Page 9 of For I Have Sinned

“I’m so sorry for—” Her. That’s what I want to say, but I keep it professional. “I wish you all the best in your future, Catherine.”

“Thank you, Celine.”

I close my laptop and scoop it up to leave the boardroom. Walking through the office, I see everyone sitting at their desks, giving me worried eyes. I shake my head as a way to tell them not to ask or say anything, and swallow hard as I go straight to Monica’s office, trying to mentally prepare myself for the wrath she is about to release on me.

I don’t want to be in her office right now, but I know that if I were to go sit at my desk, she would yell out my name to get me to come to her office.

Biting the bullet, I step in, closing the glass door behind me. A second doesn’t even pass before she is screaming.

“That was our biggest deal of the year!” Her arms fly into the air, her face turning red from the anger.

“I know,” I mutter, sensing the eyes of my coworkers on us.

“This is all your fault.” She points a finger at me, her eyes narrowing like she wants to kill me.

“Excuse me?” She’s kidding, right?

“You were late. You didn’t have the contracts.” She is finding whatever excuse she can to lay the blame on someone other than herself.

“Monica, none of those were the reasons they decided to go with Ortega Publishing.”

“I’ve had enough of this, Celine. Your backtalk, the tardiness.” During my entire time working here, I have been late only once. And that was today. “This isn’t working.”

“What are you saying?” I know exactly what she is saying, but I need to hear the words out loud.

“You’re fired. Get your things and get out of my face. And don’t think you will get another job in this field. I have connections, and I’m not afraid to use them. I’ll tell them how useless you’ve been to me for the past three years.”

Her awful words hit me like a train, and I feel tears forming in my eyes, but I won’t cry in front of her. She doesn’t deserve the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

This was a long time coming, given that she kept pushing me to quit. She never once said those words, but they were always evident in her actions. I’m only surprised that she actually fired me, and that I didn’t lose my cool and quit.

Without another word, because there is no point in fighting to keep my job, I leave her office. Feeling the eyes of every coworker on me. I feel the sympathy radiating off of them, but I keep my chin held high as I walk to my desk.

Rummaging around in the supply closet, I find an empty box to pack my things. There isn’t much on my desk; a picture of Vince, Amelia, and me, a few of my favorite books we have published, and two plants that I managed to keep alive in the office.

After gently tossing my belongings into the box, I clean up the mess from my purse, slide my laptop into its case, and make my way toward the elevators.

Even as I walk to the elevators, my coworkers still observe me. No one says a thing because what would they say? I’m just glad no one is approaching me because then I would start to cry. I don’t want to do that here. I’ll wait until I’m home alone and have a bottle of wine. The elevator takes me down to the lobby, where I see Catherine and her team talking.

She looks over at me, offering a kind smile, but then it drops as she sees me carrying a box. Politely dismissing herself from the conversation with her team, she makes her way over to me. “She fired you?”

“Yup,” I say.

“It wasn’t because of the meeting, was it?” Worry that she was the reason for my being fired crosses her face.

“No,” I reassure her. “Monica never liked me anyway. I wasn’t surprised this happened.”

“I’m so sorry, Celine. I don’t know what she didn’t like about you. If I’m being honest, you were the only reason we stayed with Stanley for so long. You’ve been incredibly kind since day one and consistently demonstrated a great work ethic. It’s a shame that you won’t be able to show off your talents here anymore.”

“Or anywhere else.” The words are quiet when they leave my mouth. Catherine tilts her head in question. “She threatened that I wouldn’t be able to work for any publishers.”

“That’s bullshit!” She says furiously and loud enough that the people surrounding us turn their heads in our direction. “You know what? She doesn’t get to do that. We are about to have a meeting with Ortega, and I can put in a good word for you.”

“Oh, no.” I dismiss her offer. “You do not have to do that.”

“Yes, I do. Think of it as a thank you for all the help you have given me. Without you pushing my first book on Monica’s desk, I wouldn’t be in the position I am now.”

Her words make me feel a bit better, and pride fills my chest because she is right. Monica didn’t want to give Catherine the chance because Monica didn’t believe in her. Catherine originally self-published, which Monica frowned upon.