“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 audacityof 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.
