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Neil claimed to have swept the Amelia Crook situation under the rug, but my sudden termination, followed by my elevated new position, must have raised a few eyebrows.
“Can I sit here?” Ellen asked.
“Of course.”
She plopped into the chair opposite me and planted her number on the table. “Where have you been hiding all this time? We’ve been waiting for you to drop by the fifth floor and give us the goss.”
I aimed for a casual tone. “It’s just been hectic, settling into my new job and everything.”
“One minute you’re with our team, the next minute you’re laid off, then somehow you’re the CEO’s secretary. What’s up with that? We’re all curious.”
I sat up straighter. “No one told you anything?”
“Brendon said there was a mix-up during the restructure. Something about Mr. Kingston having to let you go because you were supposed to get laid off but got the wrong notice in error. We all thought that was totally unfair. Why should you get punished for a mistake that HR made? But then, Mr. Kingston rehired you as his secretary…”
“Yep. That’s pretty much what happened.” I wasn’t about to illuminate the other aspects of the story.
Ellen knitted her brow. “But why did he rehire you? He already laid off so many capable staff and didn’t offer the role to any of them—as far as I know. Not saying you don’t deserve it or anything. I’m just confused.”
“That’s understandable. I was confused too. Then I found out that his former secretary encouraged him to do it.”
I recounted how I had helped Christine during her pregnancy ordeal.
“Wow. That’s quite the story,” Ellen said. “It sounds like everything worked out for you in the end. I’m happy for you,” she exhaled a sigh, “but I really wish we still had you in our team. It’s been so stressful.”
I winced. “It’s that bad, huh?”
She nodded. “And not just our department. The entire head office is suffering. To cut staff and expect the rest of us to pick up the slack… It’s a shambles.”
“It must be tough.”
“Everyone’s fed up. Someone started a petition—” She bit her tongue and clapped her hand over her mouth.
“What petition?” I asked, my brain whirring.
Ellen frowned. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Why? Is it a secret?”
“No, it’s just… you work for him, don’t you? If he loses his job, you’d lose your job as well.”
“Lose his job? What’s this about?”
Ellen clamped her mouth shut, but I could tell she was struggling. She couldn’t resist the allure of spreading gossip.
“Ellen,” I pressed.
She sighed. “You didn’t hear this from me, okay?”
“Just tell me.”
“There’s a petition by the head office staff to have Neil Kingston removed as CEO.”
The revelation sank to the pit of my gut. The staff wanted Neil gone. They were trying to oust him. “They can do that?”
“No guarantees, but if the petition gets enough signatures, and we can get it in front of the media—and even to the big boss in Singapore—we might be able to get him to resign.”
I looked at my lap, not knowing what to think. A few weeks ago, I would have given my full support to such a petition. Now, I wasn’t sure. Where did my loyalties lie? With Neil? My old coworkers? Or just me?
