To say I was pissed off would be an understatement.
I was beyond furious. I was livid and humiliated. Celeste went ahead on her threat and called my boss to cancel the interview. I honestly thought she was kidding. But nope she wasn't. When I returned to the office I got the worse scolding I have ever gotten from anyone.
"Are you stupid?! Just what the hell did you do to our client that not only did she pull out but investors are considering pulling funds."
He threw anything on his desk right off hurling it to the floor. Un the few months I have been working at Charter Magazine post graduation I have never seen Mr. Rudd get that upset.
His eyes were wide and feral. Like he could lunge at me and strangle me at any time. I knew I had to keep quiet and take whatever he gives me so I would be safe from physical danger.
His anger was unexpected. I never considered what I did as being that serious. The worst I thought she could do was pull a tantrum and refuse to have the interview published. Howver she lived up to her reputation known among her peers. She acts like a queen and doesn't directly hurt you or show any visible anger. She just waves a hand and lets her dogs to her bidding. Supposedly she casually mentioned her disapproval in our work ethic that now the whole company was in a tizzy.
As to how I know that, my new informant Frankie Rhodes gracefully let me know before I even had to ask.
After she gave me the information on her school we met up every so often to eat and drink and hang out. She easily became my best friend.
So when she gave me the heads up on what people around her were whispering I mentally got ready for what was to come at work. But still, it was not enough. No matter what I could say, nothing could take back or change what happened. I was suspended from work for a few weeks without pay. I also had to handwrite an apology to Celeste as well as to Raya for messing this up.
Thankfully through the grapevine I learned Celeste was convinced by my boss to redo the interview but Raya would be the one handling everything. All the work I had already done with the other interviewers was scrapped and they were contacted to do the interview again at a later time.
So I have been stuck in my apartment just not doing anything. I have been avoiding going out as I was worried about what kind of retaliation Celeste and her family could do. My phone buzzed interrupting my wallowing letting me know Felix was outside.
"Baby I brought you some lunch, lets eat." He had just come from the office. He had some bags under his eyes which indicated how tired he was. I knew he was having a hard time as well. Aside from his mother being even worse than before his plate was full as the bachelor party with Alan was coming up in the next two days. He was working as much as he can so he can take the time off for the upcoming wedding festivities.
Despite his tired face he looked especially handsome in his suit and his hair combed and styled. He rolled up the sleeves to his shirt to take out the food he brought.
He was blissfully unaware of what I did. And I felt a pang of guilt. I wanted us to be on equal footing with one another. No secrets. But I also did not want to be a burden to him. So I was trying to find the right time to tell him but I couldn't.
Maybe it was the concern on my face or the fact that I have 'called out' of work the past few days but Felix decided to question me. "Sol, baby, is something bothering you?"
I took a deep breath. 'I can't hold it in any longer.' So I looked at him and said everything that I did.
Once I finished I waited for his reaction but none came. His face was hanging agape in shock but no words came out of his mouth. Eventually he seemed to recover.
"You did...what."
"Listen babe, I know it sounds bad." I tried to appease but now he fully lost it.
"Sol its not even a 'sounds bad' deal, what you did IS bad. Sol that police report was sealed, for you to have gone behind my back and open it is vile. You do realize that if Celeste wanted to she could retaliate against both you AND me. And it doesn't have to be her, she can mobilize her invisible army and we would never know who is a friend or foe."
The way his eyes were widened like he saw death at his doorstep scared me. This was serious.
"Set aside Celeste the worst dog at her disposal is Dean Cortez." That shocked me. "How is he the worst? I thought their families were feuding? Would it not be good business for them to eliminate hers?"
He clamped his hand over my mouth to stop me from speaking. As if unwanted ears could listen in on us through the confines of my home. "Have you not listened to anything I have told you? Celeste is the Queen Bee. Her word is law. Everyone listens to her. Especially Dean. She remains as the only one who could control him. I don't know what exactly she has over Dean but he would never act out against her."
His hand remain clamped over my mouth. His eyes more feral with fear. I started to feel a deep sense of dread, that I unwittingly summoned something evil to our doorstep. "Dean is worse than Celeste. She can let things go, but for him he has no mercy. If Celeste even breathes a word about this to him, he is not afraid to retaliate publicly or in ways that are illegal."
For once I matched the sense of fear Felix was feeling. Dread creeped in my bones and I felt my heart stop and blood drain. "He is a real Devil. And may God have mercy on us for angering him."