Chapter 13
Damian
"You want to explain this to me?" Pablo Duke, our head of human resources, dropped a printed page on the desk.
I picked it up and felt something cold run inside me. Emilia had resigned.
"Marcela hires her without checking with anyone and everyone on the team fucking hates her because they know she got the job because she married you…and you know the talk around that. And now she resigns without any warning, no notice, nothing."
Em hadn't told me but then when would she? I hadn't been home for…nearly forever. I was sleeping at Duncan's place while he was in Paris. I hadn't meant to do it, but it was easier than going home and dealing with the temptation of fucking my wife.
"What do you mean everyone hated her?"
Pablo ran a hand over his bald head. "They weren't nice to her. We talked to the team and…look, these are artists, you can't just put an amateur on the team."
"Was her work that bad?"
"No. Jimmy fucking loved her. Said she was the best art restorer he'd ever seen."
"So…what the fuck was the problem, Pablo?"
"She's your wife…and you were with her sister? Emilia hasn't paid her dues. She's good, I'll give you that, but these guys they've been slogging away for years to get a spot here and she just strolled in."
I hadn't even taken the time to check on how she was doing. Mom had said that she was going to keep her distance since the marriage wasn't going to last and she was still hoping that Bianca and I would reconcile. Yeah, that would happen when Monet painted a can of Campbell soup!
Pablo sat down. "Maybe it's for the best."
"Why?"
“Everyone here has been pretty brutal to her, Damian."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"She's your wife. I thought she'd tell you. Since she didn't, I thought it wasn't too bad. But since we closed down her email access this morning, her emails are coming to me and…."
"And?"
Pablo opened his phone and pressed some buttons. He handed the phone to me.
Subject: Studio space
Hi,
Please clean up the space after you use it. We're not your servants, no matter who you're married to.
KK
Subject: Water bottle
Hi,
You left your water bottle on the lobby coffee table. Please clean after yourself. No housekeepers and maids here to do that.
Serena Ponte
Subject: Project hoursHi, I was informed you left work early on Friday. This is not acceptable. Please report to me asap on Monday morning so we can discuss.Regards,Jimmy
I read a few more and gave the phone back to Pablo.
"This is bullying." And I had no idea she was going through this because I didn't even talk to her since I forced her to live in my house.
"I know. I…look, it's best she's not there. These guys are not usually like this—it's just having her here fucked up the balance. She shows up all cheerful, trying to talk to everyone…it was just—"
"What?" I demanded, my temper flaring, "What the fuck is the problem with an employee being cheerful?"
"Nothing," Pablo replied glumly.
"You're head of HR. This is the kind of shit we expect you to take care of."
"I didn't even know it was going on until this morning, okay? And now that I know I will have a talk with the team. What do you want me to do about this resignation?"
"I'll let you know after I talk to her."
Pablo raised an eyebrow. "She resigned without telling you about it?"
"Looks like it." It wasn't a good look but there was no way to spin this. I left her all alone and hadn't checked-in with her in one…no two weeks, since I gave her the gold chain with the rings.
"Thanks, Pablo. I expect you to give me a report on how you've handled this case of bullying. I want an investigation and I want some heads to roll."
"Understood."
I called Emilia as soon as Pablo left my office and got her voicemail. I left her a message, asking her to call me back.
I had meetings all day back-to-back, so it wasn't until the late afternoon that I noticed Emilia had not gotten back to me. No calls, no text messages.
I tried again and I got her voicemail, again.
I called Liza. "Hey, is Emilia at home?"
Liza was silent.
"Liza?"
"She moved out, Damian."
"What? When?"
She told me. She left a week ago. A whole fucking week and I hadn't known.
"Why didn't you tell me, damn it?"
"Because she asked me not to," Liza snapped back, "She wanted to see how long it would take for you to notice she wasn't living in your apartment."
Liza never raised her voice at me. She'd been with me for eight years and not once had she ever said anything to me that was harsh. The fact that she was this pissed, spoke volumes about the magnitude of my fuck up.
"She went to her place?"
"Yes."
"How…how was she?"
I could hear her teeth clench, her silent irritation was loud. "Sad, Damian. She was sad that she was all alone. She didn't feel safe. This wasn't her space and…I don't think she was happy at work. I overheard her talking to her friend about how people were rude to her. And Mrs. Archer apparently ignored her whenever she saw her. What is going on? She's a sweet girl, Damian, she doesn't deserve this."
No, she doesn't. She's paying for my fuck up. I took advantage of her feelings for me and now her life is upside-down.
After all that I had done, I hadn't even had the decency to help her through it. I'd run away as I always did when things got uncomfortable. I didn't like conflict in my life. It was what I did with Bianca. Instead of forcing her to explain herself about Stanton, I went and seduced her sister. Instead of telling my parents about Bianca's betrayal, I had thrown Emilia under the bus.
"And, she knows you have Sunday lunch at the Archer house, and she's not invited. How do you think that makes her feel, Damian?"
I closed my eyes. Of course, she knew. The Winters had been attending those lunches since Bianca and I started dating three years ago. They were still joining us, which was why I didn't invite Emilia. I didn't want to create any unpleasantness.
I didn't think Emilia would care…no, that's not true, I didn't think Emilia even knew about them, so it seemed easier to keep the status quo. Go along to get along with my family. I was okay picking a fight when it came to professional matters but when it came to my family, I wanted, no needed to keep things smooth.
My getting married to Emilia was the first time I'd done something that had twisted my parents and brothers up.
"It broke my heart to see her so crushed. I expected better from you. I've seen how you treated Bianca. You were nice to her. Romantic. Kind. With Emilia? You were cold. Why did you marry her if you don't like her?"
Liza was on a roll.
"I like her," I said defensively. I lust after her a little too much. I'd stayed away from my house because if I had to sleep where she was, no way I wouldn’t slide into bed with her and….
I was pretending she didn't exist so I wouldn't fuck her three ways to Sunday because that's all my dick wanted to do every time she was around.
It was better when I didn't see her. So, I kept on not seeing her.
"Did she take her stuff?"
"Yes."
"All her stuff?"
"If you'd ever been home, Damian, you'd know all she brought was a suitcase. One suitcase. That's all. She took that and left."
I felt bile rise within me. She moved out.
Of course she did, you dickhead. You moved out of your apartment first for all practical purposes, so why would she stay?