MESSED UP - completed!

16- Bankruptcy

16 Bankruptcy

It's been a week since the photoshoot. Kareem has sent me the photos, and I like all of them. He has promised to send me the first magazine, and I can't wait to see it. I remember Zoey's warning and skip my morning coffee. The day has already started poorly because of the caffeine lack.

As I enter Whoosh, the gathering of the workers in the middle catches my attention. I approach them and notice they're watching some men moving furniture around. I follow them and see they're all headed to Smith's office.

"What is happening?" I ask someone close to me.

"Smith got fired," she says.

My heart skips a beat, and blood escapes my veins. "Wh-What?" I say, barely able to make my voice clear.

She says nothing. I push through people and enter Smith's office only to notice James with a big smile, sitting in a new chair that has replaced the old one. The men are still moving the old furniture out of the room and the new ones inside. After James sees me, his smile widens.

"Mia! My favorite!" He says.

"Where's Smith?" I manage to say, ignoring his sentence.

"Come now. We'll have so much more than what you had with Smith."

"I said, where's Smith?" I repeat louder, feeling anger in my whole body. My aggressive tone shocks him.

"I'm afraid he'll no longer work with us."

"Why?"

"I don't have to explain," he says calmly.

I approach his desk and put my hands on it. My stare doesn't make him uncomfortable. He knows I demand the truth.

"I hope you understand your position when you talk to me," Williams says. "I'm your boss now."

I shake my head. "You were never my boss."

He clenches his jaw and takes his time to process my words. "I thought I had made a mistake by choosing Sara as the new manager, but now you proved I did the right thing."

"What?!"

He gets up from his chair and comes close to me. "If you're smart, then you can try to get that position back," he says, putting a hand under my chin. "We go way back."

I slap his hand away and then shove him back to his desk. He looks at me with round eyes. I can't talk. My body is shaking.

"You're fired as well," he says, his gaze piercing mine. His words shock me. "Just like the rest of the YouTubers and TikTokers," he continues, and I gasp.

I knew he was going to screw Smith over. But the YouTubers? It was his idea the whole time. Isla is one of them, too.

My heart races as I feel the words forming in my mouth to say, "Fuck you." His smirk turns into a scowl. "From now on, sleep with one eye open, Williams." I grab the paperknife from his desk, and he follows my movements.

"What are you doing?" he asks, trying not to look scared. "I will call security."

I grab the new wooden name tag on his desk and stab the paper knife into it. "Get a bodyguard if you have to. Or double your security; whatever works for you." My words surprise both of us. I throw the name tag with the paperknife stabbed into it on his desk and slam the door on my way out.

I tremble with anxiety, not able to believe what I just did. It's okay, I repeat in my mind. I don't have to survive anymore. Everything will be fine.

Jess is standing in a corner, watching the chaos. His presence makes my blood run through my veins even faster. The flash drive. Oh, my God! I let this happen! I should have done something about it.