Chapter 43
About five minutes ago, Melissa announced Levi’s arrival.
Now, everyone is gathered around the table in the adjoining room, which I use for meetings. Joaquín tried to come, but a trial he was involved in ran longer than expected. So it’s just me, Olívia, and our lawyer, along with Kathleen and Charlotte with their respective legal representatives.
“Can we begin?” Levi asks, but without waiting for an answer, he continues, “Well, I’ll take that silence as a yes. Miss Charlotte, please recount what happened on the day of the incident with Miss Freitas.”
Olívia’s hand, held in mine, is cold.
“Well, actually, it all started a few days before,” says Charlotte. “Miss Taylor approached me, saying she had a task for me.”
Five seconds into her statement and I’m already boiling.
I look at Kathleen, and she stands there with her head held high, proud, as if none of this concerns her.
Sensing my mood, Olívia tightens her grip on my hand, intertwining our fingers even tighter under the table.
“And what did this task consist of?”
“She asked me to put my wallet in Miss Freitas’s bag.”
“This young woman sitting across from you?”
She briefly lifts her eyes to look at Olívia. “Yes, her.”
At least the woman has the decency to look ashamed.
In fact, her testimony is just a repetition of what she already told the police, but Levi needs Kathleen’s dismissal to leave no room for doubt.
Kathleen’s lawyer interrupts. “There’s no proof of what she’s saying.” Much like his client, he seems almost bored.
“We’ll get there,” Levi warns. “Your colleague should be aware that we’re meeting here before proper police action is taken, purely out of courtesy.
It’s only out of consideration for the many years of service provided by your client that we haven’t brought detectives into our little meeting.
” As he speaks, his face shows no emotion.
The man is chillingly cold. “Continue, Miss Charlotte. What was Miss Taylor’s intent in asking you to do this? ”
“I’m not sure. Probably . . . um . . . to get Miss Freitas fired.”
“Not arrested?”
“Maybe.”
“And why did you agree to such a vile plan?”
Unlike her other answers, she doesn’t hesitate with this one. “Because until then, we all thought Kathleen would be the next Mrs. Caldwell-Oviedo.”
What? Why the hell would anyone believe that? It’s hard to catch me off-guard, but this time I’m completely shocked. Olívia turns her face to look at me, and I can see the doubt in her eyes.
“What led you to think such nonsense, given that there was never any evidence of a relationship between me and Miss Taylor?” I ask, because I’ve held my temper in check for too long.
“Miss Taylor threatened us. She said you were having a secret relationship because of your recent widowhood, and that Olívia, I mean, Miss Freitas, was trying to steal you from her. That she needed to get her out of the way.”
From my peripheral vision, I see Olívia cover her mouth with her hand.
“You’re dismissed,” Levi says, addressing Charlotte.
She doesn’t work for me anymore anyway, and her presence was only necessary in order to confront Kathleen.
When she leaves, I turn my attention back to the blonde woman whom I believed, even in a purely professional relationship, I knew.
She remains impassive, but suddenly, she turns to look at me.
We lock eyes for a few seconds, but what I see there brings back my brother’s words. I need to protect Olívia. She’s dangerous.
“That’s a very nice story, but as you gentlemen know, justice works based on evidence, not gossip.
Therefore, nothing said here will prevent Miss Taylor from getting her job back or, if she’s no longer welcome in the Caldwell-Oviedo group, receiving compensation of .
. .” He pretends to think. “I think a seven-figure sum would be a good starting point for negotiations, considering my client has been the target of insinuations that harm her professional image. Otherwise, we’ll have to take legal action. ”
“In fact, we do have evidence that the order for framing Olívia Freitas came from your client. Miss Taylor’s scheme was almost perfect, but she forgot that the instructions she gave to Charlotte, about what to do and when, were through WhatsApp.
” Levi pulls out some printed pages from his folder and hands them to Kathleen’s lawyer.
“Now, let’s talk about your supposed relationship with Guillermo Caldwell-Oviedo, Miss Taylor. ”
“We kept it a secret,” she has the audacity to say.
I look at Olívia, and she signals a no with her head, as if to say we’re okay, sensing that I’m boiling with anger.
I’m eager to respond, but Levi looks at me, asking for patience.
“And when did this supposed relationship start?”
“Right after Mrs. Caldwell-Oviedo’s death. When Guillermo finally felt free to love again.”
Jesus Christ!
I try to remember the months after Layla’s death. That was when Kathleen really became more explicit about her intentions. Until then, I had noticed some looks, but without false modesty, that was never uncommon in my life. But suddenly, she seemed daring.
“Coincidentally, your fictitious relationship with my client began when your neighbor, who filed a restraining order against you, moved out.”
“What?” Now it’s her lawyer’s turn to be wide-eyed.
Clearly, Kathleen didn’t tell him everything. Big mistake. A lawyer is like a priest. Once confessions start, you shouldn’t keep secrets.
“Here, esteemed colleague, you can see in detail the restraining order filed,” Levi continues, offering more papers to her lawyer.
“In it, Mr. Mason Abbot asks that your client stay away not only from him but also from his fiancée, who had her car’s four tires slashed by Miss Taylor, which was caught on the condo’s security cameras. ”
“I won’t continue listening to these lies,” Kathleen says, although she remains seated.
God, Joaquín’s intuition about her was correct. The woman is insane.
“So, can we reach an agreement on a voluntary dismissal? Of course, she’ll receive everything due to her but nothing beyond what’s stipulated in the employment contract.”
“And what about the criminal charges?” Her lawyer’s demeanor has completely changed after examining the material provided by Levi.
“We can’t do anything about that. As you must know, everything is now in the hands of the police.”
“One last thing, Levi,” I interject. “Include in the agreement that this woman can no longer come near Olívia.”
“You can’t be serious, Guillermo!” Kathleen addresses me for the first time, using my first name, something she has never done before. I wonder if she’s lost between fantasy and reality. “It’s me, Kathleen, your longtime partner.”
God, she’s definitely insane.
“I’m sorry you created expectations in your head. You were never my partner, only an employee.”
“Like her? She’s also your employee.”
“No, she’s my girlfriend.”
Despite realizing her craziness, I don’t expect her reaction.
A hysterical laugh fills the air, and she stands up, pointing at Olívia. “You’re not even worthy of being a substitute, Olívia. You’ll never end up with him. I promise.”
“You know, when I started working here, they said your nickname was ‘rabid bitch,’ and I initially felt sorry for you when I heard that, but looking at you now, I can’t find a better description.
” The aggression in Olívia is unusual, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t damn proud of my little firecracker.