whew chileeee. Summer dont feel like summer no more and I've been completely exhausted, hence why I advent beef writing at all. But I have started a new book (go figure) when I can't even finish the ones I already have published. Anyways I hope you all like this chapter that's literally taken me a month to write!
-Dani
Harry
The door to my office flies open and Michael rushes in as the most frantic I've ever seen him. "We got a big fucking problem." I notice Jayde angle a weary look up to me from the corner of my eye but I keep my focus on Michael. I try my best to keep my composure but I'm at the point of losing it. "The power in the building cut for a short second, I don't know if you realized it but when it came back on everyone's computers were hacked onto, the sound system was hacked and it played... well." At this point he seems at a loss for words and uncomfortable so he steps towards and confirms my nightmare.
Jayde and I's video has reached every screen within this building for all my employees to see. I don't mind that some people saw cause I'm truly not embarrassed of my work, but there are people who I respect way to much for them to see that side of me at all, and they just did. When I finally look to Jayde she has her forehead glued to the desk with her arms sheltering her head. I lay a hand on her back and she slightly flinches but calms when she realizes it's me. As she lifts her head up tears roll down her stained cheeks and I am met with bloodshot red eyes.
"You know I'm good at problem solving and guiding you through whatever you need help with but I'm at a total loss for this one."
"Shit thanks for the help man." I repeatedly run my hands through my now damp hair from the immense amount of sweat. "I'm at a loss for words how-" I can see a scowl forming on Jaydes face and that only make me more upset about the situation. "Mike no questions. We don't know ourselves; I just know whoever did this will never forget what they did until the day they day and I will sue their ass for every penny they're worth, even might sue they're mum if I'm up for it just for my personal fun."
A genuine laugh comes from Jayde while Michael nervously chuckles. "About everyone in the office has seen the video and I know many are demanding and explanation, the board wants an answer by the end of the day. I heard there were talks of you being a bad image for the company and the people associated with it and if you go down they don't want to go down as well."
"So what? They're going to fire me from my own company, that's not possible." Michael rubs his necks and shys his eyes away from mine. "Actually it is possible, if they file a case on you and all votes are unanimous you'll be removed from your position. Not necessarily from the company but you'd pretty much be demoted into a lower position until everything is all said and done with or until.. well they decide and that can be anytime they feel is right."
My heart nearly stops in my chest and my breath hitches in my throat.
The people who I hired and who I trusted with my company are talking of plans to take it over. Nothing but betrayal flashes surges in my mind at the thought of the people I called colleagues, friends taking my life away to say the least. They of all people know just how much time, money and sweat I've invested into building this company, my empire and now just because of some scandal they want to take it all away from me; I refuse to let that happen. "I'll inform you if I hear any of talk about this but in the meantime, writing a statement and trying to explain all this should be your first priority. The board is working fast-"
"And I can work faster, Mike. They're not taking this company away from me, I'll be damned if either one of them get their hands anywhere near my position." Michael nods and backs out of the room. I keep replaying my last sentence in my head and even though it was meant for Michael, I'm also trying to convince myself that I'll stay true to what I said; in reality I don't know where to start. "So how are we going to go about figuring out and solving this scandal going on?" As if she was reading my mind I look down to the mother of my children and try and muster up the most confident smile ever but she cocks her head to the side and begins shaking it at me. "Its okay to not know Harry. Id rather you tell me you have no clue than to sit here and lie to me that you actually have a plan."
"I don't know where to start Jayde. Im scared shitless, I thought I could trust every last one of the people in this building who I hired personally. I thought of them as my family and treated them as such too. Someone inside this building and who knows my schedule like the back of their hands had to do this, some random employee never could've pulled this off without getting caught and that's the part that scares me."
"That someone who's close to you or that you believe is close to you is trying to sabotage the company and bring you down?" I look to her with a look of dismay. I swear this girl is reading my mind, there's no way she's just pulling all this out of her ass because everything that I'm thinking she's voicing at the exact same time. "Harry I know you, overthinking right now isn't going to help us get a start on anything right now. Trust me I'm scared shitless, evermore than you knowing that not only does this person have my address and is continuing to threaten me but I now have my coochie all over the internet and for the building to see. People I associate with all the time, you know how embarrassing that is. Especially if people from church, oh Jesus." I watch as Jaydes mood turn from one of fright to pure horror as she reels on the possibilities. " Harry what if people from my church see the tape, I might get shunned and all the mothers and deacons-" Eventhough I don't know too much about church since I go probably twice a year, I do know that she is the one beginning to overthink this entire situation.
"Jayde if anyone in that church besides the members your age seen the tape, id have to question their motives and why they're watching videos like that in the first place. Its not like the videos just posted to normal social media. Everyone was send a link that had porn as the first word. If they come to you and ask you about your private and intimate moments, id have to ask them what they were doing or searching to come across a video like that in the first place." She understandingly nods and palms her face with her hands. I can tell where's she's headed now and just as much as I don't want her sinking like I know shes used to, I can't help but to feel myself slipping away into the same state.
Jayde
My mind is reeling, just as it was the moment I walked into Harrys office and he showed me the tape. Im immobile and speechless, not having a word to voice or a functioning conscious to help me process this all. First all the threats and the unwanted gifts coming to my phone and even my doorstep and now someone maliciously recorded harry and I in out most intimate states possible and now its on the web for the whole web to see.
I know I joked about quitting normal nine to five jobs and becoming a stripper or pornstar but that was just my nineteen year old self completely joking, becoming another Kim Kardashian was never in my intentional plans of reality. Although I should be worried about the now and how Harry and I are going to get through this with getting the least amount of blood on our hands, I can't help but to think go the twins. Almost everyone in their school know who their parents are and its also a pre-k to twelfth grade school so I know the older kids have most likely already seen it. My main worry is that I don't want the kids to be bullied because of what someone decided to leak about their dad and I.
After moments of silence my phone begins to buzz in my purse and I reach in to grab it. On instinct I answer without taking the time to process what may be said; I press the green join button and my mother and sister pop onto the screen.
Jayde Kavanaugh! What the actual hell, why was I sent an email but an anonymous person?" My heart drops as I can see her face twist in disgust. "Yeah I got one too but I haven't had enough time to open it what is it?"
"Just delete it please, we're trying to figure out how it got out."
"Last time you messed with that boy Jayde, he broke your heart and left your life in complete shambles not to mention you had to raise to babies solo. Ive been told you that he isn't good for you and every time you take your ass back to him you're always drug through the mud because of something he did or couldve been prevented." I know my mothers concern is only a motherly instinct but sometimes she takes it too far and it begins to get on my last nerve.
"Mom, it's not Harrys fault. He's just as much in the dark and surprised as I am, this isn't his fault and I'm not gonna sit here and let ya'll blame him for something that her had no clue even was happening. Now if y'all don't have any thing that we can go about solving this mishap, I need to let you go since talks about my job and Harrys job is already up in the air." I hear a gasp on the line from both my mother and sister.
"So both of y'all are on the line with this?" I nod. I see the wheels turning in my mothers head, something that happens when she's having an internal battle with herself on what she should do for certain situations. "And you're sure he had nothing to do with this at all."
"Yes mom, he was already lectured on how he was to present himself and if anything happened outside of the said rules he had to abide by then there could be a potential he would be removed from his position. Now I know you don't have the best feelings towards harry, but you know that that doesn't sound like him at all. Losing the company he spent years building up and possibly risking him not being able to provide for his own children." She nods understandingly knowing that that is not Harrys character at all.
"Look, I have some people who can maybe help y'all but if something happens you're going to need to roll with the punches and take in everything that may happen, not good and bad. Can I get your word on that?" I look to Harry who I see is already nodding and awaiting further instructions from the women who has despised him for most of our relationships.
"What are you thinking Mrs.Kavanaugh?"