Page 43 of CEO's Baby Scandal
But when the elevator doors slid open and I saw Grace and Michael standing near reception, I knew something was off. They were always locked in their offices hard at work, or not even in for the day when I arrived. They straightened, ended their hushed conversation, and turned to face me as I stepped off the elevator. Fear trickled down my spine as Grace spoke.
“Ms. Kline, we’d like to speak to you for a moment.” She used a very professional voice, hands folded in front of her waist.
“Uh… sure,” I said, glancing between her face and Michael’s. Jill was there instantly, taking Daniel’s coffee from my hand. It had his name written on it, so it was obvious where it went.
“I’ll take this in for you,” she said, grimacing and offering a look of compassion. When she walked away, I addressed Michael.
“What is it, sir?” My hand trembled, coffee sloshing, and I grasped both hands around the paper cup.
“Emily, while we both agree that your work here has been done well and you’ve made very few mistakes, your conduct has been very unprofessional. Unbecoming, even.” Michael’s voice sounded robotic, monotone. He had no emotion on his face, not even a furrowed brow. “We have decided to terminate you effective immediately. Jill has taken the liberty of cleaning out your desk for you.”
Grace rounded the end of the reception desk and picked up a box and carried it over to me. The few things I had in my desk were all in this box. I stared into it as I accepted it from her in shock. “What?”
“Ms. Kline,” Grace said sternly, “it came to our knowledge that your family has threatened a lawsuit against the firm and against Mr. Jacobs. While we cannot prevent you or your family from pursuing any legal action you may feel is warranted, given Mr. Jacobs’s interaction with you in the privacy of his office, we do strongly recommend that you reconsider litigation. It will not end well for you.”
“Because we do respect your financial situation,” Michael cut in, “we are prepared to offer six months’ salary in addition to your final weekly compensation check. We hope this affords you plenty of time to arrange a new job. And Olivia will write you a professional letter of recommendation.”
I felt dizzy. I blinked my eyes as they faded from light to dark, my vision blurring. My blood pressure had to be skyrocketing. “My family did what?” I mumbled. “I have to see Dan.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Kline, but contact with Mr. Jacobs is off limits now. You may not speak to him, and it is strongly recommendedthat you do not try to call him, email, or send text messages. Any attempt on your part to communicate with him will be considered hostile, and we will be forced to defend him.”
“But I?—”
“I’m sure you may be confused, but we take threats seriously. If you need further information as to the nature of this threat, you should speak with your sister, Evelyn.” Grace was cold, her tone exacting.
I blinked slowly and looked up at her face. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I didn’t put it past Evelyn to do something like this. I felt like I was going to pass out, my head swimming. “Please, I think this is a big misunderstanding. I need to speak with Daniel.”
“Mr. Jacobs is in a meeting. You are not to speak to him or try to contact him.” Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out a crisp sheet of paper folded in thirds. He dropped it in the box and continued. “This is a restraining order, filed last week against you. If you attempt to make contact with him, set foot on his property or that of the firm, you can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
I knew they didn’t like me, but they were taking this a bit too far. “Guys, I swear, this is just a misunderstanding.” I felt tears brimming in my eyes and had the urge to drop the box and rush past them. I needed to see Dan.
Michael turned his back and walked off, and Grace put her hands out and herded me back into the elevator, which was being held open by Olivia, whom I hadn’t even seen walk up. “I understand this is difficult, Emily, but please, we are trying to protect Dan.” Olivia talked in comforting tones. I blinked and tears streamed down my cheeks. “Please just respect him at this time, alright? I’m sure eventually, things will calm down and he will be open to hearing from you.”
The doors slid shut, obscuring my view, and the elevator descended. What the hell just happened? I stood there sobbing as the doors opened to a different floor, and the people ready to join me stood back, staring. They didn’t get in the elevator, and I was relieved. I rode the thing to the ground floor and found a bench outside the building to sit down on. When he hadn’t contacted me, I assumed he was upset, but I never thought this would be his response. He didn’t even know I was pregnant yet, and how would I tell him now? They would file a suit against me? For telling him I was having his baby?
The thought made me cry harder. I was so angry I pulled out my phone and dialed Evelyn’s number. Her voice was groggy when she answered, like I had awakened her, but I didn’t care.
“Em? It’s early. What’s wrong?”
“Goddammit, Eve! What the hell have you done? You told Daniel I was going to sue him? Do you even know what is happening? I’m fired. I have no job now, thanks to you. I’m fucking pregnant, and I have no job.”
A few people passing by stared at me, and when I glared at them they looked away. I was thankful I didn’t know any of them, that they walked right past the law building and didn’t enter. It didn’t matter that I was sitting on a bench in public, raging at my sister. No one in this town knew me, and I had nothing to lose.
“Em, I?—”
“I hate you, Evelyn. Okay? You have no idea what you’ve done. I needed him. I love him. I can’t do this without him.” I cried so hard I thought I’d throw up. I didn’t want a severance package. I wanted a family.
“Emily, please. Stop this. You come stay with me. I’ll take care of you.”
“You think I’d even consider that? You ruined my life. I never told you to go talk to him. You had no right to even say a word tohim, and you told him I was going to sue. For what? Everything we did was consensual. I wanted it as much as he did.”
“He was using you.” Evelyn’s voice grew hostile. She didn’t care about me. She just wanted to be right. She couldn’t stand that I could find love with someone powerful and wealthy, and she was jealous.
“You can’t use someone who wants what you’re asking. That’s not abuse.” I hung up, too angry to continue talking to her. I’d say something I’d regret later on.
The box wasn’t heavy, but my feet still hurt. I limped to the station, found the first train headed the right way, and slumped into a seat. An elderly man on the train a few rows away from me pulled a handkerchief out and handed it to me without a word. I took it and sobbed, blowing my nose hard in the small, thin cloth. It was something Dan would have done for me, or for any woman. He was kind like that.
That only made me cry harder.