“Thank you, all. I won’t let this opportunity go to waste. Let me prepare the next agenda item.”
While Petra switched over the slides, I pulled out my phone to see a text and a few missed calls from Laney. My stomach tightened, fearing the worst. The voicemail-to-text feature popped up.
Hey, Connor, this is Matt. I’m with your wife, and she can’t even stand up straight. She’s swaying, said she hasn’t eaten or drank in a day. I’m going to try to find her mom to take her to the ER here, but I’ll take her if I have to. Get your ass back here.
“What?”
My body didn’t feel like my own. My skin prickled. She wasn’t well. Matt was gonna take her to the ER, notme.
I’d missed the call. What if she’d tried calling me? Fuck. Fuck.
This had been her entire point. Work always came first. Oh my God.
“Petra, I have to go.”
“Right now?” Her eyes widened.
“Laney… ER…” I couldn’t breathe. “I need to—”
“Go right now.” She swallowed and faced the board. “I’ll handle the next part without Connor.”
“We’re gonna vote on your job, and you’re running? Are you fucking serious?” Dennis laughed. “Oh, this is so much easier.”
“My wife is in the ER right now, an hour away. That is where I should be. Not here, defending my work to you of all people. I do a great job, but I don’t care—remove me. Petra canrun this place.” I didn’t even wait for a reply before running out the door with my phone to my ear.
It rang and rang and rang, but Laney didn’t pick up. Fuck. I punched the elevator button, but it took too damn long. I needed to go, right now. I barged through the stairwell doors and took them two at a time as my mind raced.
Did she pass out? Was she with her mom? I didn’t know. My ears rang, and my throat closed up to the point I couldn’t breathe.
She was with Matt, of all people.
“Connor, wait!” Petra had her heels in one hand as she darted down the stairs toward me. “I’ll drive you!”
“What about the thing?” Two more steps each second. One more floor to go.
“Fuck that. If they can’t see that family matters more, then I don’t want to work here. Plus, didn’t want to get you all pissed, but if they let you go, I’m leaving too.”
“Petra,” I scolded, but almost laughed, “admirable, but you don’t have to do that.”
“Where did you park?”
“Floor A in the garage.”
We ran together, and she hopped in the front seat, giving me the passenger so I could call everyone. I tried Laney again, and my stomach soured. I traced her location, which showed her at the hospital.
“Fuck. She’s at the ER and not answering.”
“She could not have her phone with her.”
“Matt took her. Her fucking high school ex.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. My jealousy was overshadowing my concern. “I need to try her mom.”
“Good idea.” She swallowed as she pulled onto the road that led to the interstate. It was late, so there wasn’t as much traffic, but it was still too much. “Ugh, shitty drivers.”
The phone rang in my ear as I dialed her mom. It rang without an answer.
“Why is no one answering their fucking phones?”
“You could try Matt.”
