I held up a palm. “Wait your turn, Mr. Larsson.” I said to Courtney, “I’m sorry to ask this of you now, but I’d like the basics on the same recording if you’re able. Can you tell me in your own words what offer Mr. Larsson made?”
Her voice shook. “He said if we had sex, he’d make sure I got promoted.”
I exhaled and shook my head in disappointment. The performance evaluation systems I’d been building for neutrality, already tarnished. But Courtney read it as disappointment in her, blurting out, “I gave him a blowjob last week, but I didn’t want to.”
Her fearful eyes avoided the camera, like she expected punishment. I lowered the phone to meet her eyes over the screen. “I believe you.”
She released a choking sob, her hand coming to her throat.
“You and I can go together to HR when you’re ready to share the details. For right now, you’re free to go …” I glanced at the door, and so did she, face full of longing. “Or if you’re up for it, you can stay and watch while I fire his ass.”
Spencer’s jaw dropped, sputtering, “B-But Vickie—”
“Ms. Blackstone.”If you’re nasty.
His face turned red, fists clenched. “You’ve been gone so long, maybe you forgot that I’m a fucking Larsson. Your name isn’t on the building, but mine is.”
“Your name may be on the building, but my name is on the ownership papers—and I don’t need your permission to remove it.”
“I’ve worked here for 18 years, you can’t fire me!”
“Correct again, Spencer. I can’t.” I tilted my head again, pulling another patronizing expression. “But I can suspend you without pay, pending an investigation of miscon—”
“You can’t fucking fire me!” Spencer exploded. In a blind panic, his arms reached around my back to knock the phone to the floor, face down. He pinned my arms to my side and tightened around my ribs.
My instincts kicked in. My elbow dug sharply into Spencer’s ribs, causing his grip to loosen. I twisted, bringing the heel of my hand into his nose, feeling it crunch against my palm. His arms released my waist as his hands flew to capture the blood gushing everywhere.
I looked down at my shaking hands, covered in his blood, then walked to his desk and pressed the intercom. “This is Victoria Blackstone, send security. I’ve been assaulted in the CFO’s office.”
Courtney dropped to the floor to pick up the phone. I gathered tissues to wipe my hands, then carried the box to Spencer, who was doubled over with blood dripping off his chin. No need to replace the rug.
When security entered, I said, “Please escort Mr. Larsson off the premises.” The security guard wrapped his hand around Spencer’s arm behind his back, and I held up a palm to pause him.
“One more thing, Mr. Larsson,” I said calmly, using my ice to match the fiery rage brimming in his eyes. “Please update your address with HR where you want your things delivered, because I expect you out of my townhouse by Friday.”
His jaw dropped. “Seriously, Vickie?”
“You violated the terms of our agreement.”
“Where do you expect me to go?” he said, his voice pleading.
I lifted a shoulder. “Not my problem.”
“But you can’t just—”
“Let me say it in little words so you can’t feign ignorance,” I sneered, cold venom in my voice. “Get. The fuck. Out ofmyhouse.”
The room was quiet except for Spencer’s dejected moan. Kneeling on the floor, Courtney tried to turn on the phone but it had cracked from the impact.Shit, shit, shit.
The security guard tightened his grip on Spencer’s flailing arms, pressing my ex-husband out of my life and informing me that the police had already been called. Courtney let out a shaky breath. I offered to stay while she filed a police report or accompany her to HR whenever she was ready. She just wanted to go home, so I asked security to escort her out and my driver to take her home.
Murmurs filtered in from the hallway. The rumor mill would already be rife with gossip—the CFO getting escorted out had a way of shaking things up, and it would get even worse when the CEO emerged minutes later with his blood on her designer dress.
“Oh my God, Victoria,” Connor rushed in, takeout bag swinging from his wrist. He took in the blood on my dress and the wild look in my eye, reeling at how unhinged I probably looked. “I was only gone for fifteen minutes. This is what you do when you get hangry?”
I started laughing, my bloodstained hands cradling my head as the adrenaline dropped. He wrapped his suit jacket over my shoulders, forcing water into my trembling hands. Tears sprang to my eyes anyway, because Connor—as incredible as he was—wasn’t the person I wanted by my side as Courtney and I made our statements. The detective handed over his card so I could send him what had backed up to the cloud before the phone smashed.
I returned Connor's jacket, held my head high and snapped my heels down the hallway into my office … where I could finally fall apart, relieved for the solitude but also wishing I weren’t alone. There was only one person I wanted in this moment, one person who would hold out his arms for me to step into. I reached for my phone, wanting to call him just to hear his voice, but the detective had confiscated my phone as evidence.
