Page 7 of Dearest Protector
“I think you should makethisa business,” Katie said adamantly. “You’ve been killing yourself working as an assistant for the boss from hell. He expects you to be at his beck and call day and night, seven days a week. I also don’t buy that the bruises I’ve seen on your wrists and arms lately are from some careless accidents. Talk to me, Ariel. I had to come here as soon as possible after I saw those bruises last night. I don’t believe the excuses you’ve been giving me. We’ve been friends for a long time. Is something weird going on with your boss? I know you aren’t seeing anyone. You disappeared after I introduced you to Marilyn and Ian last night. We never got a chance to really talk about those bruises on your wrist. What happened? Why did you leave? Was your foot bothering you? Is that why you left without saying goodbye last night?”
Crap! That’s a lot of questions I need to answer!
I’d met Ian and his mother right before I’d stepped onto the patio to try to avoid my boss, Leland Brock, who had shown up at the ball unexpectedly.
I’d left right after the incident on the patio, too embarrassed to face my best friend or anyone else after it had happened.
I stalled, taking a moment to hand her a mug of coffee, and then grabbed my own mug and sat on the other end of the couch.
She’s going to have to know at some point that I no longer have that job with the boss from hell. I might as well start there.
Quite honestly, I was surprised that Ian’s brother hadn’t already shared what had happened on his mother’s patio the night before. The entire event was for his mother.Hemost definitely hadn’t left early. Ben had probably had many opportunities to tell people after I’d gone.
God, Ireallywanted to talk to Katie. Keeping anything from her was difficult. She was my only close friend, and I had no immediate family anymore.
I just didn’t want to burden her with my bullshit when she’d just gotten to a time in her life when she was finally happy.
I’d tried to explain away bruises from Leland’s manhandling several times because I’d known that she’d be upset if she knew the truth. She would have wanted me to resign immediately, which would have been the sensible thing to do, but I hadn’t been able to stop working for Leland because I had to survive.
“I no longer work for Leland Brock,” I confessed. “He showed up at the ball last night. I know he didn’t have an invitation of his own. He must have talked someone into letting him be their plus one. He was pissed because I’d been invited and he wasn’t. We got into an argument on the patio. Ben came to my rescue. I was embarrassed. I left right after that incident. I’m sorry I didn’t stop to say goodbye.”
Ben Blackwood had been furious when he’d seen Leland humiliating me on the patio.
I’d been mortifyingly embarrassed.
What other idiot female would allow a boss to abuse her that way?
The only reason I’d endured it for so many months was the fact that I hadn’t been able to find another job, and I needed to eat and pay my rent.
A year ago, I would have sworn that I’d never put up with a boss touching me that way, but it’s surprising what a woman will do just to survive when she’s desperate.
It wasn’t that I hadn’t appreciated the fact that Ben had been willing to stand up for me, but it was, nevertheless, humiliating that I’d ever needed someone to stand up to Leland in the first place.
Ben and Ian Blackwood, the two CEOs of Blackwood Technologies, were billionaires, and they came from a wealthy family.
What woman would want a ridiculously gorgeous billionaire to see her being physically and mentally abused by her lowlife boss?
How in the hell could either of the Blackwood brothers possibly understand my hopeless circumstances or what motivated me to keep my head above water, no matter how much abuse Leland had handed out?
I couldn’t just…give up, even though I’d been tempted to do exactly that many times over the last ten months.
I’d fervently hoped that I’d get another job and nobody would ever have to know what Leland was doing.
Unfortunately, things hadn’t worked out that way.
Katie shot me an expectant look, so I continued, “Ben booted Leland from the property because he was being an abusive jerk to me and informed him that I was never coming back to work for him again. Before Ben and I parted ways, he gave me his business card and told me to call him today so he could find a place for me at Blackwood. I was so flustered by what had happened that I left soon after that. Because he terminated my employment with Leland, I guess Ben felt like hehadto find me a new job, which he doesn’t. I knew I had to quit, Katie. You’re right. Leland was out of control. I’m pretty sure he hates me, but I’ve never figured out why. I gave him everything I had as an assistant, but it was never good enough. I am really sorry that Leland showed up and acted like that, but I don’t think anyone knew except Ben.”
“Please stop apologizing for something that wasn’t your fault. I’ve never met Leland Brock in person,” Katie said angrily. “But I already know he’s a major asshole. And I think he hates women in general, not just you. He had you running days, nights, and weekends for him, and he paid you next to nothing. I’m glad that Ben booted him out of Marilyn’s birthday ball. I’m also happy that you no longer work for him. My stepbrother just became my hero for removing Leland from the ball. Are you upset with Ben? Obviously, you haven’t called him yet.”
Technically, both Ian and BenwereKatie’s stepbrothers, but they’d never met until they were all adults. After Ben and Ian’s father had died years ago, Marilyn had married Katie’s loser father, probably because she’d been horrifically lonely after losing her beloved husband.
No doubt if Katie’s father hadn’t died of a heart attack, Marilyn would have divorced him by now.
I took a sip of my coffee and swallowed it before I answered. “Ben Blackwood is a billionaire, Katie. He has better things to do than to help an unemployed nobody to find a job.”
Not to mention the fact that I’d want to crawl under a rock if I ever saw Ben again.
The more I thought about our encounter, the more I hoped I’d never run into him again.