“In addition to the one you have now.”
He must have seen her confusion, because he explained, “The company is going through a restructuring, and you know what that means.” A fake laugh. “Fortunately, you have no worries about staying on. You’re a team player, and I made sure to let the higher-ups know that.”
“Thank you.”For stating the truth.But she had to make sense of his words. “Just to be clear, I’m getting a raise lower than I was promised when I signed on. And you’re giving me another job as well?”
“What? No, no. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m sorry for the confusion.”
She nodded, glad to have been misinformed. Then Frank told her exact same thing but in different words. He called Laura’s job important but low effort, and they needed someone smart to take over the responsibility. A team player who would serve the company’s needs without a problem.
Without the pay.
“I’m sorry, Frank. I just keep hearing that I need to do more work. The work oftwopeople, yet I’m only getting paid for one position, and at much less than our competitors’.” She knew because she’d looked.
Frank appeared disappointed. “I’m sorry if I’m not explaining it to you correctly.”
Oh no, I understood you perfectly.
“It’s just... A lot of our people were let go. I fought to keep your position. But not because I’m a great boss or anything,” he said, trying to downplay his ability that didn’t actually exist. “But because you deserve it. You’ve been nothing but a help to me and this department.”
You need to earn your place,she heard her father say time and time again.We Ferreras have always had to work twice as hard as others because we don’t come from money, but we manage to rise to the top. Adversity is just an obstacle, Justine. Quitting gets you nowhere. Keep working onyouand you’ll see.
She did know that several people had left the company, but from what she’d heard, it was to take better employment—with a commensurate salary—elsewhere.
Frustrated and let down, she felt on the verge of tears. Not at all how a professional would handle a meeting with her boss.
She swallowed down her disappointment. “Thank you for the meeting, Frank.”
He smiled, relief clear on his face. “Good. Well, why don’t you take off early today?”
She glanced at the clock on his wall. She only had another fifteen minutes before her day ended. What a guy.
“I’ll have Rebecca send over Laura’s workload, so you should have it first thing in the morning.”
With nothing more to say, she stood, nodded to him, and left.
Her drive felt empty, her thoughts and feelings all over the place. Needing to take the edge off, once home, she dressed in running clothes and made herself more miserable by running to exhaustion.
She returned home as the sun set and sat on a bench in the inner courtyard, trying to let the soothing sounds of the fountain wash away her worries.
All the comebacks she should have shot at lazy-ass Frank came to her, some more vitriolic than others. A lot of cursing, slurs on his parentage, his laziness, and those bleached teeth fighting for prominence.
But worst of all, she sweltered under a terrible self-loathing, her inability to stand up for herself a mire of self-disgust that threatened to drown her.
“Well, neighbor. Fancy meeting you here.” Xavier slid into the bench next to her. He looked her over and frowned. “Hey, Justine. What’s wrong?”
She burst into tears. Not only had her boss made her feel like a submissive retriever, but her recent lover was now seeing her at her absolute worst.
What else could go wrong?
CHAPTER 18
Xavier wanted badly to offer comfort, but Justine held herself distant, hugging herself while trying to scrub away her tears.
Looking at her sadness tore his heart out, but he did his best to offer whatshe—nothe—needed. “Talk to me, Justine. What happened?”
She sniffled and wiped her nose on the back of her arm. “Sorry. Bad day at work.”
“Want to talk about it? I swear, I’ll just sit here and listen.”
