GIRL FRIDAY (Completed)

Chapter 46 - Anxiety

Sorry for the later update guys, I needed to do some research for Clive's case. I needed some data on what it would take to build a case against him, and would like to share what I found. For so long now, women have always been at the bitter end of a power play from men who use their physical strength as a means to make women bend to their will. It's a vicious cycle how women are always objectified, made to feel guilty for acting in a certain way, or the way they dress. 

Just my two cents on this for the ladies. We all know that it's wrong to be blamed when men get malicious with us because we dress in a certain way, or act nice to them. It's not our fault if they misunderstand a friendly gesture. But we have to be very careful not to tempt fate. The sad reality is, the caveman mentality is still very much alive, and if you want to avoid being harassed, you need to be very careful.

I was a victim of harassment years ago, when the Assistant of  a Governor pursued me. Why? I kept him company while waiting for my boss to arrive, and chatted with him about books because he was also a bookworm like me. So innocent, right?  But for him , it was a go signal for pursuit. He called me repeatedly despite knowing I was married, and even traced me to my new job, with a threat that he can easily get to me because he was nearby. Thank God my former boss intervened and made him stop. The stress was unbearable then. 

I have since learned to be not-so-warm in my dealings with the opposite sex, to dress always covering crucial parts of my anatomy, and to be careful with the things I say when men are around. Mahirap na.

Read on and see how the Clive arc pans out. Be careful  always, ladies. There are jerks out there masquerading as gentlemen.

They were back at work, and Richard lost no time in meeting with Security to gather as much information as he can on Clive. He also consulted a lawyer to see how they can file a case against Clive and found Republic Act 9262 "Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004 as a possible reference for his violation.

Richard also checked with the HR Director on the possible violation they can charge him with, provided there was enough evidence to show he was guilty. It was really dependent on whatever Security could provide as supporting evidence. The fact that he never wrote on a card for his gifts during Secret Santa showed premeditation, plus the effort to change names of the person he picked with someone who got Maine was also supporting evidence.

He was worried though. Until they gathered enough information, Clive was still out there, and God knows what he had in mind for Maine. There were times when he would be out of the office, and his mind was half on her.

Maine was brought to the Heights for the meantime. She stayed there while the case for Clive was still unfiled. Richard insisted on this, for fear that Clive might follow her and attempt to enter her condo. They remained quiet about the case brewing, until finally, Richard got the evidence he needed. He called in the Corporate Secretary, also serving as head of the Legal Team, to give the heads up about Clive's case.

"Hi Camille, thanks for taking the time."

"No problem Richard, you said you needed to talk to me about Clive?"

"Yes. I am just giving you the heads up that Maine, my Technical Assistant, reported to me Clive's about malicious behavior with her while I was on my US trip."

He shared the Secret Santa incidents and Maine's encounter with Clive. He called in the HR Director to explain the offense and possible corrective actions to be taken.

"I've encouraged Maine to file an HR Case against him and I will fully support her on it. I will not tolerate such behavior in this company directed at anybody, regardless of position or rank."