Chapter 5 - Unraveling
Brenda blinked rapidly, sweat beading across her powdered forehead. "She... she was being combative, ma'am. Refused a direct order. She threw company property across the floor and claimed—"
"I asked you a simple question, Brenda," Evelyn said, not moving a muscle. "Did your hand make contact with her face?"
Brenda’s smile twitched, desperately clinging to her professional facade. "A mild corrective gesture, Mrs. Vance! As department lead, I have to maintain standard discipline. You built this company on excellence. We can't let unruly, entitled entry-level nobodies disrespect the senior management chain of command. I was acting in your best interest!"
Evelyn slowly turned her head. She looked at the white pages scattered across the floor. She looked at Carter, who was already sweating through his button-down. Then she looked at Elena.
"Come here, Elena," Evelyn said softly.
Elena took two steps forward, stepping over the scattered budget drafts. The red imprint of Brenda’s hand was already swelling into an ugly bruise along her cheekbone.
Evelyn lifted one hand, her manicured fingers gently brushing Elena’s hairline, inspecting the damage with surgical precision. For a fraction of a second, the titanium mask of the CEO cracked, revealing the raw, venomous fury of a mother whose child had been struck in broad daylight.
"Did you apologize to her?" Evelyn asked, looking back at Brenda.
May you like
Brenda scoffed weakly, still trying to read the room. "Apologize to an intern? Mrs. Vance, with all due respect, that would set a terrible precedent for our quarterly metrics. I think the girl should just pack her things and—"
"She isn't an intern," Evelyn said.
