“You don’t even have the distribution sorted out.”
I lean back in my executive chair and cross my legs. “But I do. The Hae Min Group.”
“Have you signed a contract?” He sneers almost immediately. “No, of course not.”
“We’re in negotiation. But even if it doesn’t work out, there are other chaebols and their luxury department stores. You should consider broadening your horizons.” Thinking of horizons makes me think of horizontal, which brings back the memory of him screwing his assistant on his desk. She sure was horizontal then.Ugh. I need to stop thinking about that. It’s grossandcounterproductive.
His gaze drops to my cleavage—creep!—then climbs back to my face. “I can’t allow you to spend money on frivolous new designs.”
I prop my elbows on the desk and let a couple of beats pass. “‘Allow’?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. Please, explain exactly how you won’t ‘allow’ me.”
A feverish attempt to come up with something clever is going through his head. I hope it doesn’t break the gears in his little brain… Nah, who am I kidding? I hope it does.
Finally, he slashes the air with a stiff hand. “You’re just being difficult because you’re bitter over our breakup. I know you still love me.”
“They say hope springs eternal. I guess delusion does, too. Whatever affection I might’ve felt for you died when I saw you with Frankie.”
“She doesn’t work for me anymore!” Like that makes everything okay.
“Only because Grandfather said it was going to be you or her—and you chose to throw her under the bus. Selfish, but typical. He should’ve fired both of you.”
Frustrated anger twists his face. The sight of it gives me a small, bittersweet pleasure, even as a slightly insecure voice inside my head wonders what Frankie gave him that I couldn’t. Whatever it was must have been greater than all the benefits of being my husband.
“But he didn’t,” Darren says finally. “I don’t give a damn what you say, but I’m opposing this collaboration. Your father’s on my side, too!”
“Of course he is. He’s never met an invertebrate he didn’t like.”
“God, you’re such a bitch!”
“Would you care to say that for the record, in front of HR?” I give him my most soulless smile.
He storms out, although his rapid pace ruins the effect. He’s probably scared I’m going to call HR for real. But I won’t. The pleasure of firing him face to face when I finally have control of the company is too great to pass up.
I’ll never know what Grandfather ever saw in him when he decided to pair me up with that godawful excuse for a man. I thought Grandfather would pick somebody who would at least be faithful. But Darren simply isn’t capable, and our engagement ended six months before Grandfather’s death.
In retrospect, I think Grandfather felt bad, although he had too much pride to admit he was wrong to hand-pick Darren. I wish he’d felt bad enough to allow me to run Peery Diamonds with free rein.
But no. He just couldn’t trust me to run it because I happen to be missing a penis.
So unfair.
Karen Jackson, COO and my right-hand woman, knocks. She’s in her early fifties and has been with Peery Diamonds all her life. She’s also probably the only woman my grandfather respected. She has sharp gunslinger eyes and an attitude to match. She doesn’t play games, and she doesn’t believe in wasting time or energy on things that don’t add value. The only makeup on her pale narrow face is mascara and red lipstick, and she’s always in a black pantsuit with a white top. She’s barely five-five, but doesn’t bother with heels. Black ballet flats only.
Next to her, I’m a giant.
She comes into my office, closes the door and sits down, facing me squarely with her feet on the floor and legs uncrossed. “We’re having issues getting buy-ins from everyone on the Sebastian Peery collaboration.”
“I know.”Like Darren.
“You need to find a way to get rid of Roderick. He’s toxic, and he doesn’t care about the company, just whatever money he can get out of it. He’s been submitting dodgy expense reports.” A deep frown lines her face. But then, Karen rarely smiles. She takes her job seriously.
“I know.” I sigh heavily. “But accounting didn’t pay him, so…”
Amazingly, her frown gets even deeper. “Theydidpay him last pay cycle. Darren asked them to.”
