A mental alarm dinged, and she squashed the sudden surge of anxiety. Maybe he just wanted to discuss what work needed to be done to make up for her day out of the office. The afternoon prior to her sick day had been at his recommendation but there was always work to catch up on at their firm. Being out a day and a half meant there was plenty to do.
Their cluster of offices were split by two hallways extending from the reception area. The reception area itself was really only large enough to hold two chairs and an unmanned desk. Occasionally, they had an intern sitting there doing filing in the summer. But most of the time, there was no receptionist.
Her boss’s office was down a different hallway from hers, and it was all the way at the end. He’d set a brisk pace she normally could’ve matched, but hobbling as she was, she struggled to keep up.
By the time they reached his office, she was doing her best not to let her discomfort show in her expression. Most of the other offices were glass from floor to ceiling. She’d thought it was a sleek, elegant layout at first. It definitely allowed for more natural light to filter into the interior of the office. But the glass also meant her office and the others were essentially fish bowls. Anyone could see what they were doing at any time of the day.
In contrast, her boss’s office had frosted glass, completely opaque. It allowed Jeff—and any clients he had—privacy. His office was large, spacious, elegantly appointed with comfortable chairs for his clients, as well as a pair of armchairs to one side for more casual conversation. His desk was huge, made of dark wood with a glass panel set over the surface. And on top of his desk was a box.
Peeking out of the box were the corners of a few picture frames and the ear of her favorite stuffed animal—a German Shepherd Dog wearing a collar with a tag that read “Hope’s Crossing Kennels.”
“Have a seat, Sophie.” Jeff’s voice had turned grim.
This wasn’t happening.
She sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, staring at the box holding her personal items. They hadn’t been packed with care if so many random corners were jutting out the top.
Jeff took his seat on the other side of the desk and sighed. “I would have liked to have been better prepared to have this conversation.”
Funny. She couldn’t decide if she would’ve wanted to be prepared or if she just wanted this over with now.
“The incident from the other day is not only all over the local news but has also gained coverage on national news channels.” Jeff glowered at her. “Even though your name wasn’t mentioned in the newscasts, someone who knows you would recognize your car.”
“I haven’t seen the newscasts.” She really hadn’t watched any television at all, either at the hospital or once she’d gotten home. She preferred to watch movies or TV series that’d already completed. Currently, she was rewatching a few favorite Korean dramas on her laptop as a comfort watch.
“We might be a small accounting group, Sophie, but we do have a certain reputation for respectability and reliability.” Jeff grunted as he leaned to one side and pulled his smartphone from his pants pocket and placed the device on his desk.
“How does my being the victim of a random accident impact the company?” They couldn’t possibly think she was involved in…
“Obviously you must be involved in questionable activities.” Jeff dropped his hand flat on the desk surface in a show of temper. “Car bombings aren’t like flat tires. They don’t just happen randomly. You or someone associated with you has gotten tangled up in unsavory business.”
Jeff’s lips were pressed in a hard line, and his brows were drawn together as he glowered at her. His focus was somewhere around her forehead; no direct eye contact.
He was really taking their discussion down this path, and even he probably knew deep down that this was bullshit.
“I’m sure you know what comes next.”
Oh, there was no reason to make this easy on him.
“I’d like to go over it in detail.” She sat straight, her shoulders back, the pain from her ankle suddenly inconsequential. She wouldn’t give the man the gratification of seeing her vulnerable or upset. “I’m sure you have the appropriate paperwork drawn up. I’d like to review it carefully and understand the exact grounds of my termination.”
“Sophie, really, just sign.” Jeff pulled a packet of papers out and placed them on the desk.
“I’ll read everything first.” She set her jaw and reached for the paperwork. “Then I’ll go clean out the rest of my office.”
There’d been papers, desk accessories, an extra pair of shoes tucked away in one drawer in case the weather got bad and she couldn’t wear her heels home.
“No need to clean out your office. We’ve collected all of your personal effects here.” Jeff stood, agitated. “Anything else was generated on behalf of and is the property of this company. Just read and sign. Then you can go home.”
Bitterness welled up and spread across her tongue. She swallowed the shame threatening to choke her. This was the first time she’d ever been fired.
She hadn’t done anything wrong. “Is there any question regarding the quality of my work?”