Merry Little Secrets

Chapter 1

Chapter One

LUCY

“Just one more pin,” I mumbled through my teeth, holding the red and green tinsel to the fabric of my cubicle.

The holidays were always my favorite, and even more so now that I had been named the unofficial office guru when it came to festivities.

For birthdays, weddings, or holidays, I was your girl.

Most of the department had been separated around six months ago to make room for the incoming expansion. If you asked me, it was more like we were being pushed aside, alienated with the promise of ‘you need the quiet to focus.’

Days dragged on, each day the same, and they worked us so hard I felt like a hamster on a wheel. Despite the issues, the job itself was enjoyable. If it weren’t for the constant push through media campaigns and networking with stakeholders, we wouldn’t be the leading distributor in the area.

I had a little secret, though, a side-hustle of sorts. When my work was completed and the emails responded to, I would pull out my sketchbook, getting lost in my creative mind until the tip of the pencil wore down to nothing. It was a great way to decompress so I could get through the day.

On the side, I’d been freelancing to make some extra money, something for a rainy day. My parents always taught me to be practical, that one day could change the trajectory of my entire life.

A few weeks ago, a strange task came through the freelance site I worked on, offering me a substantial amount of money to bring a few ideas to life.

They wanted me to create a series of decently sized paintings inspired by my favorite memories.

I was given complete creative control and a month to do the project.

I sat on the offer because life hasn't really been a positive experience for me lately.

I would hate it if I disappointed the client.

It doesn’t hurt to try. Maybe it will bring my spark back.

The mouse hovered over the task, and I sealed my fate, clicking the accept button, wanting to grab it before the next person was offered the opportunity.

I worked tooth and nail to earn my art degree, something I was passionate about, and it wasn't until years later that I even thought about using it. Hell yes, I would take the chance to show life through the eyes of the artist.

I’d been working on the latest project for my full-time position, not exactly in my wheelhouse, but always happy to help when I could. We had recently bought out the rival company, and I had been tasked with the odds and ends admin tasks to prepare for the merger. Small, but important.

One of them happened to be spearheading the numbers in Q4 for the leadership team. It didn't look good, and I was almost afraid to hand it in. Being in the red is not where you want to be in a company with a deal like this on the horizon.

The steam from the coffee mug seemed inviting enough as a chill blew through the office. I took a sip of the warm liquid, and the taste of hazelnut slid down my throat.

Anyone who shot a glance my way could probably read my emotions quite clearly…

frustration with a tad bit of curiosity.

Something was going on. The numbers weren’t matching up.

I’d brought it up a few times to Dante, my boss, but he always waved it off and told me to run the numbers again.

I licked the residual coffee from the corner of my mouth before setting the cup back down.

“There is no way a hundred thousand dollars is unaccounted for,” I whispered to myself, resting my hand over the mounds of paperwork on my unorganized desk.

A ping sounded in my ears, signaling an incoming email, but I ignored it for now and focused on the pie chart that took up most of my cubicle space. The meeting was a few short hours away, and this had to be done.

Work aside, I had the love of my life waiting for me at home.

Jack was someone who had attended the local community college with me.

He made his move when I was at my lowest, and he had helped me pick up the pieces of my life when it was in shambles.

He worked at the dealership in town and became the top salesman three years ago.

Lately, though, it seemed like we were two different people, and my intuition screamed at me that he was hiding something. The hope of marriage hung over my head, teasing me like the empty space under the mistletoe.

It’s been six years…what is he waiting for?

I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of a pair of heels clicking against the wood floor, and plastered the fakest smile I could muster on my face.

Soft black waves crossed my field of vision, peering over cubicles and acting like she was interested in what we were doing, but we all knew the real motivation.

Corrine Marcini.

A watchdog.

Corinne was married to Dante’s brother, and thanks to her family connection, had taken a position I’d rightfully earned.

We were close once, but I had learned rather fast that she played both sides of the fence.

If I wanted to keep my job, I had to play it safe and stay off the radar.

So, I celebrated the announcement and stayed in the shadows of my little safe space.

We used to head out for drinks after work or take small weekend trips together, sipping on wine when the guys golfed. She was one of the only people I trusted, a true friend.

She even knew about my suspicions surrounding Jack, telling me she would help me whenever I needed. However, half the office had seen how willing she was to throw someone under the bus to save her own skin.

I was aware of her presence behind me when a loud noise came from my desk. She had dropped a package. I stared at her, eyes wide, and realization settled in the pit of my stomach. I had accidentally forgotten to change the shipping address to my home after planning another employee's birthday.

“I’m sorry,” I tried to reason.

We squared off for a moment, eyes frozen and staring into each other, before she pulled away quickly. “Just don’t do it again.”

My eyes stayed glued to the box until I knew for sure she was gone, before grabbing and kicking it under my desk hastily.

A few days ago, I saw an ad when doom scrolling, and I ordered a few toys, hoping my vanilla boyfriend might give them a chance. It wasn’t anything crazy. Maybe trying these different products would be good for Jack and me to reconnect.

A smirk spread across my face at the places my mind took me to. I mean, good girls get rewards, right? I intended to use these, with or without my dear boyfriend.

“Good morning, Lucy,” Dante said, leaning over the wall of my cubicle and startling me from my current task.

Please don’t ask what’s in the box.

His muscles flexed against his shirt as he stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest. The buttons practically groaned in pain from trying to hold them closed, and I quietly laughed to myself at the thought.

He was attractive and charismatic. Most of the women in the office swooned over him, and he hated it.

It was a great working relationship because I only ever had my eyes on one person.

“Good morning, Dante. Anything I can do for you?”

“I took a walk because somebody is ignoring my emails this morning, and I wanted to see what was more important.”

Shit.

He looked distressed, and there was something deeply unsettling in those eyes. I opened my mouth to reply, but he cut me off. “Can you meet me in my office, please? We need to talk.”

“Actually, that's perfect because I need to bring something to your attention.”

With a nod, he spun around on his heel and took off down the hall. I spent the next few minutes trying to figure out how I was going to tell him what I’d found. I would need to tread carefully and show him all of the calculations I’d been making.

With a deep breath, I left my cubicle, heading for the elevator. Dante had the top-floor office, and from the moment I’d pushed the call button, my stomach was in knots.

“That was fast,” he swallowed. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

Something is up. I can feel it.

I faced him as I sat in the chair across from his desk, my sweaty palms resting against the wood of the chair as I waited for him to speak.

“So, I am speaking with you first, because this will become public at some point, and I may need help with damage control.”

“That is my expertise. What’s going on, Dante? You and I have worked together since the beginning. I know when something is wrong.”

His jaw clenched, and the next words that left him sent a wave of uncertainty crashing through me.

“The deal fell through, and I recently found out that someone has been funneling profits. Because of that, we have no choice but to release some people across the board, and your role has been impacted.”

What?

“Are you saying what I think you're saying?”

The world spun around me, and his voice sounded muffled in my ears as I panicked.

“Lucy, off record, I am so fucking sorry. This is why I wanted to be the one to tell you. I wanted Corrine gone.”

“But your brother would never allow it.”

He shook his head, drumming his fingers against the desk. I shouldn’t, but I would help them and leave with dignity. The hesitation was evident as he gripped the edge of his desk and attempted to stand.

“Email me what you need, and in the meantime, I will be working from home if that's alright,” I said when it became clear he wasn’t going to answer.

“Before you go, I need to know that you will be safe when you leave us.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Lucy,” he sighed.

Silence encased the room, and I couldn’t help but laugh at his accusation. Yes, Jack had anger issues, but he was working on it. In time, things would get better. We had all worked together long enough to know which lines could be crossed, and this wasn't one of them.

“I’m just clumsy. You are making assumptions where it isn’t appropriate.”

“As your friend, I am worried about you. There are resources for you, support from my family.”

“So, you lay me off, keep someone who lacks the ability and skill to even stand in my role, then say you want to help?” I chuckled as I turned and headed toward the door. “If you really cared, we would be having an entirely different conversation, and I would still have a job.”

“Wait,” he sighed. “When will you have the reports?”

With a scoff, I walked back to his desk and threw the folder down. He winced, but stayed silent as I walked out the door and back to my desk.

“Yeah, I think I will just quit now,” I muttered, holding back tears.

Corrine could handle the rest. For once, I had thought I was good enough and valued, but I was so, so wrong. Dante’s accusation wasn’t completely untrue. An ice-cold shiver ran down my spine. How would Jack handle me being jobless?