walls, I could see he was alone and focused on his computer monitor. I knocked on the door, he looked up and motioned for me to come in. I pushed the door open but stayed in the doorway; truthfully, I didn't want to go in.
"Good morning, Mr. Paige."
"Come in, Miss Bradley. What do you need?" His tone was cold.
"I wanted to ask for permission to leave an hour early. I’ll get ahead on work that..." He interrupted me.
"No." I raised an eyebrow.
"No?" He narrowed his eyes.
"No. You have a set schedule for arrival, lunch, and departure, and I expect you to stick to it. You haven’t even been here two months and you’re already asking for special treatment."
"But I would finish my work early and get ahead on tomorrow's tasks."
"I said no. Do you want me to put it in a memo? An email?"
"That won't be necessary, thank you." I was about to leave.
"Wait." I stopped.
"I just want to make it clear that just because you're dating the owner of this company, I, as your boss, don't have to give you any special treatment or privileges. Everyone here has a schedule, and it’s respected equally." My eyes widened.
"Excuse me? What privileges? What are you talking about?" He looked at me shamelessly.
"Is Miss Bradley deaf now?" he retorted angrily.
"That’s no way to talk to me." He stood up abruptly, causing his chair to slide back against the wall.
"I am your boss."
"Then speak to me like one, not like a boss who listens to rumors. Since I started at this company, I have never taken any liberties for my own benefit, never. And if I am dating the owner of the company, that's my business, not yours. You have no right to meddle in my private life. I don't need any special treatment or privileges from anyone. So, if you won't let me leave early even though I've finished my work, I will respect that, but do not disrespect me with your out-of-line comments."
"Out of line?" he spat furiously.
"Is Mr. Paige deaf now?" He paled, looking past me.
"Mr. Johnson." I tensed up and turned around. There was Jackson, holding back.
"What is going on here?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"Nothing, sir, just clearing some things up with Miss Bradley."
"Clearing up?" Jackson asked.
"She asked for 'special' permission to leave early, and I refused," Mr. Paige said.
"It's not 'special' as you’re implying. I just asked to leave an hour early after finishing my work and getting ahead on tomorrow's tasks."
"But there’s still work to do," he said seriously.
"There are still hours left in the shift," I replied.
"Let's see," Jackson stepped around me to stand in front of Mr. Paige's desk, placing his hands on the back of the chair. "Explain this: 'that just because you're dating the owner of this company, I, as your boss, don’t have to give you any special treatment or privileges.'" I opened my eyes wide in surprise at hearing those words. I looked around the office and noticed the security camera on the shelf where the folders were. My first thought was of Richard. How did he get here so quickly? I glanced around and saw Richard discreetly smiling. Did that mean he had informed Jackson about what happened with Mr. Paige?
"No, Mr. Johnson, I didn’t mean it that way..."
"Then I must have misheard." I could see the tension in his fingers as he gripped the back of the chair tightly. "I just want to clarify an important point: Miss Bradley does not have any privileges in this company, no special treatment. She is an employee just like you, so avoid making ironic or personal comments towards employees. I am always around my company, so don’t be surprised if I hear things. Understood?"
"Yes, Mr. Johnson." Then he turned to me, winked, and stepped aside to leave. I followed him out and returned to my office, sat down, and let out a sigh. Mr. Paige appeared at the door, nearly giving me a heart attack. He opened the door and looked at me intently.
"If you finish early, you can leave, Miss Bradley."
"Thank you, but no. I’ll leave at my scheduled time to avoid further rumors." He raised an eyebrow and then left without saying anything. "Let’s avoid rumors, Lilly," I murmured to myself.