Chapter 5 - Carol’s Desperate Revenge Scheme Backfires
The day after Christmas, the sleet had turned into a heavy blanket of white snow.
I was at my desk on the fifteenth floor of Hartwell & Chase, packing my files into a box. My transfer to the London office had been fast-tracked. My boss, Mr. Henderson, had been surprisingly understanding when I told him I needed a fresh start after a difficult divorce.
Suddenly, the glass doors of the lobby flew open.
I heard a commotion at the reception desk.
"I demand to speak to Mr. Henderson!" a shrill, familiar voice screamed. "I demand to speak to the head of HR! One of your employees is a thief and a criminal!"
I stood up, my heart dropping.
Carol.
She had actually done it. She was standing in the middle of our sleek, minimalist lobby, her coat covered in melting snow, her hair wild, waving a stack of papers in her hand. Beside her stood Jake, looking incredibly uncomfortable, trying to pull her back but failing.
Several colleagues turned to look at them, then at me.
"Lily Garcia!" Carol yelled, spotting me through the glass walls. "There she is! The woman who steals from her family! The woman who kicked her husband out on Christmas Eve so she could hoard her bonus!"
Mr. Henderson stepped out of his corner office, his brow furrowed in deep annoyance. "What is going on here? Security!"
"Mr. Henderson!" Carol lunged toward him, thrusting a piece of paper into his face. "You need to fire Lily Garcia immediately! She’s been embezzling money! She stole my son's landscaping company funds! She’s a fraud!"
Mr. Henderson didn't take the paper. He looked at Carol, then at Jake, and finally at me.
"Lily, do you know these people?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
I walked out of my glass cubicle, my head held high. I felt no shame. I felt only a cold, clinical detachment.
"Yes, Mr. Henderson," I said clearly so the entire office could hear. "This is my soon-to-be ex-husband, Jake, and his mother, Carol. Jake is currently under active investigation by the Chicago Police Department for identity theft, after attempting to forge my signature on a $15,000 loan using my corporate pay stubs from this company."
The lobby went dead silent.
Jake’s face went from pale to a deep, embarrassed crimson. He stepped back, trying to hide behind his mother.
"Furthermore," I continued, looking directly at Carol, "they are currently trespassing on this property. I have a restraining order application being processed as we speak."
Mr. Henderson’s expression hardened. He turned to the two security guards who had just rushed out of the elevator.
"Escort these two out of the building immediately," Mr. Henderson ordered. "And call the police. Tell them we have individuals attempting to harass our staff with documents containing forged company payroll records."
"No! Wait!" Carol screamed as a burly security guard grabbed her by the arm. "She’s lying! She’s the one who stole! Jake, tell them!"
But Jake didn't say a word. He turned and ran toward the elevators, leaving his mother screaming in the grip of the security guard.
As Carol was dragged out, her screams fading down the hallway, Mr. Henderson turned to me. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"Are you okay, Lily?" he asked.
May you like
"I’m better than okay, Mr. Henderson," I smiled. "I’ve never been better."
"Good," he nodded. "Let's get you on that plane to London."
