Chapter 17 #2
Grave errors, my ass. They were simple and easily fixed before the inspector had left. “Yes, but they were all rectified.”
“Maybe so. But mediocrity is not tolerated here. You and I both know that. The Powells expect every employee to be on their A-game at all times. Even if you are sleeping with their son.”
I scowled, my internal temperature warming a few more degrees. Sweat gathered at the small of my back, making my silk shirt cling to me uncomfortably.
“My relationship with Elijah has nothing to do with my position or why I was hired. I earned this job on my own merit.”
“Which makes this even sadder because, I’m letting you go.”
My mouth fell open. “I… I’m sorry. You’re firing me?!”
“I’m sure you understand that this isn’t personal, but about your work ethic. Not only did you get the company written up during the inspection, but then you took a week off. That doesn’t look very good for us.”
“But… the inspector said she wouldn’t write us up for the mistakes on my paperwork. Did you discuss this with Amelia and Robert?”
“Did I tell them you were responsible for the write-ups we received? Yes, I did. I told them I’d be firing you to keep our impeccable reputation.”
My mind reeled and my vision blurred. “But… But… The only thing we were written up for was the miscalculated taxes claimed for the acquisition of Murdoc and Sons, and the person in charge of that was…” My eyes widened. “You!”
Mr. Trevino scrunched up his face, “Yes, well. I couldn’t go down for that now, could I?”
“But… I don’t understand. Why me?”
“Because you made it easy. You already messed up once. The Powells were eager to let you take the fall for this. It seems they don’t consider you good enough for their son and were willing to believe anything to prove it.
Besides…” He closed the distance between our legs, goosebumps rising on my skin despite the heat that coursed through me.
“If you are no longer working for me or fucking Elijah Powell, then we can finally be together.”
My blood ran cold as I tried to scoot further back into my chair, but there wasn’t anywhere for me to go. “What are you talking about?”
“You are a beautiful woman, Cadence, and I’ve seen how you look at me. You want me, and I want you. Any man would be lucky to find himself between these thighs.”
I hated that I’d worn a pencil skirt today. When Mr. Trevino put his hand on my knee, he touched my bare skin.
Sliding his fingers up my leg, he reached the hem of my skirt before flattening his hand and pushing his palm under the hem of the fabric.
I had officially gone from the depths of Hell to being frozen in the Arctic. I couldn’t get my muscles to move.
“Remove your hand, Mr. Trevino, and I won’t press charges against you.”
He leaned forward, his face inches from mine. “Oh, come now, Cadence. There has always been something between us. And since you’re not working here anymore, we can act on it.”
I squeezed my legs together and raised my chin, slowly thawing from the rage that ran through my veins. The audacity of him astounded me. “Your touch is unwelcome and unwanted. Move your hand.”
“If you are worried about Elijah, we don’t have to tell him. If, by some miracle, he doesn’t leave you, we can work this out. It’s his parents who run this company, anyway. If they want him to sweep this under the rug, they will.”
Two things happened simultaneously.
First—I pulled my arm back and punched Mr. Trevino as hard as I could right on the nose.
Second—I realized Elijah’s parents would do absolutely anything to get rid of me.
As Mr. Trevino yelled and grabbed his bleeding nose, I stood, flung open the door to his office, and stalked out with my head held high.
“Security! Security!” I heard him yell behind me.
I walked to my desk on shaky legs while exuding an air of confidence I didn’t have and snatched my purse before taking a final glance at my workspace.
Anything I had here was replaceable, and I honestly didn’t care if I ever got any of it back.
Except for one thing. I grabbed the framed photo of Elijah and me that sat beside my monitor.
Even as I heard Mr. Trevino screaming for someone to arrest me, I stared at the faces in the frame. We had taken it during college, and it was my favorite picture of us. We were so carefree and happy. Young and full of life.
Now, all our pictures were properly posed and never candid.
I needed to talk to Elijah. He would support me through this, help me plead my case with his parents. I didn’t want to believe that they wouldn’t listen to reason.
The negative emotions I’d felt in Fayetteville came racing back like a bad omen and grew louder as I shoved the frame into my purse.
I turned around to find the security guards flanking Mr. Trevino.
“Detain her! She physically assaulted me! She broke my nose!” He was trying to yell, but it sounded muffled and off-pitch.
I glanced from one guard to another as I spoke clearly and evenly.
“I’m on my way out of this office, and if he wishes to press charges, he’s more than welcome to try, since he was the one to put his hand under my skirt first. I’m sure a countersuit of sexual assault would easily trump this.
” Then I looked right at Mr. Trevino’s bloodied face.
“If you try to do anything to me, I will come for you and this company for the unlawful termination of my employment as well as sexual harassment.” I tilted my head to the side.
“I doubt Amelia and Robert would like that to make national headlines in lieu of the acquisitions.”
Then I straightened and walked out the doors of Powell Enterprises for the last time with my chin held high.
I’d tried to call Elijah from the parking lot, but I kept getting his voicemail. Even when I called the main line, they told me he was unavailable. It was evident they were screening my calls. Frustrated and out of options, I headed home.
But as I paced my house with a bag of frozen corn on my hand, which throbbed from punching Mr. Trevino, I didn’t know how to diffuse the energy.
Everywhere I went, men treated me as a sexual object. Like the only thing I was good for was how I looked and what pleasure my body could give them. It didn’t matter what I desired. It seemed impossible for me to smile or be nice to anyone with a dick without them imagining I wanted to fuck them.
I was a tool, and I had allowed myself to be treated that way. I laughed off the jokes, shrugged away from their hands, pretended like their actions were innocent, when they clearly were not.
Even Elijah treated me like that. He didn’t have time in his day to listen to me when I needed him, but he was okay with fucking me whenever he wanted.
I couldn’t interrupt work when my boss had touched me against my will and fired me, but if I started sending him dirty texts, he’d answer right away.
I gripped the edge of the counter until my knuckles turned white.
I was becoming unhinged. The air was trapped in my lungs and I couldn’t breathe with the weight of everything on my chest. I needed to talk to someone, and not just anyone.
Someone who wouldn’t pass judgement. Who would know just what to say to calm me down in my reckless state.
Chewing on my lip, I pulled out my phone and clicked on my text conversation with Damien. I’d never messaged him back yesterday, but now I was going to pretend that didn’t happen.
My fingers froze over the keyboard, remembering Jade. I had promised myself I’d put distance between Damien and I, but at this moment, I needed him.
Are you busy right now?
He responded immediately.
Damien
No, what’s up?
Can I call you?
Sure. Are you okay?
I clicked on the Facetime icon and tried to push down the flutters in my stomach as I waited for him to answer.
When his handsome face popped up on the screen, I found I could breathe again.
“What’s wrong?”
“Did I wake you? You’re still in bed.” He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his hair was adorably disheveled.
He grinned and rubbed his eye, “Not really. I’m just lying in my bunk on the bus. I don’t have the luxury of windows, so my phone is a little bright.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” And I finally noticed the white earbud that sat snug in his ear.
“Don’t be. But seriously, what’s going on?”
I frowned. The small amount of bare chest I could see had distracted me. I mentally shook myself and refocused. “Well. Actually. I’ve had a crazy morning. I just got fired.”
“Are you kidding? So, they did fire you.”
“Yeah! Can you believe that?” I moved from the kitchen to my couch and sat down, leaving my frozen veggies behind.
“What happened?”
I blew out a breath of air. “I’m still trying to comprehend it myself.
I came in this morning, and my boss called me into his office.
He said it was because of the compliance inspection we had.
Yes, I made a mistake, but fixed it on the spot and wasn’t written up.
Instead, my boss blamed his write-ups on me and fired me for it. ”
“Seriously? That’s fucked up.”
“Oh. Just wait. It gets worse.”
“Do I need to be sitting for this?”
“You’re lying down right now.”
“Good point. Proceed.”
“As he’s giving me the good news, my boss decides to hit on me.”
Damien scoffed. “Jesus.”
“Then he puts his hand on my leg and—”
“What?!” Damien interrupts me. “He touched you?”
I nodded. “Yeah.” The word had come out so softly, I wasn’t sure if he’d heard it.
Damien ran a hand through his hair and down his face before taking a deep breath. “Keep going.”
I cleared my throat. “He pushed his hand under the hem of my skirt—”
“I can’t fucking believe this,” he whispered.
He didn’t say anything else, so I continued. “I asked him to move his hand, three times or so, before I punched him.”
Damien’s eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. “You hit him?”
“Uh-huh. Right in the nose.”
He laughed.
Damien was laughing.
The sound was beautiful and melodic, just like when he sang. It was infectious, and I joined him despite the circumstances.
“And here I was thinking I’d need to come defend your honor, but it seems you beat me to it.”
“It wasn’t something I’d planned. It just happened. Fight or flight. And I’m a fighter.”
“How do you keep getting in situations where men are trying to take advantage of you?” He still smiled, but his question had a serious undertone.
“I’m small and nice to people. Apparently, that means I’m okay with screwing every guy I come across. They think I’m willing, vulnerable, and easy to take advantage of.”
Like I’m just a sweet piece of ass to them.
“But they’re wrong. You’re anything but.”
“I know that. And they find out soon enough.”
“Hmph. What did Elijah say about you getting fired and harassed?”
I pressed my lips together. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to him yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“I called him, but it just goes to voicemail. I tried the office too. But they won’t let my calls through.”
“He doesn’t know.” It was a statement, not a question.
“No.”
Damien didn’t answer immediately, but his eyes narrowed as he watched me. His unwavering stare made me feel naked and exposed, like I was standing on a stage in my underwear in front of thousands of people. “Say something.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
He sighed as he tugged on his hair. “It’s not my place to weigh in on your relationship and tell you how to handle it. I don’t want to be in the middle of whatever you two have going on and it’s not fair to put me there.”
I dropped my gaze to my lap. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”
“But promise me one thing.”
I looked back up into those captivating blue eyes. “Okay.”
“You defended yourself today against one villain in your life and I’m proud of you for that. Remember to stand up for yourself against anyone else who tries to make you do or feel something you don’t like.”
I smiled, but I knew it wasn’t convincing. “I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll let you get back to… whatever it was. Thanks for talking it out with me.”
“Of course. You know I’m always here for you.”
“Bye.”
I hung up before he had the chance to say anything else.