Chapter 0208
His words were final. I knew enough about him to know that was true.
“I’ll speak to Maria and the others. Privately,” I said.
“Thank you,” Logan replied and sat back down. He placed the list face down on the corner of the desk.
My own anger flickered under the surface of my skin, but I knew I could do nothing more here. So I left
him and went in search of Maria.
I knew she hadn’t left yet because she hadn’t logged out of the employee work chat, but when I went to her desk, I found it empty. The bathroom then? I headed there.
Just inside, I heard the sound of sobbing.
“Maria?” I called.
“Over here, Hazel,” Maria replied, sniffling.
I followed the sound of her voice and found her crying underneath the row of sinks. She was tucked up into the corner, a bunch of paper towels clutched in her hands. Her makeup was running down her face, mascara marks tracked down her cheeks.
Kneeling in front of her, I took one of the paper towels and dabbed at her cheeks, trying to clear some of the mess. But the tears kept coming.
“I can’t do it, Hazel,” Maria said. “After everything… After years of work… I just can’t do this…”
“You can do it,” I tell her, trying to be uplifting, but my best friend knows when I’m not being entirely truthful. It’s not that I don’t believe in her, but that I doubt all of us. No one can meet these standards.
“You don’t believe that,” Maria said. “Even on my best day, I couldn’t get half of what they expect. I just don’t have those kind of high rolling clients. My client list are schools and nursing homes. Do they really think I can convince them to buy more of our products?
don’t know,” I admit.
“I’ve seen the email,” Maria said. “The new efficiency standard. There’s no way I can match it. Maybe I should start looking for another job…”
I wanted her to stay, and was fighting for her, but I couldn’t exactly discourage the job search. At this rate, she probably would be happier elsewhere.
“But then… can I even depend on this company to give me a good recommendation? They’re just going to tell everyone I can’t do my job.”
Maria covered her face with her hands.
“Can’t you talk to Logan, Hazel? Maybe he’d actually listen to you.”
“I already have,” I admit.
Maria peeks at me between her fingers and I shake my head.
“It’s not him. It’s the board and his grandfather setting the rules.”
25 BONUS
Chapter 0208
“Bullshit,” Maria said. “He’s the CEO, not an intern. He’s picking sides. And he’s choosing his rich friends. over his own employees that depend on him.”
“We all need to work just a little harder, okay? If the numbers go up some, then Logan will have something to show the board and maybe they’ll back off.” I parroted some of what Logan told me.
As I spoke, Maria lowered her hands and glared at me. “Are you serious right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You sound just like them,” Maria said. “The high society types.” She scoffed. “I’d always rooted for you and Logan, Hazel, you know I did. I thought maybe you’d help bring him down to earth and he’d help you have some fun for a change. But all that’s happening is you are turning into someone I don’t recognize.”
That stung so painfully that I physically recoiled. “You don’t mean that.”
“If you side with him on this, Hazel… You’ve really lost yourself.” She looked down. “Maybe you should get a divorce before it’s too late.”
