“Well, you didn’t fire me yesterday,” I said, standing up and adjusting the tight skirt.
He pressed his mouth into a thin line.
Don’t let him bully you.
I tried to strike a power pose: legs slightly spread, chest out, hands on my hips. I didn’t normally wear this push-up bra, and between all the salty food, the stress, and the fact that I had bought this particular blouse in my freshman year, my bosom had expanded. The button at boob level popped off, ricocheting off the ceiling and pelting Parker on the cheek.
“Oops!” I said, hastily trying to hold my top closed.
Parker’s eyes flicked down to my chest then immediately back up to my face.
“Still want that topless photo?” I joked as I went over to my bag to look for my sewing kit.
“I’m your boss,” he said, horrified.
“Just a joke,” I said lamely as I went hunting on the floor for the button.
“We need to talk,” Parker said. “You know, this whole thing has been a horrible mistake.”
Here we go. You’re getting fired. This has to be a new record.
“Just let me fix this,” I said, finding the button under the desk and running out to the bathroom.
What am I going to do? I have to pay back my debt!I fretted as I sewed my shirt in one of the stalls. Stupid shirt. Stupid bra. Stupid degree and stupid town. Also stupid Parker.
Sadie:’Bout to be fired. Pray for me.
Jasmine:*Hugs* You can help me with the corgi rescue organization.
Sadie:Corgis don’t pay bills.
Erika:Start your restaurant! Get paid to make biscuits!
Jasmine:Don’t let Parker bully you. You have a right to severance pay.
Sadie:I’ve only been here a day.
Jasmine:Money is money.
I marched back into Parker’s office. He was sitting at his desk. He was going to fire me? Fine. I was going out in style.
“You are a selfish, arrogant liar,” I told him when he opened his mouth. “You sit up here in your glass box and act like you can play puppet master with all of us as your little pawns. And yeah, I could make a threat about how I’m going to make you regret screwing me over, but we both know that’s not going to happen. You’re just going to get away with being a jerk. You’re a mean person. You just use people. Fire me. I don’t care. In fact, I’ll be glad I don’t have to work with a sociopath like you.”
His face went dark.
9
Parker
She thinks I’m a bad person, that I’m like my father.
When I had finally escaped the compound, I’d sworn I wasn’t going to be anything like him.
Screw Sadie. She doesn’t even know you.But for some reason, I wanted her to think well of me.
Sadie looked down at her shoes then back up at me, defiant. “I said what I had to say, so if you're going to fire me, get it over with.”
“I'm not going to fire you. Though if you have another hysterical fit, I might,” I said, walking around my desk.
