10. Griselda
”So, let me get this straight. You met a total hunk, had a wild night, and then woke up to an empty bed?” Avery, my best friend since high school, chimed her excitement through the phone, the pitch of her voice rising with incredulity.
Avery was the one friend I trusted the most, the person who had been there for me through thick and thin, and I needed her wisdom now more than ever.
I let out a sigh, a mix of frustration and bewilderment. ”Yes, that”s the gist of it.”
Her laughter crackled through the phone. ”Griselda, your life is like a rollercoaster. Drama, suspense, and just a sprinkle of romance.”
”More like a rollercoaster I didn”t sign up for,” I replied, chuckling along.
”So, what”s the plan now?” Avery asked, her tone turning serious. ”Are you going to try and find Emilio after he ditched you twice?”
I hesitated. ”I”m not sure. It”s all so complicated. Plus, there”s the danger element.”
Avery picked up on my resolve. ”Okay, promise me you”ll keep me updated. Now, what happened after the police arrived?”
”After I gave my statement, the police said they would investigate,” I explained. ”They asked a few questions about the men and what I had witnessed, but obviously, I didn’t see anything.”
Emilio”s sudden disappearance after our night together left me pondering. Was he involved with those menacing men, or was it mere coincidence that danger seemed to follow him? My mind was a whirlpool of questions, and the uncertainty was maddening.
Avery, on the other end of the line, knew me well. She sensed my reservations and pushed gently for more. ”Griselda, talk to me. I can hear the doubts in your voice.”
”It”s just... I”ve been trying to piece it all together,” I confessed. ”Emilio, those gangsters, the gunshot—it”s like a puzzle missing too many pieces.”
”I get that, but we can”t leave it scattered,” Avery prodded.
”The police were called, but they arrived too late. The men were already gone, and the man they shot... he didn”t make it,” I said, recalling the chaotic scene.
Avery”s sharp intuition caught on. ”You didn”t tell them about Emilio, did you?”
I hesitated between loyalty and caution. ”No, I didn”t. There”s just something... off about this whole thing, Ave. I can”t explain it.”
A frustrated sigh came from Avery”s end, making it evident that she disagreed with my choice. ”Griselda, you can”t keep information from the police. You’re a lawyer! Besides, you don”t know who he is. He might be dangerous.”
I fell silent, unable to provide an immediate response. It was frustrating, truly. It was highly likely that he was involved in something illegal, and despite my profession as a lawyer, I was still attracted to him and even avoided mentioning his name.
Avery”s voice softened. ”Are you sure they didn”t see you?”
”I’m pretty sure. I stayed in the room and kept quiet to make them think that it was unoccupied,” I tried to reassure her, but the memory sent a shiver down my spine.
”That”s a movie plot waiting to unfold,” Avery mused. ”But seriously, Griselda, you don”t want to get tangled up in something dangerous.”
”He”s just... different,” I finally said, struggling to put my feelings into words. ”I can”t explain it. The way he apologized, his sincerity. Despite the danger, there”s something about him that intrigues me.”
”But it”s not your job to figure it out!” Avery argued, her frustration clear. ”Let the police handle it. That”s what they”re there for.”
”You’re right, I just... I can”t explain it,” I sighed.
Avery paused, trying to understand my perspective. ”Alright, just promise me you”ll be cautious. Promise me you won”t do anything reckless.”
”I promise,” I said. ”I”ll be careful.”
”That”s all I ask,” Avery replied, her voice softening with concern. ”Please prioritize your safety.”
I nodded, even though she couldn”t see me. ”I will. Thanks, Ave.”
Avery lightened the moment with a touch of humor. ”You know, I”m starting to think I”m your personal guardian angel. Where would you be without me?”
I chuckled, appreciating her ability to add levity to any situation. ”Lost, probably. I”d be endlessly wandering through life”s maze.”
As our laughter filled my office, a sudden knock on my door pulled my attention away. I turned, and my laughter died down as I saw Dave standing there, a grave expression on his face.
Avery, perceptive as ever, picked up on the change. ”Hey, what”s going on? Everything okay?”
I sighed, realizing I had to go. ”I need to go, Ave. One of my coworkers just entered my office.”
”Alright. Take care and update me, okay?”
”Absolutely. Talk to you later.” I hung up the call and turned to face Dave, who looked frustrated.
A resigned sigh escaped him. His expression held a mix of worry and sympathy, making my anxiety spike.
”Dave, what”s wrong?” I asked, my voice laced with apprehension.
He hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully.
”Griselda, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the boss is asking for you,” he replied, his tone serious and almost apologetic. My heart sank. The heaviness in Dave”s voice was infectious.
”Thank you for letting me know,” I managed.
He offered a sympathetic smile. ”I hope everything turns out well.”
I forced a weak smile in return, appreciative of his concern.
As I walked toward Mr. Gilbert’s office, each step felt heavier. I arrived at his door, knocked, and entered when he told me to come in. To my dismay, Carmella was standing beside the boss with a smug grin on her face. I immediately knew what she was up to, and my apprehensions intensified.
Mr. Gilbert wasted no time. “Griselda, I need your group”s research on the Johnson case.”
My suspicions were confirmed, and my eyes flicked briefly to Carmella. Suppressing my frustration, I maintained a professional demeanor. ”Could I ask why you need it?”
Mr. Gilbert raised an eyebrow, looking unamused by my inquiry. ”Since when did you start questioning me, Griselda? Just get it.”
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I nodded and apologized.
”I apologize, Mr. Gilbert. However, Mr. Gilbert, I must inform you that our group no longer possesses the research. After being reassigned, we deemed it unnecessary to keep the files, and it seems there was a mix-up during the transition, resulting in the unintentional disposal of the materials, following the company”s standard protocol for such cases.”
His face twisted in disbelief and annoyance. ”Disposed of it accidentally? Are you telling me you accidentally got rid of important research materials?”
I met his gaze evenly, maintaining my facade. ”Unfortunately, yes. It was a regrettable mistake given the circumstances.”
Carmella chimed in, her voice laced with sarcasm. ”Seems like they had better things to do than handle critical research.”
I could see the disapproval in Mr. Gilbert”s gaze, but I didn’t care. ”I stand by the decision, Mr. Gilbert. It was done according to protocol.”
He scoffed, clearly frustrated. ”This is not the kind of mistake I expect from someone in your position.”
”Maybe some extra training would do her good, teach her about the importance of project research,” Carmella interjected.
I tried to ignore her words, my attention fixed on Mr. Gilbert. ”I assure you, Mr. Gilbert, this will not happen again.”
He leaned back in his chair, an expression of frustration on his face. ”Oh, it won”t happen again for a while, Griselda. You”re being suspended.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. ”Suspended? What do you mean?”
Carmella looked all too pleased with herself. She must have been the one to push for this.
He shrugged casually, his tone indifferent. ”Exactly what I said. You”re suspended. Your actions led to the Johnson trial”s failure. Carmella lost an advantage because your team carelessly got rid of important research.”
I couldn”t believe the audacity of his accusations. “How can you suspend me for that? What about my team?”
Mr. Gilbert remained unmoved. ”Your team will join Carmella”s. It”s only fair that they help rectify the situation by assisting her in winning the case. It”s a lesson they need to learn after erroneously disposing of critical documents.”
Fury bubbled up inside me. ”They are my team. You can”t just—”
He cut me off, his voice stern with warning. ”Watch your tone, Griselda. This is your reprimand, and it”s only temporary. If you continue to question me, that suspension might turn into expulsion.”
I felt trapped, boiling helplessly in this unfairness, and Carmella”s smug satisfaction only added to my indignation.
Although my heart felt heavy, I refused to lower my head or slump my shoulders, so I turned away from Mr. Gilbert”s office and walked back to my own with purposeful strides. My team was already gathered in my office, looking at me with expectant gazes. Matthew spoke first, concern furrowing his brows.
”Griselda, what happened in there?”
I offered a sad smile, trying to feign nonchalance. ”Oh, just a brief holiday, guys. I”ve been suspended.”
Their faces twisted in disbelief, then anger.
”What! Suspended for what?” Sophia demanded, her eyes wide with shock.
I shrugged with a false casualness, fighting back the frustration.
”Disposing of essential research is a big no-no.” The bitterness seeped through my words.
There was a collective eruption of indignation in my office. Angry protests filled the air as my team voiced their outrage. It warmed my heart to see how much they cared about me.
I went on to explain Mr. Gilbert”s verdict of how they were to join Carmella”s team and assist in winning the case. The shock that rippled across their faces mirrored my disbelief at the absurdity of the situation.
”No way!” Matthew, always the honest one, interjected with anger and disbelief.
Sophia exclaimed, ”But Griselda, the research wasn”t even destroyed. We still have it.”
Matthew and Dave exchanged incredulous glances, and Luca was bewildered. He looked around at all of us and asked the question that was on our minds, ”Should we hand over the research, then?”
Guilt bore down on me. I felt responsible for this mess. ”I... I”m so sorry, guys. If only I had put my pride aside and given Carmella the research...”
My team”s disapproval was swift, their voices ringing with support. ”Griselda, it”s not your fault. We all agreed not to hand it over. We didn”t want Carmella to get her hands on our hard work and take the credit.”
Their unwavering solidarity lifted my spirits. We were in this together, and we would find a way to fight against this injustice, even if it meant going against our boss”s orders. With a resigned chuckle, I headed over to my desk. Their bewildered expressions were almost comical.
I smiled at them and said, ”Well, it looks like we”ve got some packing to do. Care to lend a hand?”
Luca, with anger in his eyes, spoke up, ”We won”t make things easy for Carmella, Griselda. She”s not going to get away with this.”
However, I shook my head. ”I understand, but let”s not give the boss a reason to fire all of us. For now, we”ll play along. It doesn”t mean we won”t find a way to get back at her eventually.”
Regardless of what happened, I knew I would miss my team. They had become more than just colleagues; they were my friends, my allies.
”Take care,” I said to each of them as they filed out of the room.
”Take care, Griselda,” Luca replied, and one by one, they echoed his sentiment.
Though Carmella may have won this round, it would be the last time.