Chapter 55

“I tried to give you time,” Lucien muttered, bursting into his office.

Quietly hurrying after in after him, Kendall closed the door and stood timidly next to it.

“But I’m not going to tolerate these constant mistakes, Kendall!” he shouted, throwing his jacket onto the armchair and turning around to look at her.

Justin looked at them over the top of his glasses. “What happened?”

“You think I have time to wait for you to get your shit together every time you make a mistake?” Lucien went on. “It’s simple stuff, Kendall! I didn’t ask you to compile the report. Only to bring it! To pick something up and carry it! You can’t even do that?!”

“Hey, hey!” Justin took his glasses off as he stood, rushing around the table. “There’s no need to yell at her.”

“Stay out of this, Justin!” Lucien spat.

“She’s as white as goat cheese, you’re scaring her!” he countered. “What is your problem?”

Lucien pointed a finger at Kendall. “I clearly told you not to take this job. But you did. And then I told you to leave if you can’t handle being here anymore, and you refused.”

Her hands were tightly clutched together, her shoulders stiff as she looked at the floor. She wanted to apologize, but her jaw was too stiff.

“Only for you to consistently mess up,” he continued. “Do you realize it’s affecting my image? You’re smarter than this, Kendall! Even the basic ass secretaries I had in the past were more professional than this.”

“I’m sorry,” she managed to whisper.

“I don’t wanna hear that,” he spat. “Is this the best you can do, as highly educated as you are?”

It was like a dagger in her heart.

“But what did she do?” Justin asked, glaring at Lucien. “You’re acting like she crashed your Maybach into a wall.”

“She’s just…” He ground his teeth. “Been getting on my goddamn nerves all fucking week.”

Tears filled Kendall’s eyes, and her heart was crushed under the merciless weight of his harsh words.

“That,” Justin said, raising a finger. “…is way too mean!”

“Fucking bite me,” Lucien muttered, marching to his table to sit in his chair. His jaw clenched, his chest tightening with the urge to take back everything he’d just said to her. He didn’t.

With a scoff of disbelief, Justin stared at him. He turned to Kendall and hurried over to her. “Kendall, dear. Don’t mind him, he’s an alien who learnt human behaviour from psychopath documentaries.”

He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, speaking gently. “You just made a mistake, and that’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes, okay?” He gasped, looking at her face. “Oh? Are you crying? Oh, you poor girl. Don’t cry, it’s okay.”

“If you’re going to cry, do it outside my office,” Lucien said, not even looking at her.

“Ssshhh!” Justin hissed at him.

She sniffled and tried to wipe her tears. “Excuse me, Mr Delcroix. I h-have to go now.”

Justin looked sadly at her. “Okay. Don’t cry, okay?”

She silently nodded, leaving the office.

The moment she was gone, he marched back to Lucien’s table, leaning over the scattered papers. “What the hell is the matter with you? Have you lost your little remaining sense? I’ve never seen you treat any of your secretaries like that!”

“I’ve never hired anyone who makes mistakes that stupid,” he murmured.

“She’s learning!”

Lucien shrugged. “I’d rather if she just quit.”

Justin scoffed. “If you want her to quit so bad, why not just fire her? It would cause far less stress for the poor angel!”

It was Lucien’s turn to scoff. “Poor angel?”

“Yes, poor angel! And you’re the big, ugly devil, for your information.”

“Thanks for the compliment, Delcroix. Now, sit down so we can sort this shit out before sundown.”

Justin huffed and marched away to sit on a sofa and continue working. “One of these days, I’m going to cut ties with you.”

“I wouldn’t be so lucky.”

Kendall realized the ladies’ bathroom wasn’t as private as she’d earlier thought. Her office area was actually far more secluded. So, for this crying session, she just stayed at her table and let tears flow.

It looked odd because she was typing on the computer and carrying on with her work while tears dropped off her chin, and her expression was twisted with misery.

It finally made sense that he’d had so many secretaries before her. If he treated them all the way he treated her, it made perfect sense. Or maybe he didn’t treat them all like this?

Maybe just her. Because of what she’d done. Because she’d dared to want him, like a mud-streaked beggar trying to reach for a King in his royal garb.

It was safe to say that she felt like complete trash.

“Hi, Ken!”

She scrambled for the tissues, turning around to wipe her face.

“Oof…” someone said sympathetically behind her, approaching her table. “You’re still crying?”

Drying her face, Kendall spun back around to glare at Tanner. “What do you want?”

He sighed. “You didn’t come for lunch today, so we came to check on you before heading home.”

She sniffled. “We?”

“Dude, I told you to wait for us!” Georgia complained, rushing in. “Hi, Kendall, sweetie! You okay?”

Slowly trudging in behind them, Samantha stood silently aside.

“Yeah,” Kendall said.

Sighing, Georgia reached over and held her hand. “People are saying they heard you crying in the bathrooms earlier this week. And now this…”

“Can’t believe he yelled at you in front of all those people,” Tanner whispered. “The rumours are all true, I guess. He’s pretty mean.”

Kendall sighed. “I just can’t wait to go home.”

Georgia gasped. “Hey! Why don’t we go for drinks? Today’s Friday, and clocking in on Saturdays is voluntary.”

“I’m in!” Tanner said.

Kendall winced. “No, I don’t think I’d be good company right now.”

“Aww, come on!” Georgia said. “Let us cheer you up. You’ve had such a bad day.”

She sighed, thinking it over.

“Do it,” a quiet voice said.

Blinking, Kendall looked at Samantha.

The girl shyly looked away. “You’re… gonna be sad if you’re alone. Let’s go out for drinks, it’ll help you feel better.”

“Woah, even Sam thinks it’s a good idea!” Tanner said. “Come on, Ken.”

Looking at them, Kendall felt gratitude for their attempt at comforting her. “Thank you, guys.”

Georgia grinned. “You’re in?”

She stood, grabbing her bag. “I won’t even bother asking him to leave early.”

The three exchanged looks of excitement and approval.

“Are you sure?!” Tanner asked with a nervous laugh. “I feel like you should ask him, though, so he doesn’t get mad again.”

She turned off her computer and straightened, looking at him. “Who cares? I’m quitting this job tomorrow anyway. Let’s get drunk.”