Chapter 12
Addison
Ibent over and looked underneath the stall doors and sighed in relief when I realized it was empty. I wouldn’t have long, but I didn’t need long for what I wanted to look at.
Bracing myself, I turned sideways in the mirror and then lifted my bulky sweater over the top of my brown linen pants so I could see what I had been trying to hide that morning.
“How the hell did this happen overnight?” I asked myself and shook my head.
I was officially in my second trimester, and I had popped out like a little Turkey thermometer on Thanksgiving.
I wasn’t huge yet, but I could definitely tell that there was a baby bump there.
I had thankfully worn baggier clothes today, but it didn’t feel like it was enough. My face was starting to change and my ankles were already swelling. I didn’t know if that was because I was drinking too much water or not enough. The fact that I didn’t know told me that maybe I should come to terms with the fact that this was changing everything, I would no longer be able to hide it.
I would have to tell my boss soon, and then figure out my next steps.
Because the pregnancy was real but the engagement wasn’t, and no matter what happened with Luca and I in the future, we were still not ready for anything resembling a commitment like that.
I frowned and looked down at the ring I still wore; hadn’t even thought twice about putting it on that morning. My fingers were a little swollen, but the ring was large enough that I still had room to move it around. I honestly hadn’t thought about it. I slid on the ring that morning as if it were natural. Everyone here thought I was engaged, so I needed to keep the ring on.
At least, that was the excuse I kept telling myself.
I quickly adjusted my clothes in case anyone walked in, then made my way back to my office.
I stopped and talked to a few of my coworkers, answering questions and getting a few answers of my own, before heading back to my desk to work on my major client list.
I didn’t know when they would tell us about the promotion, but I knew it would be coming any time now. Travis looked nervous, and I counted that as a win. I wanted this job. I needed it.
Only, sometimes it felt as if I were fighting constantly for what, to work longer hours?
Because no matter what, even if I was working from home, I would still work long hours, just like Nathan.
He and Kelly were going to be trying for a family soon, and I didn’t know if he would even stay with the company. From the way he and Kelly talked, perhaps he would move on to something that was a little more flexible.
Or thoughtful.
“Hey, Lily, do you have client C’s report?”
I nodded and looked up at one of the team members. “I do. It’s in the file.”
“I don’t see it. Can you send it again?”
My temple started to throb, and I clicked two buttons on the keyboard, and nodded.
“Done. And I just confirmed it was in the folder.”
“Are you sure? How do you refresh it?”
I didn’t roll my eyes, I didn’t growl, I just put on a pleasant smile. “You click the button that says refresh.”
“Oh, well, thanks. I need to get that to the boss. Thanks for doing that. I don’t know what we’d do without you. You’re always so reliable.”
The guy left and I frowned, wondering what the hell that meant.
Reliable? Is that why I was still here? Because I was reliable?
All I did these days was work my ass off, and then clean up after everyone else when they realized that they didn’t know what they were doing.
Why was I still here?
Yes, this was the number one company in the city, or it had been. There were up-and-coming companies out there that needed what I did, and yet I wanted to be the best. I needed to be.
At least, that’s what I always told myself.
But I was tired. Tired of lying and fighting and pretending that I didn’t resent being here.
Maybe it was just the hormones, or I needed to eat.
I just wasn’t quite sure where I saw myself here when the baby came.
I would legally get my time off for maternity leave, but they didn’t have an on-site daycare. So we’d have to find different childcare, and since Luca and I didn’t live together, we’d have to figure out where our child would be living. How custody would work. How we would work. And if I was here all the time, how would I be a mother?
These weren’t new questions, nor did I have any answers. These were things that women and men dealt with every day when they tried to balance work-life and home-life. I knew I wasn’t special, but the fact that I didn’t have answers to my own questions right now worried me.
“If you keep frowning you’re going to need Botox between those eyebrows sooner than later.”
I looked up at Travis and didn’t roll my eyes, but it was a near thing. “Are you serious? That’s the dig you’re going with? Botox?”
“I’m just saying. You’re probably going to need it soon. You know people get lines there because they frown so much.”
“I’m not sure why you’re even saying this at work.”
“Because we both know you won’t go to HR. You never do.”
Because our HR representative was sleeping with one of the major partners, and we both knew that so there was no use saying it out loud.
This company was becoming so toxic, or maybe it always had been. Maybe I just thought I could fight my way to the top. But I was going to win. I was going to beat Travis.
“Harrington and I missed you out on the golf course this weekend.”
My eye twitched, and I stood up, smiling at him, knowing he could probably see the hatred in my eyes.
“Really? Sucking up that much in order to try to get this promotion? We both know he’ll see through that.”
From the way Travis looked at me, I had a feeling neither of us believed that for a second.
“We had a squash game on Saturday morning, so don’t worry, I didn’t need to play golf too. He much prefers squash and pickleball.”
Travis’s jaw tightened, and I beamed.
“Something wrong?”
“Well, you can try to see if that would help, because we both know you can’t play golf. Does it really matter? Though, I do find it odd that you’re no longer using your body in order to get ahead. Are you trying to look like a woman dressed in a potato sack?”
“My clothing has no bearing on what I can do. I’m the best person for this job, and we both know it. I have the highest rated clients, and I bring in the most ROI. You don’t stand a chance.”
Travis leaned forward, hands in his pockets. “If we really thought it was about the money that you can touch, neither one of us would be fighting this hard, would we? How is dear Luca? I have to admit, I was surprised anyone would actually want to be with you. You were always so cold when we were together.”
“Get out.”
“Touched a nerve, did I? Well, at least something’s being touched. Am I right?”
“You know, I don’t care if HR does nothing, I’m still going to go and talk to them.”
“Go for it. We both know that you’re lying. There’s no way you suddenly had a fiancé the moment I did.”
“And I take it you’re marrying Dory because you love her?”
“Dory is perfect for me. Classy, privileged, with high connections, and brilliant. Everything that you aren’t. You were fun in college, babe, but there’s nothing else for you now, is there?”
I did not know what I had ever seen in this man. Either he had been so good at camouflaging that I had missed all the red flags, or I’d had my head in the sand, trying to focus on everything other than what was right in front of me.
Travis was the first man I dated after discovering I had the clotting issue.
Travis had pretended to be supportive, though he never knew why I had been depressed.
He had swooped in because I had been an easy mark, and I hadn’t seen it for what it was.
“I’m going to get the promotion, Lily. And then they’re going to realize that you can’t be the best at everything. You can’t even be the best at a few things. But that’s okay. You’ll learn it eventually.”
With that, Travis left. I watched him go, wondering once again why I had thought it would be a good idea to ever date him.
Being young and stupid was only good for so many excuses.
I went back to work, trying to focus, although I couldn’t. Not with the promotion on the line, my stomach growling, and people coming in and out of my office all day to ask me for things.
Some things were in my purview, but others? I was slowly coming to realize that because I kept saying yes in order to get ahead, people used me as if I was their admin.
If I told them no, to do their work on their own, they gave me a weird look. That had always been the case though. I didn’t do what people wanted me to do just because it would be easier for them, but I was tired.
Tired of this rat race.
And I had no idea what I was going to do about it.
“The boss is wanting us to come into his office soon. Just so you know.”
I scowled at Travis. “Why are you back here?”
“I just wanted to say I hope the better man wins.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not even subtle.”
“What does being subtle have to do with it? I want to win.”
My phone buzzed and I hit ignore after seeing Luca’s name. I would call him back. I needed to deal with the man in front of me and the fact that the boss wanted to meet with us.
When Luca called again immediately, alarm hit me, but then the boss’s admin was at the doorway.
“You’re both requested in the office now. Put down what you’re doing and come on.”
I met Travis’s gaze and smirked.
“I suppose time will tell. It is time, isn’t it?”
“It’s my time.”
And then he turned, leaving me behind. I grabbed my phone, doing my best not to run after him.
My phone buzzed one more time, and I texted Luca without looking.
“Call you right back.”
This was it. I would now know if my lies and my hard work had paid off.
If they hadn’t? I wasn’t sure what I would do. But I’d figure it out.
I always did.
But I usually always won.
When I walked into the office, Travis was already sitting in a chair with a wide grin on his face, and I wondered what I had missed in the ten seconds I had been behind them.
But then I realized the boss wasn’t alone.
No, his wife stood behind him, one hand on his shoulder and a scowl on her face.
The blood drained from my face, as I looked at her, then to Travis, then at my boss’s eyes.
Something had happened.
Something had gone really wrong.
“Take a seat, Addison. We need to talk.”
Addison. Not Lily.
They knew, and I was about to get fired.
Fired from the job I wasn’t even sure I wanted anymore.
And the fact I had even thought that when I had been doing my best not to think about it at all? That said enough.
“It’s come to my attention that the integrity that we expect within these walls hasn’t truly reached the level we’ve required. This is a company that strives itself on success, hard work, and truth.”
My heart raced, bile coating my tongue.
“Mr. Wells?—”
“No, I believe I will continue to talk. My wife has a puppy, you see. A gift from her brother.” He waved the puppy off as if it didn’t matter and everything started to click into place.
Puppy. Luca.
All his calls.
What the hell had happened?
“I went in to see the vet, a new one, because I met that Luca and he seemed very competent. But I was surprised to hear that the relationship I thought was so strong, such a wonderful asset to this company, was a lie.” Mrs. Harrington-Wells clucked her tongue and I stiffened, needing to know how she figured it out, but afraid to ask.
“You lied to us. After we have put so much effort into you, you lied. It was already going to be neck and neck between you and Travis for the promotion, and you already had such a hard path in front of you, considering your background and how much Travis brings to us.”
Anger flowed through me and I curled my hands into fists, ignoring the smirking man at my side.
“Excuse me? Travis and I come from the same schools, with the same connections. What path are you speaking of?” I asked.
My boss ignored me.
“You lied to us, and lying will not be tolerated. And while we won’t let you go for that transgression, you have to know that you will be reprimanded. Travis will become our new junior partner. He’s earned it. And his connections with the Forbes, as well as his hard work and determination will be an asset to this company. And Addison—Lily—you will have to work hard to get in our good graces again, but I’m sure you will. You’ve always worked your best.”
Travis gloated as he said, “Thank you.” I wasn’t quite sure what they said after that, it sounded like echoes around me.
Why had I fought so hard and made so many poor decisions for a job that didn’t respect me, one I wasn’t even sure I liked anymore.
My entire five-year plan was gone, my ten-year plan? It was like it hadn’t even existed.
I had made mistake after mistake, for people that didn’t respect me. And never would.
“I quit.”
I hadn’t realized I was going to say the words until they were out, hadn’t ever thought I would, but then they were there, and everyone stopped speaking and looked at me.
“Excuse me?” Harrington-Wells III asked as Travis chuckled beside me. He thought he was the victor, but I couldn’t care less.
“I quit. I don’t want to work here anymore. Not for you, not with him, not for a company that has never valued me. Yes, I lied. I made up a fiancé because I knew that if I showed up as a single woman I wasn’t even going to be considered for the promotion.”
Harrington held up both hands. “Excuse me, I would never condone harassment such as that. I’ve never thought less of you for being a woman.”
This time I smirked. “We both know that’s a lie. We both know that this is a boys’ club and always has been. I’m your token woman, and I had thrived because I knew I could do better. I could be better. But I’m done. I lied because I knew if you found out the truth, you would’ve found a way to let me go anyway.”
Then I stood up and shifted my shirt so they could see the bump.
Travis’s eyes widened, as Wells’s wife clucked her tongue once again, and my boss just paled.
“I’m done. I don’t need this job. I don’t need this business. And you’re going to be sorry after I’m gone. You don’t even have any idea how to open up a PDF, and the man you just promoted hasn’t done his own work in months. But sure, reward the snark.”
I stormed out of the office, blind panic setting in.
I had just made a colossal decision, one that I had been brewing over in the back of my mind for months.
And one that screamed I was making a giant mistake.
But there was no going back.
No changing anything.
They would’ve found a way to fire me. And now I needed to deal with the consequences of my actions.
And yet, I felt relieved.
Which should have scared me more than anything.