ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟜𝟚 #3
"The position remains hers."
I stared at him. Surely I'd heard him wrong.
"I'm sorry.." I laughed once."What?"
"The office." He said slowly, pointing vaguely toward the hallway. "It's still Georgia's."
"No."
He nodded. "Yes."
"No." I stood so quickly the chair scraped loudly against the hardwood floor. "No!"
"Dixie."
"You called me here, Ted."
"I did."
"You let me think-"
"I never actually said anything." He cut me off.
"You knew exactly what I thought!"
"I suspected."
"Ted!" I yelled.
He remained perfectly composed.
"You allowed me to believe that I was.."
"I allowed you to make assumptions."
My jaw tightened. "You know what? You are unbelievable."
"I can assure you I've been called worse."
"Why am I here?" I cross my arms.
His answer came immediately. "I need you to clear out the remainder of your belongings."
The room became impossibly quiet. "My..."
"Your belongings," He nodded toward the hallway. "The few things still left in Georgia's office."
"You called me.." I stared at him in disbelief.
"Correct."
"To pack a box?"
"Also correct."
My chest tightened. "Are you joking? You must be joking."
"I'm not. You know I don't have time for games, Dixie."
"This could've been an email."
"You're right, it could have." He nodded calmly.
"So why wasn't it?"
"I preferred telling you in person. I like things live."
"Oh, how considerate." I laugh bitterly.
"I thought so."
Something inside me snapped. "You know what? I have spent weeks trying to prove to you that I deserve another chance."
"And I wouldn't expect any less."
"I've bent over backwards, I've given up-" I stopped myself.
No. I wasn't about to tell him about Cameron. That definitely wasn't any of his business.
"I've sacrificed a lot."
Ted looked at me carefully. "I know."
"And this..this is what I get? A box? Are you kidding me?"
His voice never rose. "It isn't punishment."
"It certainly feels like it. It feels humiliating."
"I understand you feeling that way."
"No you don't." I mutter.
He remained silent.
"Do you have any idea how excited I was driving here?"
"I thought..." My voice cracked before I could stop it. "I really thought..."
"I'm aware." Ted's expression softened. Barely.
"So then why go out of your way to completely embarrass me like this?"
He sighed quietly. "Because it needed to be done."
"No it didn't!"
"It did."
"You could've waited, could've let someone else do it."
"I chose not to."
"Why?" I asked, holding back hot tears.
He held my gaze. "Because despite what you currently think, I still respect you enough to tell you myself."
I scoffed. "Respect...This is your version of respect?"
"It is."
"I genuinely cannot stand you." I shook my head slowly.
"I know."
I pointed directly at him. "I hate you right now."
He nodded once. "I understand emotions can be high."
I took another frustrated step forward. "Ted, do you enjoy this?"
"Belittling me, demoting me, is this all a high to you?"
"No." He simply shook his head.
Gosh, I could slap him right now.
"You could've fooled me." I say, looking down.
"I didn't call you here to hurt you."
"Congratulations," I spread my arms. "It worked anyway."
Ted finally stood. He wasn't angry. If anything, he looked disappointed.
"Dixie."
"What!?" I yelled at him.
"I need you to collect your belongings."
"I am not touching that office."
"You will."
"No I won't."
"Yes you will, Dixie. You have to." He sighs like he's the mom in stress.
"No!"
"If you continue refusing, I'll have security escort you from the building." His voice remained perfectly level.
Escort me? Out of all people?
"You're kidding."
"I'm not. That's the thing Dixie, you always think I'm playing jokes."
The thing is, he is a joke. The biggest one ever.
"You'd call security on me?"
"If necessary."
I couldn't believe him. After everything. After all these years, Every win.
Security called on me. Once the best lawyer, now treated like shit. I stared at him.
He didn't look away. I hated that because it meant he wasn't bluffing. I grabbed my purse off the chair so hard it nearly slipped from my shoulder.
"You know what?" I walked toward the door.
"You are the most insufferable man I have ever met."
"I've heard that before."
"Better start believing it, you scum." I reached for the handle.
"Dixie."
I didn't turn around. "The office. I'll have Josh help."
I yanked the door open. "I don't need stupid Josh."
Then I walked out, letting the door slam behind me hard enough that half the hallway looked up.
Josh was standing right there when I said that. He looked at me in shock. I had only said that out of anger. I didn't really mean that about him.
"Josh, I..it's not about you, okay? No hard feelings."
He nodded slightly. "None taken."
I walked past him, marching toward the elevators before anyone could stop me.
My chest burned, my face felt hot- every step made me angrier.
A box.
A stupid cardboard box.
Why was my life so unfortunate all the time?
~