Stella

Thirty-seven

damned if we do, damned if we don't

Cas stormed into his office and turned the television on, his brother was hot on his heels. The moment the black screen came alive they met with a golden-haired beauty with brown eyes.

"-llo Ms Myers, thank you for having me here tonight," her calm voice came through the speakers while she wore a polite smile.

"Thank you so much for being here." The host smiled. "I'm sure you're aware of the claims that have been made against your company by Bernadette Williams?"

"Yes, of course." Stella nodded.

"Callahan & Co released a statement a few nights ago stating the claims made by Ms Williams are unfounded and untrue."

"That's correct. As far as I know, Ms Williams has been treated very well by the company. We have a high percentage of satisfied employees – something we take great pride in – and we are always looking to improve employee and client experiences."

"I see. So, are you aware of further claims that Ms Williams has been sexually harassed and intimidated by not only the CFO but also the CEO?"

Cas winced and Ruben gaped at the screen before fishing his phone out of his pocket. Stella's brow twitched and her eyes darkened.

Ms Williams was coming hard at the Callahans.

"No, I am not aware of those claims."

"They only came out a few minutes ago, I won't blame you for being unaware," Ms Myers spoke with a cat like smile. "What do you think about these claims? Do you believe they are also unfounded and untrue?"

Of course, she did, but she couldn't say that. 

"I have never heard or witnessed any such events happening. I would like to state that we take allegations of misconduct very seriously and have steps in place if an employee is a victim of harassment – sexual or otherwise. It doesn't matter if the perpetrator is an executive or not, Callahan & Co will not tolerate such behaviours. If these claims have been made, I am more than willing to investigate them myself or request a third party to make an investigation."

"But-"

"Given the severity of the accusations made," Stella continued, "Mr Callahan and Mr O'Sullivan will step down until a satisfactory answer has been given."

"How are you able to say that, Miss Callahan?" She wore an amused smile. "You only just learned about these so-called accusations."

Stella smiled. "I can say that because I know the policies and procedures we are to follow."

She pursed her lips. "Back to your statement of investigating the claims yourself, you do realise you're unreliable, right? You can't possibly think you could conduct an investigation and think people will believe you, your father has been named as an abuser and it's well known that you have a good relationship with him."

"That is why I also said I would be happy for a third party to come in and conduct a thorough investigation themselves. Callahan & Co is not a company – or a family – that should be synonymous with sexual harassment and misconduct. Our business is respectable, and we take good care of our employees. While I cannot speak further on the claims of harassment, I can say that the evidence shows Ms Williams has stolen company money and has proven herself to be an unreliable person. If any other employee has faced such treatment, then I advise them to contact me or HR and I will handle it personally."

"She could have simply been sick and tired of being harassed and taken revenge."

"That is your conjecture and as I said, I won't speak further on her new claims."