Why is she smiling? I wondered. I just told her off. She should be steaming mad and wanting to kick my ass out of her office.
“Do you recall when you first came to work for me?”
“Yeah? It was on a day that—”
She interrupted me, obviously not looking for me to actually answer her question. “You signed a contract.”
Her words were like a sucker punch to the stomach.
I licked my lips that had suddenly gone as dry as a desert. “So? What does that matter?”
Now it looked like Christine was the one holding back maniacal laughter. “Do you recall what was in the contract, Miss Young?”
The room began to spin around me as panic began to seep in.
I’d been so desperate to get the job working for Christine, I hadn’t thought to go read through it all, eager to sign my soul away for the chance at a future career in fashion. A chance at reaching that first step in achieving my dreams.
“No,” I admitted.
Christine grinned. “The terms and conditions were that you cannot terminate your job with me without at least a sixty-day notice for any reason outside of a medical or family emergency without opening yourself to legal ramifications.”
It took a lot to steady myself. Any second and I was going to faint.
Christine looked me over while speaking with glee. “And since the only emergency it looks like you’re in is a dire need to lose another twenty pounds off your enormous rear end . . .” Christine’s smile took over her entire face. “I could sue your fat ass off.”
It was all I could do to stay standing. “Y-y-you can’t do that,” I stammered.
Christine crossed her arms across her chest. “Watch me.”
"That's not legal. Besides, it’s not like I actually have anything to sue for.”
Christine uncrossed her arms and leaned forward across her desk, boring into me with suddenly cold, calculating eyes. "Do you really want to take that chance with me, Victoria?”
When I didn't reply, Christine let out a chuckle, a heartless, evil sound that felt like a knife was being jabbed in my side. "I didn't think so." She snapped her fingers and did her customary ‘shoo the fly’ gesture. "Now go make my coffee."
* * *
"She's just doing this to keep me chained here!" I sobbed into my hands. “She’s too sadistic to let me out of my contract and pursue my own career elsewhere."
"I'm sorry, Vick," April cooed, "but you should've known better than to try Christine. In fact, I'm in shock that you're still here. Telling Christine to shut up and calling her a miserable hag?" April shook her head and let loose a chuckle of disbelief. "No one has ever dared to say anything like that to her before . . . at least no one who has lived to tell the story, that is."
I sniffed, taking the back of my hand and wiping at my tears.
April and I were sitting at a small table. I had an untouched bagel with cream cheese on it while April had one celery stick. I don’t know why she bothered. She might as well have had a plate of cotton balls in front of her for all the calories it contained.
News of my insubordination had spread like wildfire. I’d had people casting furtive glances my way and whispering to each other. I knew what they were probably saying. Something along the lines of, Did you hear about what Victoria said to Christine? She must have been born with a set of balls.
“I know, right? I should be gone. If anyone else had said what I said, they’d have been fired in a New York minute. But me? She threatens to sue me to keep me working for her. It just goes to show how much she delights in my misery.” I shook my head angrily. “She hates the fact that I’ll be able to make a career for myself without her help."
"Will you though?" asked April skeptically.
I sniffed and then stared at her. "Will I what?"
"Be able to make a career for yourself? You still have a lot to learn, Vicky.”
"Yeah.” I paused. “Tyler said that he would help me in any way he can." I quickly outlined Tyler’s offer to help me fund my career and maybe start a business together.
April studied me for a long moment before speaking. "You know I love you, Vick, but I'm sorry. Do you honestly believe this guy? You seriously can’t be that naïve, Vick. The dude’s a major player. He probably tells girls stuff like that all the time just to get them in bed."
"No, it's not like that, April," I hissed irritably, surprised at the anger dripping in my voice. I paused for a moment, sucking in a deep breath to calm myself before continuing. “At first I was like you, thinking he was a big time player, but I’ve since found out that he’s not like that at all. He’s got another side to him.”