Chapter 34 The Saboteur
ALICE
I couldn't convince myself to calm down for a second!
That asshole. That absolute shithead. I should've known that Theodore Linden-Hawthorne was behind the whole thing.
As I stormed into the building, I asked myself for a second if I was doing the right thing. Naturally, I could always find another job that wasn't in the administrative sector. There were all sorts of jobs someone like me could go for. Hell, I could even work at a fast-food place.
The issue?
How would I make enough money to support myself and my family back home? Even with two jobs, the money wouldn't be quite enough. Not to mention that I'd be seriously overworking myself, and it would distract me from the path I was on, and where I wanted to get professionally.
I ignored the looks I got from my old coworkers as I stormed right past them. Suddenly, Emma stopped right in front of me with her hand on her hips. She spoke to me like we were strangers. "Excuse me, you're not supposed to be here. Are you authorized personnel?"
"Get out of my fucking face, Emma."
I tried to sidestep her, but she jumped in my way, saying loudly, "Security!"
"I said move," I exclaimed, pushing her to the side. "Get out of my way or this whole office will find out just what a skank you are!"
Emma looked at me wide-eyed, but didn't try to get in my way again. Instead, she went to call security, but I couldn't care less.
I barged into his office, not bothering to knock. He was on the phone, and he looked up sharply, frowning at the intrusion. I marched toward his desk after slamming the door behind me, and then he slowly put the phone down.
"To what do I owe the pleas—"
"Bastard!" I growled, slamming both hands on his desk while my bag fell from my shoulder to the crook of my elbow. "Asshole! What do you think sabotaging my chances to get a job will do!?"
He didn't even bother looking surprised. "Well, it brought you here, didn't it?"
"You sicko." I shook my head. I couldn't believe my ears right now. "What do you want from me? What do you gain from doing this?"
He stands. He places both hands on his desk, too, and now our faces are merely a couple of inches apart. "This is a lesson for you, Miss Rhodes."
"A lesson?"
"Yes. You don't walk out on me. Ever. Nobody ever has, and you weren't going to be the first one."
My voice was much lower now. "You arrogant prick."
A knock at the door interrupted us, but he barked, "Leave us!"
Whoever was on the other side of the door, no doubt one of the security guards, hesitated before walking away. Our eyes were still locked. I hadn't looked away, and he hadn't either.
I told him, "I can walk out on whoever I want to. I'm a free woman!"
"That's where you're wrong."
"I'll call the police."
"Go ahead. It's not a crime to give a bad reference, especially when the ex-employee was insolent and unworthy."
"I stank the place up? Really?"
"With your attitude, yes."
"I also ate the stationery and appeared disturbed in the head?"
"You were always nibbling on the end of your pen, weren't you? And I caught you talking to yourself as you stared at the screen of your laptop more times than I can count."
This fucking bastard, "I also kept you up at night, worrying about deadlines?"
"And thinking about fucking you, of course," he shrugged, mischief gleaming in his eyes. "But of course, I left out that part for your sake. What would I look like, slandering a clearly disturbed woman? So, you see, Miss Rhodes, I didn't lie about anything. Here at Hawthorne Group, we're pretty tolerable and inclusive, wouldn't you agree?"
I stared at his smug face in disbelief. This was a nightmare, and the worst part was that I knew, deep down, that there was no waking up from this. "Are you even listening to yourself? Act your goddamned age!"
"When you do, I'll be glad to start," he claimed, not missing a beat. "Mailing your resignation letter? That was immature and you know it. What're you running from, after all? The consequences of your own actions?"
I slapped the desk again. "I made a mistake, and this is me trying to correct it!"
"A mistake? That's how you're framing it?"
I straightened my spine, realizing that we wouldn't go anywhere. "You won't win."
"I already have. Come back and work for me."
I scoffed. "That's what you want? What is this, a ploy for you to get free sex?"
"Free? I hadn't realized that the issue was that you wanted me to pay you for it."
I couldn't control my anger, not in that moment. I slapped him so hard my palm stung. It genuinely felt like it was bleeding. I didn't look at it, thought. "You asshole. I'm not for sale. You're not going to buy me. There's bound to be someone in this fucking country that doesn't answer to you!"
His gaze was sharp, and that damned smug look hadn't left his face. "Good luck with that."
I walked out of his office, shaking with nerves. I thought about going to the police because what he was doing had to be a crime. But exposing him meant exposing myself, and did I really want such a scandal to hit the papers? Ex-Secretary (of course they wouldn't get my job description right) Feuding With Hawthorne Group Heir, Theodore Linden-Hawthorne: What Really Happened Behind Closed Boardroom Doors?
I could see this headline as clear as day. No, there had to be another way of winning this battle. Surely, he didn't know everyone in the city. Hell, there had to be something.
I was never one to give up. Ever. I was a strong, independent woman who could achieve anything she put her mind to.
I'd beat this. I'd get rid of that animal. It didn't matter what I would have to do, or how many pieces of myself I would lose along the way.
If I had to clean the damn roads with an orange vest on, I'd do it.
Theodore Linden-Hawthorne would fucking see. Oh, he would.