“I’m sure by then you’ll be yesterday’s news,” Betsy said with a wave of her hand.“I swear, more gossiping goes on around here than a high school.”
“I think this place is worse,” Cora grumbled.“At least if it were high school, I could skip a day.Can’t really do that now.”
“Hang in there,” Betsy encouraged.“By the way, did you hear about Erin Morris?”
Cora frowned.“The admin for Mr.Green?”
“Yeah.She got drunk and fell in the parking structure.”
Everything in Cora went stone cold.“What?”
“Tragic accident,” Betsy went on, oblivious to Cora’s mental freak-out.“Broke her neck.”
No way were there two dead women in that garage, but the fact her death had been ruled accidental brought forth the guilt once more.Still, Cora didn’t say anything.How could she explain why she kept quiet?
She went into the women’s bathroom, locked herself in a stall, and cried.Once that was over, she headed back down to the mail room, which was located in the basement.There were several things she tried not to think about.Ranelle.The murder.Her guilt.She worked on autopilot, keeping to herself.When her fifteen-minute break came around, she headed for the employee lounge and tripped over something.She went flying.The breath was knocked out of her and she struggled with trying to take a deep breath.Laughter erupted as Ranelle stepped over her, not bothering to help.
“First day with your new feet?”she taunted.
Cora pushed herself up.
“Cora!”Betsy called out.A moment later, her friend crouched down to look at her.“Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” she muttered, rising to her feet.“That was loads of fun.I recommend falling on your face every day.”
“Come on,”
After walking past people still snickering at her, they found a table in the back and sat down.Their stares trickled down her spine like a thousand sharp needles piercing her skin.
“Maybe you shouldn’t sit with me,” she said quietly.
“Don’t let them get to you,” Betsy replied, turning to flip the bird at a nearby table who gave them pointed looks.“Haters gonna hate.Clearly, the women have small brains and the guys have smaller dicks.”
The last two words were said louder to make sure it reached their ears.Cora couldn’t help but feel a small sense of gratitude for Betsy, her one and only friend.
Someone walked by the table, and either stumbled or pretended to stumble, sending their soda soaring in her direction.The cold beverage landed on her shirt, and the people around her erupted into laughter, led by Ranelle, of course.People pointed and jeered, causing her throat to clog with emotion.Her emotions had been lurking too close to the surface and she felt them slipping.Jumping up, she ran out of the break room, leaving her food behind.Tears filled her eyes as she burst into the women’s room again in an effort to save her shirt.She slipped it off and ran it under water.
“Quit and all this goes away,” Ranelle said as she walked into the bathroom behind her.“You can go back to being a cat mom, or whatever the fuck you are.”
She didn’t even flinch at wearing just her bra.Wasn’t like she had anything to cover up in.“Go away.”
“Aw.Is someone a widdle sad?”she mocked in a little-girl tone.
Cora ignored her.
“I’ll let you get back to your little cleaning party.”
“What a bitch,” she muttered under her breath.
“What did you call me?”Renelle seethed, but before she could stomp back, the door opened and Betsy came in.
“What are doing, Renelle?”Betsy demanded.“Get your skanky ass out of here, before I report you to your boss.”
Ranelle glared, but stomped out.
“Thanks,” Cora said.“I’m going to have to hit the thrift store this weekend.”
“That woman is a bitch with a capital itch.”
