Chapter 28
Jules
As I walk home, my feet pounding against the pavement and reverberating up through my body, I can’t stop thinking about the look on Russell’s face.
People pass me on the sidewalk, dozens of faceless bodies a blur. Chicago towers around me, but I could be anywhere. I can’t see a thing as I walk but the sidewalk rolling under my feet like a treadmill, consistently moving.
Dejection. Refusal.
He won’t even consider doing the DNA test. What harm would it be? If he’s so sure there’s no chance that Gus is his, then why would he care about doing the test?
Unless he does think there’s a chance it could come back positive, and he doesn’t want to risk that.
My phone buzzes, and I glance at it to see a notification. A single email from Elemint’s HR department.
SUBJECT: Termination Details and Requirements (Elemint Public Relations and Branding)
From: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Ms. Harper,
I am writing to inform you that your employment with Elemint Public Relations and Branding is effectively terminated following your behavior in the all-hands meeting today. As you know, catastrophe moments are precisely when we need level-headed decision-making, not infighting.
After conversations with both Peter Valdez and Quinn White, we’ve written a full report. Despite apparent efforts from Mr. Valdez to remedy the situation, it has become evident that your behavior has not improved, and the negative impact on the company's operations and work environment is unacceptable.
Based on Elemint’s policies and the employment agreement you signed, we have determined that termination of your employment is the appropriate course of action.
Please return any and all equipment you currently possess, including laptops, tablets, and headsets. If you are in possession of any sensitive client documents, return them by Monday afternoon at the latest.
It would be in your best interest to take this as an opportunity to evaluate your actions and make necessary improvements. Elemint is wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.
Any outstanding compensation, including payment for accrued vacation days, will be processed according to Elemint’s standard procedures and will be provided to you in your final paycheck.
Should you have any questions regarding the termination process or the specific reasons for your termination, please contact Sheryl Montgomery in the HR department.
Sincerely,
Sarah Hannen, MBA
Public Relations Outreach Manager
Elemint Public Relations and Branding
So that’s it. I’m officially done at the firm.
I feel dizzy from the whiplash of it all.
HR worked fast, likely with Peter pushing them and filling them in on just how much I’ve sucked. The email says they talked to Quinn, too. I wonder if she told them she chased me out and finally offered to take me on her team, rather than lose me.
It doesn’t matter. It’s over.
Russell and I are done, too. After this morning, when he told me he wanted to invest in me, when he made me feel like this thing might be going somewhere real—somewhere that, up to ten minutes ago, I really wanted it to go—I’d felt like I was floating.
Now, I feel every single pound of weight on my body, pulling hard toward the ground as I walk, jolting my knees with each step. If it weren’t for the fact of my son back at my apartment, I could almost slow to a stop, sink down and lay down right on the concrete.
