Chapter 5
"I need you to drive me to the supermarket, he's going to hurt me," I asked my brother.
"Brina, I have work. I can't even take my lunch until later in the day because of the amount of work I have to do." My brother Andre replied.
"I'm scared," I stated.
"You didn't seem scared when you photoshopped him smoking crack and sent it to his boss." He replied.
'He sent my nudes to all the partners, what do you expect me to do, stand by and watch him wreck my life?" I shouted.
"You do know how to pick them." He said with no remorse.
"Did you just say that to me, Andre? I shouted.
"Sabrina, I got to go. I can't deal with this right now." He hung up the phone on me.
I guess I have got to call my friend, Carlos, to come and help me.
"Hey, Girl," He answered.
"Hey, Carl. I need you to take me somewhere."
"Sure. I don't need to know where I'm down to get out of this place."
"Is the "this place" you are referring to your job?"
"Yes, if I had known this was the amount of hate I would have received, I would have stayed an underling. These bitches in here hate me…"
He was going to explain why, and I cut him off. "Can you tell me all about this when you get here?"
I needed to go to the supermarket, but I wasn't going to say it to him yet.
"On my way."
I start getting ready. I put on my black Star Wars T-shirt and black sweatpants. I was immediately frightened because I saw a roach jump out of my closet. I screamed, "I thought you whores were nocturnal." I shouted.
I shook my sweatpants a few times to get rid of any other possible roach and grabbed my bag. I sat on the bench with the door closed just in case my psycho ex decided to show up. I was waiting for Carlos to arrive before I went outside. Carlos is a feminine guy. He stated that he is not gay, he was just raised with women, so I decided to drop my accusation from a younger age. He would check out guys and girls, but I only see him date girls. Carlos is very funny, tall, attractive, and sassy. He has dark hair, and he could pass as my twin. If I was not into serial cheaters, I would find Carlos attractive.
I was drifting away into a daydream of my next plan for Junior, but then I suddenly heard a ping from my cash app. Mr. Richard sent a payment for my two weeks of work. I was researching everything for him. He was determined to convince me that I needed to work for him. The good news is that I'm making almost the same salary as I was when I was working at the firm. Just a couple hundred shorter. I now realized that my boss was underpaying me. Gabrielle will get a portion of my anger. She has been trying to get rid of me because I know she is a smart girl. She probably had all the money hidden away in hopes that I would one day leave, and she would take it without having to look at me every day. It might not be the case, but that is my current verdict.
Carlos arrived at my house with my favourite coffee. See, he's a gentleman. I didn't even tell him that I wanted coffee.
We hugged for approximately 15 seconds, and I went into the passenger seat.
"Where to?"."
"I'm going to my workplace and supermarket."
"So why didn't you take your car?"
"I'm scared to take my baby out of the garage, and then Junior comes out of nowhere and starts destroying it."
"So, you want him to destroy mine?" He asked with a curious face.
"He wouldn't, he just wants to hurt me. You don't have to worry."
"Girl, I thought we were going to day drink or something."
"I know, that's why I didn't say it until you're here."
"You are evil." He squealed
"And you are my evil twin."
He spent the entire ride telling me how his coworkers hated him because they promoted him in the name of diversity.
"Diversity where? You are as white as the next man that they promoted."
"Yes, but all of them think I'm gay, so diversity in that case."
"Well, at least growing up with women gave you an upper advantage in this world. Even though you already had the advantage by being white." I joked.
"Double advantage. No offense."
"None taken. I love being black."
"And I love you being black, I worship you."
"Okay, let's not go any further in this topic. Please don't leave me just park around there and I will be right out."
As I walked out, I saw a grey Honda pull up in the parking lot beside Carlos, and I knew it was going to be trouble. I started to do a little running because I didn't want him to catch me outside. He was determined to catch up to me, but by the time I got in, he was too late. I thought he would wait outside, but he came right in behind me. That's strange. Other than me, there is no one else that he knows. I was nervous, I wondered if he was here to make things worse.
"Hello, Miss Brown. I was told you are not allowed in this building." the security guard stated.
"Hello, Jerry. I know, but I need to speak to Gabrielle right now." I begged.
"Gabrielle doesn't wish to see you, ma'am. She specifically asked me to escort you off the compound if you return here."
"Listen, Jerry. I want you to listen to me. Call Gabrielle and tell her that if she doesn't allow me to speak with her directly, then she will regret it."
Junior was at the other side of the room, and he was taking in all of this. It seems like he is here to see someone.
Jerry called Gabrielle, and he told me that I could go to her office.
"So, you think that if you threatened me, you would get your job back?"
"I'm not here to chitchat with you, Gabrielle. I know you've been underpaying me." I accused.
"What? That's ridiculous. I don't have the authority to underpay you." She retorted but I could tell by the look in her eyes and her eyebrow raised that it was a big fat lie.
"Don't toy with me, Gabrielle. You don't pay me directly, but you are the one who has the option to edit the hours that I work. You also have the option to take off my incentives that I would earn if I worked at least 85 hours for the week."
She finally was able to regain her ice queen persona and spoke.
"If you are going to accuse me of something, at least show me proof."
"I didn't accumulate any proof yet, but I'm going to get them. The reason I'm a great paralegal is because I am good at researching. I research even when I'm sleeping. My research goes beyond popular search engine and that computer that you are currently using keeps track of everything even if you delete it." I said confidently.
This was a dream come true. I've always wanted to say how I feel for years, but now I'm going to read her for filth. She will regret voting towards my suspension and making my time here difficult.
"What do you want?" She finally gave in
"My job back," I said without hesitation.
"It's not that simple. I'm just a manager of the paralegal. I don't have control over your employment." She stated.
"You are lying. They asked you if you would act as my reference of good character, and you stated, and I quote, "No comment."
She was shocked, she was wondering how I even knew all this because only the partners were in that meeting. She didn't know that Mr. Richard told me everything while I was working for him.
I felt good, I had the upper hand.
The phone rang.
"What now, Jerry?" She shouted.
'There is a man by the name of Junior who is here to see you. He has been waiting for at least 15 minutes."
I saw a look in her eyes that I'd never seen before. She knew that I heard what Jerry said because it answered on speakerphone. The look wasn't an 'I got dirt on you look', it was an 'I might be sleeping with Junior look.'
"Are you sleeping with Junior?" I asked with a deadpan expression.
"How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" She denied it rhetorically.
"I didn't accuse you, I asked you if you are," I replied.
Gabrielle is not a good liar. No wonder she settled for the Manager of the Paralegal instead of pursuing law.
"Get out of my office, now!" she finally said.
I walked out of her office. I felt betrayed all over again. It had puzzled me as to how Junior just suddenly got Gabrielle out of her office on the day that I was late, but I had assumed that she was probably there waiting or something. She might've been involved with Junior for years which explains the reason she is only mean to me and not the rest of the paralegal.
I called Carlos to come and get me at the door as I was now afraid of Junior just standing there looking at me as if he was decent. He is not one to create a scene in front of people like this, but I was still scared.
Carlos came out, and I walked to his car. He also accompanied me to the supermarket and brought me home. I had to force him to go back to work because, at this time, he was out with me for at least 1 and a half hours. He finally left after I threatened to call his boss.
I took a shower, lay in my bed of lies and I couldn't stop crying. I don't understand why I keep ending up in these situations. I'm cursed.