“But—”
“Just send the memo, Sophia. I suggest you check your email,” he quips and hangs up the phone.
Morrell gives me a triumphant grin and says, “Let’s get a few things down before we start working. I don’t appreciate you being in my office. I expect to have my cup of coffee at seven in the morning—black with two sugars. I don’t understand Henry’s assistant system, but I’ll be testing all of you and keeping just the one I feel fits best to my needs. For now, go to your desk.”
“Really?” I ask, crossing my arms. “You think I’m the coffee girl?”
“You are here to do what I say, not what you please. If I want you to fetch my lunch, my dry cleaning, or my coffee, you’ll do it. In fact, you’ll say, ‘Yes, sir,’ like a good girl. Do we understand each other?” I smile and nod politely. Once I’m out of the room, I call Henry.
“Why him?” I ask, hurt, and angry. “I know the company better than anyone under you.”
“What’s the question again?” he asks, aloof.
“You don’t need an interim CEO. You have me,” I explain. “From everyone you could’ve chosen, you picked him. I deserved to be sitting on that chair.” I take a deep breath.
“Not him!” I yell, and my four assistants all turn to look at me. “Were you aware he’s going to test us all to see who he gets to keep my job? Also, I need to fetch his fucking coffee and call him, sir. Like a good girl.”
“Ms. Aragon,” Morrell comes out of the office. “I don’t appreciate your temper tantrum. This is your only warning. Next time, I’ll send you to the mailroom. That goes for all of you.”
“I quit,” I declare. “Henry Lloyd Merkel Aldridge, you better make sure that my employees are moved to another department, or I swear I’ll find a way to—”
“Ms. Aragon,” he interrupts me. “Get me the report today. You have a lot to pack. Your itinerary for tomorrow should be in your inbox.”
“What do you mean?” I am aggravated by everything that he’s dumping on me.
Is this because of what happened on Saturday?
“I don’t like to repeat myself. If you must work from home today go ahead, just make sure that you’re available and that you send me the report. I hate to track you.” He hangs up and Morrell’s smirk is upsetting me more.
Asshole. We’ll see who wins. If I’m leaving, he is leaving too. It’s hard to save my employees if I don’t work for this forsaken company anymore.
“What happened?” Tabby, one of my assistants, asks concerned.
“You might be working for Morrell,” I answer with a hint of annoyance.
They don’t talk to me unless they need something. Right now, I bet the four are going to become my best friends because no one wants to work with this pig. Before I can do anything, I check my email. Henry sent it just a few minutes ago. There’s a schedule, a request to send a memo about Morell, and instructions on what I need to pack from his Brownstone. Seriously, why does he need to have his suits with him? No one will say anything if he just wears a fucking pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
When I open the itinerary, I want to puke, and it definitely has nothing to do with morning sickness. There’s a new credit card arriving today at my penthouse. The movers arrive at my house tomorrow at seven in the morning. They’re packing my stuff. He booked a jet that’ll be leaving as early as eleven in the morning. The sooner I am at the airport the better. He’ll be waiting for me in Portland to fly me home. Fucking home is here, in Manhattan.
“He’s got to be fucking kidding me.”
Sophia: I’m not moving to Baker’s Creek.
Henry: It’s not optional. I’m pretty sure I warned you from the beginning. If I had to move, you’d be moving with me.
Sophia: My assistants are not working for that pig. You shouldn’t have that misogynist as your interim CEO.
Henry: That’s news to me. I can’t train anyone new, and he’s the best candidate.
I started to type out, I AM THE BEST CANDIDATE, ASSHOLE.
Of course, I delete the words because I’m sure he’ll fire me or worse, he’ll make me work for the pig.
Sophia: Why do you need an interim CEO when you can run the company from Baker’s Creek. That’s why it’s important that I stay in New York.
Henry: I need you here. Haven’t you seen the mess I’m trying to fix?
I read the text twice and answer.
Sophia: Obviously I’m not important enough since you don’t need me in the multi-million-dollar corporation. Why would you need me to move to a town like Baker’s Creek?
Henry: I need to oversee Aldridge Enterprises, Merkel, The Lodge, and the two towns.
Sophia: You forgot to add the factory.
Henry: Aldry’s Sweets is your project. Another reason why you should be here.
Sophia: We have a strong team. There’s no reason to have a puppet warming your chair while you’re away.
Henry: What is the deal with Morrell?
Sophia: He doesn’t treat his employees right.
Henry: Why haven’t you brought this to my attention before?
Sophia: That’s an HR problem. Which they’ve been dealing with for the past few years by compensating the employees who quit because of him or by moving them to a different department. Again, I’m not working for him.
Henry: You are my eyes and ears in the company. Why haven’t you told me that? He’s my freaking vice president of operations. I can’t have someone like that in my company. I can’t have an issue this big. Fix it.
Sophia: That’s above my paygrade. You fire him and then, if I’m in a good mood, I’ll take over his place.
Henry: YOU ARE MOVING TO BAKER’S CREEK!
Sophia: No, I quit.
Henry: You can’t afford to quit, Sophia. We both know that’s impossible.
I stare at my phone and then at my computer where his damn email sits. This fucking asshole. I swear I’m going to find a way to get rid of his hold on me. If it weren’t for my need to take care of my parents, I’d actually quit.
Sophia: Fine, we can run the company from Baker’s Creek if you let me set up a team. And fire Morrell. I’ll email you all the documentation, and you can even start a lawsuit against him. Plus, I have more conditions. I need to travel at least twice a month to see my family.
While I wait for his answer, I email him all the information that I’ve been gathering on Morrell. I’m so angry at this turn of events. I work so fucking hard to make sure his employees are happy, that the company runs smoothly, and…
…and he puts that disgusting man in charge over me.
What else do I need to show him so he can realize that I should be one of his vice presidents?
He should’ve promoted me long ago.
I’ve applied to four positions within the company in the past year, and he has turned me down all four times and hired people less knowledgeable and capable. His fucking excuse is that he needs me. I. Don’t. Need. Him.
“Is everything okay?” Tabby, my assistant asks.
“You can’t let him be our boss,” Gina says.
“I’m working on it,” I assure them with a firm voice.