Chapter 28 Veda
VEDA
My heart was heavy and every muscle in my body ached from sheer exhaustion as I sat in a chair outside Robert Lang's office.
I'd come in today after not sleeping at all last night with one objective—I had to tell the board everything.
Not only did they deserve to know the truth about both Asher and Clayton, but they would want answers as to why their star intern wasn't showing up for work.
I stopped by my desk to see it'd been cleaned out for me.
My things sat in a small cardboard box on top of it, ready for me to pick up and carry out, like someone didn't want me here anymore.
Judging by the glowers and grimaces I got from every staff member but Jared, I assumed it was all of them.
I couldn't blame them after what I'd done, but it still stung a little.
When Robert walked out of his office, standing over me while fixing his tie, I stood to shake his hand.
"Ms. Porter," he said, nodding. We didn't have an appointment, though I'd been patient enough this time to wait for his secretary to call him out instead of storming right into his office this time.
"Mr. Lang, I'd really like a chance to speak with you and the board, if that's okay.
" After everything I'd done, I knew I had zero right to walk into this office and ask things of them.
They could have me removed from the property by security and no one would stand in my way to stop me from being booted out.
From what I'd seen, Asher wasn't here, though, so it made for the perfect timing to get this over with. It was the right thing to do to set the record straight, and I knew I had to do it for Asher's sake.
"Ms. Porter, the board is very busy and—"
"Please, it will take just a few minutes." My bottom lip quivered as I spoke. "And I know it will clear the air. Asher deserves this…" I looked at him with pleading eyes as he sighed and looked to his secretary.
"Barbra, please call the board. Tell them we'll have an emergency meeting in the board room in ten minutes." Relief settled into my chest as Barbra lifted an eyebrow at me.
"Sir, Mr. Locke and Mr. Locke aren't even here.
" I hated her accusing expression, but soon, this would all be behind me and I'd never have to look any of these people in the eye again.
I just couldn't stand the thought of Clayton getting away with all of this and Asher falling off the wagon so hard he quit and gave his brother the reins.
"Call them, please," Robert said, nodding at the outer office door. He gestured and said, "Shall we?" and I followed him through.
We were halfway to the board room before he spoke again, saying, "I must say, Veda, it takes a lot of guts to come face up to the accusations against you."
My throat worked around a knot forming. I coughed to loosen it up and said, "Yes, well most of them aren't unfounded. I just thought you should all know what I've been dealing with. I want Asher to have the best chance possible at recovery and—"
"Is that what this is about?" he asked, stopping at the board room threshold and opening the door for me.
I snuck through, but walking into this room brought back memories.
It was where Asher first kissed me. Where I told him off and suggested he get sober.
It was where he tore me to shreds in front of his board and where I recorded that romp we had, hoping that would be that and my job here would be done.
It was bitter sweet as I stopped by the drink station and frowned at Robert.
"I love him, okay? I know it's stupid, but I do. I hated seeing him in that bar drinking, and I hate knowing I'm the reason for that. I want what's best for him, even if he hates me."
My body felt like an old car that might vibrate apart at any second. Everything shook and trembled with anxious tension as Robert put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it, but he didn't get a chance to respond.
One by one, the board members filed in and took their seats. Most of them had professional expressions, but a few of them looked at me with open hostility, much the same way Clayton had looked at Asher every day for the past two months.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming." Robert started our impromptu meeting for me. It gave me a moment to collect myself. "As you all know, Misters Locke are both out today for personal reasons, but we have a pressing matter to hear." He turned to me and nodded. "Ms. Porter, whenever you're ready."
The room suddenly felt claustrophobic. I didn't know whether to cry or vomit.
My palms were drenched with sweat, my mind racing, and all I could think about was making sure Asher got sober again and stayed sober.
My tongue clung to the roof of my mouth as I positioned myself at the head of the table where Asher usually stood and opened my mouth to speak.
"Hey, everyone," I started, hands trembling as I gripped the back of Asher's chair for support. "Thank you for coming. I know I'm probably not your favorite person right now, but I appreciate your taking time to listen to what I have to say."
Cassandra huffed and crossed her arms, but she didn’t interrupt as I continued. "I felt what I have to say is important enough to have Robert call this meeting, so I'm here, and I just want to get this off my chest."
Before continuing, I took a huge breath to force some of the pressure off my chest. Then I let them have it.
"Before I started here, Mr. Clayton Locke was a regular at my workplace. I was a bartender. I'd finished my degree but hadn’t found a job yet. I had over almost two hundred grand in student loans. I lived in a shabby, rundown apartment. I worked paycheck to paycheck to—"
"Is this supposed to be a sob story? Can we get to the point?" Cassandra's eyes were hard and cold as ice. I thought telling them where I came from might help them understand my reasoning, but she had a point. This was about helping them see Asher for who he was, not redeeming my reputation.
"Sorry, yes… Mr. Locke came, and I served him as usual.
He heard me complaining about needing tip money to pay some bills.
I had a huge car repair." She glared at me again, but I kept talking "And I needed rent money.
That's when he proposed this agreement. He wanted me to work here for him.
He told me I'd have to seduce his brother and make him sound like a predator.
He told me that his brother was running the company into the ground and had to be removed, but the board needed more concrete ground to stand on. "
The longer I spoke, the easier it got, but I felt sicker. Maybe because I was outing myself for what a horrible decision this was.
"Clayton recorded the meeting where he offered to pay me a million dollars, half up front, half when I provided him proof you all could use to remove Asher from his duty as CEO." I waited, thinking someone would have a comment, but no one spoke.
"I took his money, paid my debts off, got a new place, some new clothes, and fixed my car. A week later, I started working here at Locke Global, and my first day here, I knew what a horrible mistake I’d made.
" Their eyes were stern and fixed on me.
"I could see instantly that Asher's drinking problem wasn't because he was a bad person. He was hurting."
My eyes welled up as I remembered how hurt he was, how much pain I saw when I looked at him. And the guilt tried to swallow me whole as I stood in front of their prying, judging eyes.
"I made it through the first day, but on day two, I snapped at him and it wasn’t because he was misbehaving.
I could see someone needed to intervene.
I told him drinking wouldn’t solve his problem.
" My heart felt like it might explode any second, but I pressed on.
"Yes, there was a spark between us, but it wasn't because I was seducing him.
"Asher needed help from someone, and no one had stood up to him and told him no.
So I did. I took his whiskey away, served him water, and showed that I cared.
It wasn't but two weeks later and he was ready for rehab.
Asher checked himself in with a promise of being a better man for me, and at that point, I felt completely stuck.
"I was falling for him, and he confessed to loving me.
He told me that he wanted a relationship with me, but I'd already taken Clayton's money.
I couldn't back out." I reached into my pocket and pulled out my broken phone and showed them.
"As soon as I get a new screen for this, I'll show you the conversations between myself and Clayton, how he badgered me and pushed me to keep trying to hurt Asher.
If anyone is to blame for Asher's relapse, it's Clayton. "
I wasn't sure what else to say to them to prove that removing Asher was a bad idea.
Clayton wasn't here to defend himself, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, either.
I saw his nose. It was definitely broken.
All they'd see is the result of how far Clayton pushed Asher and the effect it'd had on him.
Not the broken man who needed a little patience.
"Please, be merciful to him. I love him dearly—enough to bomb my entire career and future just to make sure you know what really happened here.
I don't care what happens to me. I just want him to be happy and sober, and I want you all to know what Clayton has been up to so you can see for yourself what sort of man he is. "
Now when I looked around the table, all I saw were expressions of sadness and respect. Robert stood first, turning to me with kind eyes. "Thank you, Veda, for sharing all of that. It must've been very difficult for you."
I blinked back the tears that wanted to spill out and nodded at him. "I just want him to be okay."
"He's gonna be alright." Robert smiled at me, a knowing look, and gestured for the door. "It appears the board has a lot to talk about. I want to thank you so much for being honest with us."
There was so much I felt I hadn't said yet, but he was ushering me toward the door. I let him guide me rather than protesting. The hard part was over now, but I still had so much heavy emotion to work through.
"Thank you for letting me speak," I told him. This was the last time I'd probably ever see any of them. Unless they happened into The Pub at some point. Life as I knew it was over.
"Take care of yourself," he said as he opened the door and I stepped out.
I nodded, but my heart was so heavy, I didn't want to go home. I wanted to go find Asher and let him hold me, but those days were long gone. There was nothing left but a wasteland to wade through called heartbreak and mourning.
I stopped by my old desk to get my things, but everyone was at their morning break.
It felt sad leaving all of this behind without saying goodbye, which only made my heaviness worse.
And knowing I had no phone to call Regan, I used the office line to dial her number. I just couldn't go home and be alone.
"Hello?"
"Ray, it's Veda…" I paused to keep myself from crying. "Can you come to my place? Bring ice cream. I need to talk."
If there was one person in the world who would understand it all, it was my best friend. At least she knew what happened and had been there for me every step of the way. Too bad she couldn’t hold my heart together.
I had a feeling after this, some of the pieces of my life would never get put back in place.