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When our room explodes in their own form of celebration, I bound toward Hayden's contagious laughter, entranced by its call, until...
Outside grows mysteriously quiet.
Curious, I swivel on my heels, only to discover a scene that has me rushing out the door, pushing through the path in the crowd, and arriving at the end...
My mother stares Warren down.
Donning her usual getup—jeans and a colorful blouse—Amber looks at Warren, as if he's nothing. She wears no smile. Offers no smug expression. In return, he meets her gaze unwillingly, every muscle tense with the horrid realization of who's to blame for the loss of his throne, his titles, his power.
For perhaps the first time in his life, Warren has nothing to say.
But Amber does.
"I warned you not to mess with my family."
FORTY-FIVE
HAYDEN
Yesterday was a fever dream.
After the crowd dispersed and our father was far from the premises, Elias went into a state of shock. His new position hadn't sunk in yet, but that didn't stop his board from swiftly taking over. They provided him counsel. Scheduled meetings with department heads. And whatever other boring things coincide with becoming America's largest entertainment corporation's new CEO at the ripe age of twenty-eight.
I didn't stay to watch it all, and instead went to lunch with Juliana, Amber, and their lawyer, Lauren, the latter of whom footed the entire bill, thanking us for the "most entertaining ten minutes of her career." She even bought us a round of drinks, ones we literally toasted to my father's ruin on the grounds that it was just the beginning.
It was toxic, and I loved it.
In fact, as I stroll through the cubicles for perhaps the last time, I realize the entire office would've loved the toast, too, and have maybe already clinked their own glasses.
There's no mistaking the upbeat presence in the office. Not just on this floor, but in the lobby, the elevators, and undoubtedly across all one hundred and five floors. Employees smile brighter. Hang over their cubicles, chatting. Some even share doughnuts and other sweet treats.
I know gossip travels fast in an office setting, but this is on a whole new level. I have no doubt videos of my father's dramatic exit are spreading through this company like wildfire, because yesterday, the crowd of spectators did more than just watch security drag my father from the conference room. They wore radiant smiles, whipped out their phones, and recorded the scene all the way down to the lobby.
Their enthusiasm toward his ousting proves my father's cruelty stretched beyond just our family and makes me wonder what other atrocities he inflicted. I may never know what he did to garner such a reputation with his staff, but judging from his transgressions against Amber, I don't want to find out.
In the breakroom, when Juliana told me the hell my father put Amber through... it was another nail in coffin, split right through the final one already there. I couldn't watch from the sidelines when he met his reckoning. I had to be in that board meeting. Not just for my own gratification, but Juliana's.
Warren deserved every light we shined on him. Amber's audio snippet. His pitiful work logs. His poor understanding of his company's bylaws. The board turning on him, elevating Elias to power. All of it.
For so long, he had me believing Amber, the woman who practically raised me, willingly entertained his affair for years. During and after my parents' divorce, I fought the urge to blame her by reminding myself Amber was just one of many affairs for my father, while simultaneously seeking her love, a substitute for my own mother's absence.
More often than not, the task proved challenging, at best, which means... learning the truth must've been absolutely heart wrenching for Juliana and Jeremy, who were just as clueless as I was.
Too bad Jeremy was swamped with work and couldn't join the celebratory lunch yesterday. Juliana was glowing with a sense of justice, something her brother would've shared had he been there. Although, perhaps his absence was fortunate—or intentional.
Aside from sending the occasional text, outlining in grave detail each and every thing that'll happen to me if I hurt his little sister, Jeremy hasn't spoken to me much. Yesterday would've been his first time seeing us together, since finding out about our feelings toward each other. Even though nothing is official—yet—the lunch could've still turned ugly. Whether we're in a public setting or not, there's no predicting how Jeremy will act, when the time inevitably comes.
Amber, on the other hand... Despite my tendency to cause trouble as a child, I must've done something right in her eyes, because not only did she welcome my affection toward her daughter, she didn't even seem surprised.
Trust me, I'm still counting my blessings.
Near the top of that list is what I'm doing today—breaking my corporate handcuffs. Sure, I've only worn them for a couple of months, but they hurt my wrists.
As I approach my workstation, I anticipate Doris's verbal slashing, only for my shoulders to droop lower and lower with every silent step, until I'm looming over my tiny desk, finding hers empty. Elias's office is dark, too, a sight rarer than a deserted Central Park on a sunny Saturday.
I sigh, slapping my moving tub down on my desk, feeling stupid the second I do. Why did I bring a box? I can't have over three items in these drawers. A sketch book and a pouch stuffed with graphite pencils, charcoal sticks and a straightedge. Other than that... maybe a name tag, but I'll just leave that behind for—
Like an army closing in from the distance, a subtle rumble vibrates through the floor, growing heavier, alongside the sounds of synchronized steps. I whip my head, as others in the room do the same, before a fleet of suits rounds a corner, trailing one man.
