Chapter 2
Charlie
Monday morning arrives wicked fast considering it was the longest weekend of my life.
I went full cliche after leaving the office Friday night and bought a shit ton of ice cream and scarfed it down while sobbing and listening to the saddest playlist I could find on Spotify.
That was how I spent the entire weekend.
I didn't really know what else to do. I have no real friends here, and my parents were on their way down to Mexico for the winter and I didn't want to bother them. I actually hadn’t even told them about Brad yet so that would have been a whole lecture in and of itself and it's better to just avoid it anyways.
Oh, for fuck sakes, I'm covered in melted ice cream.
No wonder Brad doesn't want anything to do with me anymore.
Why would he have my over emotional, messy ass when he could have the beautiful, gorgeous Olivia with huge boobs who exclusively wears fuck me skirts to the office.
He's not exactly a prize himself ... pretty average dick that he doesn't really know how to use and blond hair that he slicks back Malfoy style.
That gave me the ick, but I looked past it because is body was incredible and while he wasn't complimentary, he didn't seem to mind mine.
Hindsight is a real bitch. He didn’t even treat me that well and here I am, an overly emotional mess because he acted like the pig that he’s been showing me he was all along.
He was always pushing me to go to the gym and hiding me away.
I told myself it was because of the work-thing, but I knew deep down he was embarrassed about how I looked.
Why did he even want to be with me anyways?
Was I scratching some sort of fetish itch for him?
Ugh.
I get out of bed, stripping off my t-shirt covered in gooey, left-over ice-cream and hop into the shower.
I can't afford to miss work, so I guess I'm going in.
Thank goodness Brad and I don't work on the same floor.
Hopefully I can avoid him and use my lunches to look for somewhere different to work.
If I'm lucky, I'll never see the cheating douchebag again.
Was it even really cheating though? We never discussed exclusivity, only secrecy. Maybe I'm missing something here ... I texted him yesterday asking if we could talk and I still haven't gotten a response. Maybe he's mad at me for dropping takeout on his carpet and running out.
But a small part of me is roaring, telling me he has no right to be mad at me and that I should be madder than I am at him.
But I just can't seem to find it in myself.
Above all else, I feel disgusting. I hate how he makes me feel, but at least he wanted me.
Past tense of course being the whole thing here.
I get out of the shower and give myself a once over in the mirror.
My eyes are still puffy from crying and my damp, dark brown hair falls past my too-small-for-my-body-type breasts, dripping water onto my full stomach and thighs.
The only thing I really have going for me is my ass, which has remained round and plump even through my years of binge eating.
It was the only part of my body Brad ever complimented.
Maybe it's time to actually use the corporate gym. Brad would just love that.
One step at a time Charlie. Let's just get through the day first.
I quickly finish getting ready, hoping that by some miracle I don't look as haggard as I feel but it becomes really apparent that something is wrong the second that I step into the office.
A few people are giving me weird looks, while most avoid my gaze entirely.
I get to my cubicle quickly, feeling my face flush with anxiousness.
I haven't even sat down when I see the sticky note in the middle of my computer monitor.
SEE ME. ASAP.
I recognize my boss Marty's handwriting, so I drop my bag and coat and make my way over to his office. But he isn't alone in there. A woman that I don't recognize is also in there, sitting on Marty's side of the desk. She looks up when I enter the office.
"Charlie, please have a seat.” Marty’s expression is unreadable as he addresses me.
"Is something wrong?" I ask while doing as he said.
The lady I don't know chimes in, "Miss James, my name is Elena, and I work in human resources.
I'm here today because some concerning information was brought to our attention this weekend and I have been tasked to investigate it.
Are you aware of our policies regarding fraternizing with fellow staff members and management? "
Fuck.
"Yes," I mumble, my cheeks now impossibly redder than when I first walked in. Tears prick the corners of my eyes.
"We were informed that you may be having a relationship that is sexual in nature with one of our senior managers," she says, watching me with a pitying expression on her face.
"I was," I managed to choke out before the tears started falling. "But not any longer."
"Regardless of its current status, you are confirming that the relationship did happen?"
I nod, not really understanding why she is asking twice.
She begins writing something on the clipboard that is in her lap.
The room is completely silent other than the scratching of her pen.
I take a second to wipe the tears from my face and glance over at Marty.
He stares at me, the disappointment and pity now apparent in his expression.
I drop my eyes to my lap. This is so freaking embarrassing.
"And this relationship was with Bradley Johnson?" Elena asks, not even looking up from the clipboard.
I go to nod again, but then remember she isn't even looking at me, so I mumble yes. It feels like it’s a thousand degrees in this room and the tears are flowing freely now. I know where this is going.
"Miss James, do you remember the agreement you signed when you were first hired here?"
"There were several different things that I signed, but I do vaguely recall them yes."
Marty slaps a bundle of paper down on the desk which causes me to look up. There it is. The "No fraternization" agreement that I most definitely read and signed. My loopy signature is right there across the bottom.
"We're going to have to let you go Charlie," Marty says, sounding defeated but still looking so angry.
He and I had an okay relationship, and he sometimes even complimented my work ethic.
He must be mad at the situation and not at me specifically, but I still feel so much shame that I can't even look him in the eye.
"The relationship between Brad and I is over," I state as blandly as possible, hoping this will magically change what is happening.
"Regardless," Elena says gently, "You have admitted that there was a relationship between you two and that you were aware of the policies that were in place regarding this. Unfortunately, our hands are tied, and we have no other choice."
I am so humiliated and defeated. I don't even have anything left in me to argue with them. But … I have to know. "Is Brad being fired too?"
"Brad has a different sort of contract with the company and will be disciplined accordingly." Elena states matter-of-factly.
She could have just said no.
"And there is nothing I can do to change this?" I ask, but considering I was going to find a new job anyways this might be a blessing. But I do need the money ... you know, to live and all that. This is not a cheap city to live in either.
Although, if I am being completely honest with myself …
there is this small sense of relief creeping across my shoulders.
The idea of having to be here, where I could see Brad at any moment, with anyone, has been giving me a crazy amount of anxiety.
If I didn’t need the money, I probably wouldn’t have even come back at all.
Elena just shakes her head, and Marty sighs deeply. "Once you've grabbed your personal items you can leave your ID badge on your desk. We will e-mail some documents to you for your records, but as of this moment you are no longer employed by CCB."