Chapter 25
"Excuse me?" Blackwell asked with a tilt of the head.
Eliza blankly stared at her superior. The hands behind her back concealed the fright and fury that were cycling through her entire being.
"I need a week to work from home," Eliza repeated.
Blackwell folded one hand over the other and glared at her CIO, "The week you requested before–"
"Was planned around the estimated time of delivery for my daughter. She arrived a week earlier than expected, as children may do. So, I don't believe that I should be punished by something as natural as an unanticipated time of arrival for an anticipated childbirth."
"This wouldn't be an issue if none of this had happened in the first place?" Blackwell snipped.
Eliza drew her head back, "None of..."
"The reason I liked you is because you were career-driven," the CEO remarked. "I was very clear about my expectations during your interviews."
Eliza twisted her face, "I'm still career-driven. How does a woman having a child suddenly make her less so?"
"Now, time has to be taken away from your career. It is a simple equation."
"No, what is simple is asking for a week off so that I can take care of a child I had just given birth to. What is any different than me wanting vacation time?" Eliza calmly combatted.
Blackwell, cracked one knuckle in her finger and simmered in her anger, "Where is the father of this child?"
"He is not in the picture."
Blackwell scoffed, "So you intend to be a single mother? Your priorities are divided."
"I do, in fact, intend to be a single mother. I also have the ability to hire a nanny, so I am unsure of where my priorities to Bluestar have come into play," Eliza snapped.
"Kelly! You have wasted a good portion of my time today, recounting trivial matters that exist because of your own floozy decisions."
"Excuse me?!" Eliza screeched.
Blackwell stood from her desk and leaned over, "I've had... people come to me and say that you aren't afraid of engaging in inappropriate behavior with your subordinates."
Eliza growled, "You've had people come to you... and say something about me and my behavior with my fellow coworkers?"
"I'm glad your hearing is working. Or should I expect you to want to take time off for an ear appointment?" Blackwell growled.
Eliza took a step back and examined the wildeyed woman.
"I don't know what kind of company you think I run, but people talk, Kelly, and when they approach me about what they have seen as promiscuous behavior in the workplace, I must take action."
"You are acting... on the basis of rumor?" Eliza murmured with dismay.
"I have to protect my company. So, I have every right to investigate."
"May I ask how any of this has interfered with my work?"
"People are uncomfortable. I have a CIO that gave birth to a random, fatherless baby, and now that I have recently been approached with your inappropriate behavior in the workplace. I can put two and two together. Does that answer the question for you?"
"No, Blackwell, but it did answer a different question for me," Eliza stated, her nose up high. "I assume that HR has been investigating?"
Blackwell's eyes fluttered briefly before she cleared her throat and said, "Measures will be taken sooner than later."
"Hmm," Eliza quietly grunted.
"Now are we done?"" Blackwell insisted, a heavy flush on her face.
"Yes. Yes, ma'am we are," Eliza nodded before immediately turning around and quietly exiting the uncomfortable space.
She hurried back to her office and sat down at her desk. The cursor of her mouse hovered over all of the open applications– hiding or closing what wasn't necessary for her next task. Her fingers froze above the keyboard while she stared at a blank email composition.
She carefully wrote the first line, but couldn't bear to finish. Eliza had to ask herself if she was making the right decision. She had to be grateful that she knew she wasn't alone anymore. If she didn't talk to someone now, she would lose her mind.
"Pete?" she sighed into her phone.
"Eliza? Is everything okay?" her brother quickly asked on the other line.
Without hesitation, Eliza broke down, "I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do. I was seconds away from writing up my two weeks, but then I just knew I should talk to someone about it before I did anything."
Pete panicked, "You want to quit your job? You've been working there for years! What happened?!"
"What happened is that I realized that I should have planned to leave this job ages ago."
"Okay, okay... you don't have to say anything else right now, but lets just think about what to do next," Peter replied with confidence.
His big sister took a deep breath and took comfort in being able to let someone else aid her in the thinking process. Pete talked her down from making any rash decisions, and she was feeling better until she took a glance at the notification on the computer that reminded her that she had to go to in a few minutes. Being inside of the Bluestar building felt like Hell on earth, especially knowing that she would not be able to concentrate whatsoever on the upcoming meeting.
That approaching hour would entail another financial update. An update that would include the watchful eyes of Troy, Blackwell, and Andrew. When she entered the boardroom, Eliza refused to raise her from the ground or the table. She was angry, but no one could tell but Troy.
The meeting was long, and shockingly dry even with Troy's charismatic updates.
"Anything to add, Kelly?" Blackwell included after Troy's final conclusion on the latest reports.
Eliza, slowly closed her leather folder, and looked across the room into a pair of cold blue eyes, "I don't believe there is anything further to investigate... Blackwell."
Ten seconds of silence echoed across the room, and the tension existed without effort. Eliza could see the twitch under Blackwell's right eye as could the rest of the dumbfounded spectators. Annoyed, Eliza glanced at her watch and stood up. At that moment, the meeting was silently adjourned.
Eliza trekked back to her office, but instinct told her to stop and turn around. There in the distance, she could see Troy being held up by bitter Blackwell at the open doorway. The distress emitting through his smile was obvious.
But Eliza's perception was suddenly interrupted. Cutting through the door was Andrew and his mischievous grin, and they were approaching Eliza without hesitation.
"That was quite a show in there, Eliza. I didn't know you had that in you," Andrew snickered.
She watched him shift his weight and put his empty hands into his pockets.
"What are you talking about?" she grumbled.
"You... Blackwell? That was so intense. Any reason why you're so on edge?" he asked.
Her eyes narrowed the more edges of his lips rose into his cheeks.
"Actually, I did speak to Blackwell before today's meeting. She did tell me that HR will be investigating my relationships with my co-workers. And of course, it was you to feel the need to randomly approach Blackwell with a matter that is completely irrelevant to the well-being of the company," Eliza proclaimed as calmly as she could.
He tilted his head down, "Oh... and is that it?"
"Eliza? Andrew... Is everything okay?" Troy huffedfrom behind.
"Everything would be fine if Mr. Louis would find a better way to be productive in the office," Eliza stated, not removing her eyes from her adversary.
"Productive?" Andrew scoffed.
"Mr. Daniels... my office. Now!" Blackwell shouted mid strutting past the trio and down the hall.
The three looked toward their superior in surprise, but Andrew was the first to turn and enjoy the delight in the fright on Eliza's face. Troy turned away from Blackwell and looked to Eliza who was staring at the ground with glassy eyes.
"Liza, what's going on?" Troy whispered.
"Liza?" Andrew snickered.
Troy instantly shifted his attention to the man taunting him, "There a reason you're still standing here, Mr. Louis?"
"I was just wondering if our boss was okay. She didn't seem herself in the meeting, and I was going to inquire about being able to assist–"
"Get the correctly updated finances for last quarter on my desk in the next hour," Troy barked. "That is where your time needs to be spent. If you had been paying attention to our meeting or even taking notes you would have heard about the issues showing up in our latest quarterly returns."
Andrew's fists clenched in his pockets, and Eliza was quick to notice how Troy observed Andrew's gesture and squared his shoulders with Andrew's.
"Troy, everything is okay. Andrew, I suggest you follow your superior's request immediately," she insisted, still cautiously observing a side of Troy she was sure she didn't want to release itself from it's restraints.
Andrew forced air from his nostrils before he angrily rolled his eyes from the duo and turned away to the elevator.
Eliza put her hands over her face unable to hide how overwhelmed she was. Of course, Troy's instincts told him to comfort her, but she stepped away and quietly insisted that he hurry to Blackwell's office. Troy took another look toward the man he was prepared to send a fist into if necessary. Andrew was in front of the elevator, but he was happily pointing a dark-gray haired woman, dressed in a pant suit, in Eliza and Troy's direction.
Troy squinted in question, wondering why Andrew was suddenly so pleased. But his question was answered within seconds.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for an Eliza Kelly?" the woman began with a smile.
Eliza opened her eyes in surprise and nodded, "I'm Eliza Kelly. How may I help you?"
The delightful woman reached into her pocket of her suit's blazer and pulled out an envelope. She extended it to Eliza, "I have legal documents for your attention."
Eliza stared at the envelope and then back at the woman. Reaching out to finally take the package, she whispered, "Okay."
"Thank you. Have a good day," she smiled, before turning around to take her leave.
"Don't open that," Troy insisted with foresight.
Eliza shook her head in a panic and ripped open the envelope. She frantically scanned over the printed message and gasped.
"Eliza?" Troy groaned with sadness.
Her hands continued to shake when she finally looked up to him. Troy swiftly entered her office and grabbed her phone. Then, he promptly rushed the stricken woman to his office and put her phone in her hands.
Placing his hands on her cheeks, he spoke carefully, "Call Emmy, now. Call her right now and don't do anything else until I come back. Do you understand?"
Tears began to stream down her face, but he quickly wiped them away, "You understand me?"
Eliza finally nodded, and Troy quickly exited his office.
"Eliza, honey! How are you doing?! Wait... let me tell you what little Miss Lulu did this morning,..." Emmy snickered.
"What did she do?" Eliza whispered, her lips quivering and unable to form a smile.
"I tried to... Eliza? You don't sound right," Emmy quickly noted.
When Emmy didn't get a response, she demanded Eliza speak up.
"I was just served a summons to appear in court over Lulu. He wants custody of her," Eliza finally confessed.
Emmy's expression dropped and she looked to the small, messy baby eating mashed peas for the first time off of her fists. It was shocking, yet unsurprising what Emmy just heard. Within seconds she removed her attention from little Lulu, and gripped the phone tightly.
"Now you listen, and you listen carefully. Go on with your day as though nothing happened. You finish your day's work and you bring yourself home, you hear? What he wants to do is disturb you inside and out, but you have to let him know that you won't be moved by the temptation to break! You will be fine, believe it!"
Eliza cried until she was able to say she was okay. There was no way that she would be able to look at her agenda and understand what any of it meant. She was devastated at the thought of her daughter's life becoming complicated
She sat down on Troy's couch and read the paper over and over again. Eliza was unsure of what was happening, and as Troy rushed back into his office, he couldn't tell either.
His own anger subsided when he took a look a pair vacant eyes he didn't want to remember. He wanted to call her by name, but he kept his lips together. Instead of talking, he simply pulled out his wallet and searched as he neared the unspirited woman. He pulled out a thick piece of small cardstock and placed the business card in her hand.