well it was my own rental. We didn’t live together.”
I offered a small, silent smile. “Well, it was my
“Holy crap. He didn’t even cover your rent? That’s just pathetic.” Chris smoothed his suit jacket and began to pace, shooting glances at me. “1 never would have guessed, Clara. You’re a true romantic… A woman with your looks, he should have at least bought you a
condo. Why didn’t you just leave him?”
He was appraising me, putting a price tag on me. The old me would have torn him a new one. Now, I just adjusted my expression
and played along.
y severance pay?”
“I was young and foolish back then,” I said with a Joking tone. “So, on that note, how about a little extra on my
A knock sounded at the door. An assistant poked his head in. “Mr. Blackwood, the meeting is about to start.”
Chris nodded and straightened his tie. I quickly moved to hold the door for him. He grabbed a folder and walked past me.
“You’re not on the layoff list anymore. Get back to work.”
- 3.
Damn.
I was hoping to squeeze a little more out of the severance package. Now I’d have to resign on my own.
Chris’s fiancée had become a notorious figure around the office. Rumor had it she was the granddaughter of some big shot in New York, with incredibly wealthy parents of her own. Her status was high, and so was her temper. The moment they got engaged, she demanded Chris fire all his close female subordinates.
Chris had two lead secretaries, a man and a woman, who were his right and left hands. The female lead was too brilliant to let go, so Chris managed to save her. But the rest of us–the executive secretaries and personal assistants–weren’t so lucky.
Even if I wasn’t fired, staying would be miserable. It would only be a matter of time before the new Mrs. Blackwood decided I was a threat.
I went back to my desk. A few colleagues from other departments were in the secretarial pool getting documents stamped. When they saw me, their faces filled with pity.
“Clara, when are you leaving? We should all get dinner.”
I pulled out my chair and slumped over my desk. “The earliest would be next month. I have to go through the proper process.”
“Process? You don’t have to wait if you’re being fired, do you?”
“I’m resigning,” I said. “Mr. Blackwood isn’t firing me. Does anyone have a resignation letter template I can use?”
Thank you for the opportunity… due to personal reasons… I have decided to resign.
I hit send on the email, pushed my keyboard away, and took a deep breath.
Chris’s careless words echoed in my mind. He must have really, really liked the woman to keep her child.
I never knew what Adrian truly felt for me.
During the time I worked in New York, I lived in a building that was the first stop for countless transplants trying to make it in the city. The place was a chaotic mix of people and things.
It was there I was followed for the first time.
And it was there someone tried to break into my apartment.
I was a light sleeper that night. The vibration of my phone woke me. It was an alert from my security camera. Someone was linger- Ing outside my door.
The man on the screen was masked, wearing a hat and gloves. I couldn’t see his face, and his figure was hidden by bulky work
clothes. The lock–picking was professional, swift. He even glanced back occasionally to whisper and laugh with a partner out of
frame.
I stood frozen in my living room for a few seconds before my survival instinct kicked in and I ran to the kitchen for a knife. I hid
back in my bedroom, eyes glued to the monitor, and shakily dialed 911. Then, I called Adrian,
His voice was husky with sleep. “What’s wrong?”
