Harder

The cover is one that I made using my actual name, just giving everyone a heads up so that there’s no confusion.

”You’re fired”

My boss and former boyfriend said so casually that my jaw almost dropped to the floor…yeah I know. Don’t mix business with pleasure, but in all fairness the business came after the pleasure and to be honest there wasn’t much of that in the first place.

I stood there for what felt like an hour but was really a few seconds.

“Wha-wha-what!?” I ended up stammering over my words which was a little embarrassing but that’s beside the point.

“What do you mean?!? Fired! I’ve given you five years of my life! I helped you build this company”

Rick gave me such a patronizing look before erupting into the same condescending laugh that was a major feature in our relationship. Hell I felt like I was in a three way relationship between me, him and that stupid little laugh.

“You helped me? Don’t think too highly of yourself sweetheart.”

I should’ve never let him take care of all of the finances, and beyond that the business was solely in his name which is a decision that I kick myself over.

I didn’t have a leg to stand on, I was the girlfriend not the wife so I wasn’t legally entitled to anything and I knew that but love made all of the red flags pink.

Hearing that made my blood boil. He knows how much I hate being called “sweetheart”, it’s so disrespectful and condescending.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek and clench my teeth.

“Can you tell me why I’m being fired?” I try to say it as calmly as possible.

Rick rolled his eyes so hard that I was surprised that they didn’t get stuck in the back of his head.

He took a deep breath and then sighed as if he had been asked to do hard labor and couldn’t be bothered.

“Listen Cam, your presence here just isn’t wanted nor needed.”

A wave of anger washes over me because I know that’s a lie, I know that I’m being fired because of Madison.

Like it wasn’t bad enough to cheat on me with my best friend or should I say former best friend, but he also brought her into the company that I helped build after breaking things off with me. Of course I was hurt by it but I thought that they would at least be mature enough to not let this affect our work relationship but I guess not.

Rick gave me a pitying half smile and looked at me as if I was some poor princess that was kicked out of her castle and needed to be saved by my Prince Charming.

And the next words out of his mouth absolutely floored me.

“Since we have history Cam, I can put in a good word for you and put in a recommendation”

I have to hold back from laughing because come one get real.

History, I’ll put in a good word and a pity recommendation.

Thats what I get after seven years of a relationship and five years of countless sleepless nights and that’s what I get.

I genuinely can’t believe that I put up with this douchebag, I must’ve had the patience of a saint.

I shake the anger and tiny bit of sadness that I feel off, push my shoulders back and hold my head high before letting him have it.

“Honestly Rick you can keep your good words and recommendations, maybe you can give them to Madison”

His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something back but it quickly shut after seeing the pure rage that spread across my face.

Rick was a stupid little man that used his money to feel bigger but for all that he lacked he knew to never get into an argument with me because obviously he wouldn’t win.

I turned around and left his office with my head held high and with as much pride as I had while building the business. For as hard as it was building it, this business was my baby I had put my all into it.

Unfortunately Rick’s office has floor to ceiling glass panels which are a few feet away from the shared work area so I knew that everyone could see what had happened.

I wasn’t surprised that the room was completely quiet and still. I paid no attention to any of it I just wanted to get my stuff and leave.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that someone had placed a spare cardboard box and a roll of tape on my desk which made packing everything not only quicker but easier.

I swiftly packed all of my stuff and as I was taping the box closed Jenna comes up next to me and gives me a big hug.

Im not going to lie that hug almost broke me but I held it together.

I had always loved Jenna and from the first moment that I interviewed her I knew that there was something special about her which is why I fought so hard to hire here even though Rick didn’t want to because he didn’t think she fit the “look” of the company.

I thought that was the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, and in the end he had no choice but to back down.

“I- I just know that you’ll do great wherever you’ll go, Mila” Jenna whispered in my ear.

We hugged for a long time before I knew that I had to leave. Unfortunately the exit was a few feet from Madison’s desk and in order to get to it I had to walk past her.

A part of me was so dreading walking past my former best friend, but another part of me wanted to drag her across the coals.

Like men come and go but I thought that we would be friends until we died, I had planned out my entire life thinking that she would always be in it and the fact the money and flashy toys was enough for her to break a twenty year friendship was sick to me.

I took a deep breath, picked up my box of stuff and walked past Madison’s desk without sparing her a single sideways glance.

As I passed her I could see her face out of my peripheral vision, and her eyes were firmly planted to the ground. I could tell that she was nervous, anxious even anticipating what I would do.

I’m sure she thought that I would attack her, flinging profanity and throwing punches her way.

As bitchy as this sounds I loved every second of it, I loved seeing her face plastered with fearful anticipation, anxiety and worry.

Hell it gave me an extra bouncy to my step.

As I walked to my car, the only thing that was on my mind was revenge.

Hell if I could build a business from nothing to an million dollar evaluation once I know that I can do it again and when I do it I will crush Rick and Madison and make sure they regret this day.

Before I left I turned and could see Ricks office from my car, and surprise surprise Madison was there and even though I obviously couldn’t hear anything I knew that Madison was doing what she does best; playing the victim.

Seeing that cleared any doubt that I could have ever had, so I flipped them off from my car and headed home.