Chapter 14 Damn The Consequences
Daniel's POV
I leaned on the counter, scrolling through all the unread messages I had sent to Celene. Did that bitch block me? "Well well well, look who's finally growing up and wearing her big girl panties..." I laughed and took a sip of my hot coffee, enjoying the morning.
My phone rang while I was halfway through my coffee.
I frowned at the screen. HR from my workplace.
"Why the hell is HR calling me this early?" I said, but answered the call anyway.
“Yeah?”
“Daniel,” a woman said, her voice clipped and professional. I hated those kinds of women. If you're a woman, be soft and appealing so the men can see you and puck you for themselves. Acting all big and tough for no reason. Women really needed to know their place.
“This is Karen from Human Resources.”
“What is this about?” I asked immediately. “I’m about to leave for work.”
“We need to speak with you today.”
“If you’re not going to tell me what this is about, then don’t call me,” I snapped. “I have meetings.”
There was a pause. A short one. Like she was deciding how much she was allowed to say.
“This is a serious matter.”
“Then say it.” fucking cunt. Wasting my fucking time.
“I can’t discuss details over the phone.”
“Then why are you calling me?” I raised my voice. “This is ridiculous.”
“Daniel,” she said calmly, “your manager will be contacting you shortly.”
The call ended.
I stared at my phone, irritation crawling up my spine. I barely had time to process it before it rang again.
This time it was my manager.
I answered with a laugh that didn’t sound right even to me. “Let me guess. HR just called you too.”
“Daniel,” he said, not bothering with small talk, “we’re terminating your contract.”
I stopped moving.
“What?”
“Effective immediately.” he said, his voieven more clipped than HR.
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
“For what?” I demanded. “You can’t just fire me like this.” what the fuck. I may have bad records here and there, but I have never done anything wrong since I joined this company. I needed the job, so I kept my head down. What the heck was he talking about?
“We absolutely can, Mr. Daniel,” he replied, cold now. “And we are.”
“Based on what?”
“Based on information that has come to light about your history.”
My stomach twisted.
“What history?”
“Sexual harassment,” he said plainly. “Multiple incidents of sexual harassment, Mr Daniel.”
Fuck me! I paid a lot of money to get all those information removed from the public space. No one even remembers me for those crimes anymore.
“That’s not true, Sir.”
“They're not? What about the charges of domestic violence, Mr Daniel?” My breath caught as i heard his words.
“Racist conduct,” he continued. “Petty theft, Embezzlement from a former employer...”
“This is insane,” I snapped. “You don’t even know me tobbe this kind of person. Someone is obviously trying to destroy my life”
“We know enough,” he said. “And frankly, your pedigree does not align with this company’s values.”
“My pedigree?”
“We will not employ someone with documented abuse toward women.”
My ears rang with each word he uttered.
“You’re destroying my career, Sir. Please reconsider this.” I said.
“You did that yourself.”
“I’m coming in to work,” I said sharply. “I’ll explain this in person.”
“There’s nothing to explain,” he replied. “Your access to the building has already been revoked.”
The line went dead.
I stood there, my phone pressed to my ear, heart hammering. What the hell was he talking about? I was still trying to figure out how he knew something like that when my phone buzzed again. I continued to dress up, hoping I would meet with my boss and talk this through. Real men always understood and supported each other.
I finished dressing and ran out to my car, but my phone continued buzzing. I checked it and it was an email notification. Then another. And another.
I opened one of them.
SCHOLARSHIP STATUS UPDATE
My fingers went numb as I read.
"Mr. Daniel, Due to recent findings regarding your conduct, your scholarship has been revoked effective immediately"
Oh hell no. I prayed and begged to get thos scholarship to study for my PhD.
“What?” I whispered. Something was wrong. I needed to fix it. I needed to fix it!!!!
I opened my browser, hands shaking. Fuck! My name was everywhere. My face was on every publication right beside Old photos I head buried. Old accusations that I had twisted to my favour or completely hidden. Things that were exaggerated. Things that should not be here.
I read through every headline, i skimmed through the threads and the comments that angry citizens were leaving under each post and publication...
Christ! They were so many pictures. So many pictures of women that I had assaulted when during our relationship or when I was drunk with screenshots and videos.
I slammed the phone onto the seat beside me.
“No. No. No.”
My phone rang again. Fuck. It was an International number.
I answered it automatically.
“Daniel,” a woman said, accent thick, voice strained. “We will no longer be proceeding with the deal to partner with you and your brand.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We cannot associate our company with a man accused of assaulting women and stealing from employers.”
“That’s not—”
“This reflects badly on us,” she continued. “I suggest you resolve your personal issues.”
"Wait... wait. Let me explain ma'am. Ma'am??"
The call ended.
I sat there, chest heaving, sweat breaking out along my back. This was too much. Fuck it, everything was happening too fast.
My phone rang again.
My girlfriend. Irritation crawled up my throat as I looked at the caller ID. I hesitated, then answered.
“What is going on?” she demanded. “Why are people sending me links?”
“What links?”
“Daniel, there are videos,” she said, voice shaking. “There are videos of you hitting women. There are screenshots of messages. People are saying you’re racist. They’re saying you stole money.”
“That’s bullshit.” I said feeling vulnerable amd annoyed at the same time.
“Then why is it everywhere?” she cried. “Why does it have your name and your face?”
“I don’t have time for this,” I snapped. She went quiet for a second.
“You’re going to her, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Celene,” she said sharply. “You’re driving to her place right now, aren't you?”
Obviously I wasn't, bit immediately she said Celene’s name, it was luke a light bulb came up in my head. Celene. Of course! Celene!!
I gripped the steering wheel till my knuckles whitened.
Celene....All of this started after her. After the slap, after the warning, after that man in the black car. What was his name again?
Jeffrey.
My chest tightened as something ugly and certain settled in. This wasn’t random. They were after me. WS this the punishment he spoke about?
This was all because of Celene. And I was going to make her explain it.
With that one thought, I stared my car and sped to her house!