#14 :: An Office Romance

6.

April

When I arrived to Dereks workplace I was in full rage mode. He was so busy engrossed with his colleagues laughing and being jolly he didn't see me coming. Once I was close enough I started beating him with the flowers until there was no more flowers left and two of his colleagues had to hold me back.

"Lady! Lady stop or we're going to have to call the police!" They threatened as they struggled to hold onto me.

"Call them! I'm pretty sure they will arrest HIM before they arrest ME!!" I spat.

"Guys.. it's fine. Let her go."

"You sure boss?"

"Yes yes. Let her go."

"Yeah let me go! Listen to your BOSS!" I mocked.

They let me go.

"Give us a minute guys..." Derek said.

His colleagues dispersed.

"April... to what do I owe this visit?"

"So the beating of the flowers wasn't enough for you huh?"

"I did wonder why that was your choice of weapon."

"You're a piece of SHIT!!"

"April!!"

"WHAT??? You are!! You visited mum. WHY?"

"I.. I didn't..."

"DON'T LIE DEREK!!"

"Okay okay..no matter what you may think... I will always love your mum."

I scoffed.

"It's true! I remembered what today was so I wanted to get her some flowers..."

"FOR WHAT??? YOU ARE THE REASON SHE'S IN THERE!!"

"April keep your voice down!"

"Why? Don't these lot know what you're like?? Huh?? Well maybe I should talk louder so they can find out!"

"APRIL!! I know you're mad because things didn't work out between your mum and I..."

I laughed.

"Mad? MAD??? Because things didn't work out? NO!! I'M MAD BECAUSE YOU ARE THE REASON MY MUM IS IN A FUCKING HOME AND CAN NEVER COME OUT!!"

"That's not my fault! Your mother has a problem..."

I laugh even harder.

"Yes! And we know why!! BECAUSE OF YOU!!"

"I didn't do anything your mother didn't want me to do..."

"Oh really? So she asked you to smuggle her cocaine in her flowers?"

"I never..."

"DON'T LIE!!" I shouted as I threw the bag of cocaine at him.

"LOWER YOUR VOICE!!"

"NO!! NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH... IF.. you go and visit my mother again. I will get you locked up so fast your feet won't touch the ground. Do you hear me?!"

"You hate me that much?"

"Hate you? I LOATHE YOU!! I wish you was dead!!"

"April one of these days you're going to learn to respect me!! Don't forget I'm you're father!!"

"NO YOU'RE NOT!! My father died the day he stopped being a father and husband to me and my mum. You don't get to call yourself my father. You're dead to me!" I said as I felt myself getting emotional.

"April..."

"STAY AWAY FROM MY MUM DEREK!!" I shouted as I walked back to my car.

I drove round the corner and broke down. Biologically Derek is my father. But he lost that right the minute he ruined my mums life.

Pull yourself together April.

I sat up in my car, dried my eyes, touched up my eyeliner and lipstick and drove to work. As I got out of the car and walked to the lift, I looked at my phone. Three pm and five missed calls from Megan.

Great. Just great.

As soon as the doors opened on my floor, everyone was looking at me. I stepped out from the lift and right into Megan who was waiting for me. I looked over at Sara who mimed "sorry". I winked at her.

"I said one thirty! It's three o'clock!" Megan said loudly for everyone to hear.

Let me explain how our floor is situated. As soon as you come out of the lift in front of you is the receptionist desk. On your right is the toilet and on your left is the canteen, behind the receptionist desk are twelve cubicle desks where everyone sits. On the left side of those desks are Megan's, mine and Reggies offices. On the right side of those desks are three further offices; lastly, opposite end of the floor is a room where meetings, conferences etc. are held.
So this performance Megan is putting on... EVERYONE can see and hear.

"I know I'm late, I'm sorry. I'll stay late and not take lunch next week at all." I said hoping that would be enough for her to drop the situation.

"Don't tell ME what YOUR punishment will be..."

Punishment?

"Sorry?"

"This is a business! Whatever personal shit you got going on if you can't do it in your own time that's on you!" She said.

Personal "SHIT"?
April... count to ten.

I never said a word. I nodded my head and walked to my office. Everyone was staring at me. Reggie decided to speak up.

"You didn't have to be so harsh Megan..."

"I'm not! But I can't have people taking the piss. She's new, she's still on probation. I could fire her."

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Fire me then." I said.

Everyone turned to face me.

"What?" Megan said somewhat surprised.

"Fire. Me."

"Don't think I won't!"

"At this point I couldn't care less. I've had THE worst day. So...Please... FIRE ME. I've only been here for five days but I have more than enough to make sure not only will I do you for unfair dismissal but you will be paying me out so much that I won't have to work again. You try to act like you're professional but you don't have a professional bone in your body! If you did you would have waited to have this conversation where it's just you and me! But oh noooo!! You want to put on a show so you can show everyone you're boss. WE GET IT MEGAN!! I said I'm sorry, I said I'll make it up. What the FUCK more do you want from me? DON'T talk about me to anyone else like I can't hear you! Don't threaten to fire me! You hired me because of my impeccable CV. Which means so would someone else! Just incase YOU forgot... I don't NEED you... YOU NEED ME!! You'd do good to remember that." I said as I walked off to my office slamming my door behind me.

I closed all my blinds, locked my door and I let out a huge sigh; followed by a silent cry...

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