Big Chicas Don't Cry(53)

It took three trips, but we were able to finish by Henry’s deadline.

It wasn’t until she’d closed the packed trunk of her car that Kat finally talked.

“What did he tell you?” she asked before pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighter from her purse. After all this time, I had no idea she was a smoker.

“Who? Henry? He just said you were being fired for what happened with the George Twitter thing. For what it’s worth, I think that’s kind of shitty. It’s not your fault some rando Twitter dude decided to attack Mr. George like that.”

She took a drag and blew out the smoke. “It was my fault. I was the rando Twitter dude.”

“Um, what? How is that even possible? You were with Mr. George in his office during the tweets.”

“I finally figured out how to use Hootsuite.”

Kat explained that she’d set up the fake Twitter account a few weeks ago and then programmed the tweets the night before the Q&A.

“If you look at the stream of tweets, never once did the guy respond directly to anything Darren or I posted. They were all just repeated accusations.”

“But, but, why?”

She laughed with a bitterness that made my blood run cold. “Revenge. Straight up. The bastard was cheating on me.”

The realization of her words slapped me. “You and Darren?”

“Yep. It’s been going on for a few months. I started to get suspicious because he’d cancel things at the last minute or always had an excuse why I couldn’t come over. So one night I waited outside his house and saw him with this other woman. She works in his office. She’s even come along to client meetings before. What a bastard, right?”

I nodded, even though I still couldn’t grasp what was happening. “Wow, Kat. I don’t know what to say.”

“I admit I went too far. I was so blinded by my rage that I also didn’t plan it out very well. Apparently, some of the things I accused him of were only known to a few people. It didn’t take him long to suspect me and tell Henry about our affair. Then I guess IT found some evidence on my laptop. I fessed up as soon as he confronted me about it.”

I was in shock. Never would I have ever thought Kat would do something like that.

“I’m only telling you this because I can tell you’re eager, Selena. And if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to get to the top. My only advice is, don’t ever compromise your career over a man. It will never be worth it.”

Kat threw her cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. She stuck out her hand, and I shook it. Then she got in her convertible BMW and drove off.

I didn’t go back inside right away. I needed a few minutes to process everything.

Things were about to change at Umbridge & Umbridge.

And the longer I stayed outside, the longer I didn’t have to think about whether I wanted anything to do with those changes.





Chapter Twenty-Eight


MARI


It was the third Wednesday in May. And, like every third Wednesday for the past three months, I was sitting in the conference room at Delgado & Ramos, wishing I were anywhere else.

“Oh my gosh, Marisol. Where did you buy these muffins? I absolutely must pick some up for my husband. He loves cranberries.”

Alicia, the firm’s manager of community partnerships, had just taken a bite of one of the dozen cranberry-orange muffins I’d baked the night before. We were waiting for our other committee members to arrive for our monthly meeting to plan the fall charity gala.

“I didn’t buy them anywhere. I made them,” I said as I made notes on our agenda.

“Shut up. You did not.”

“She absolutely did.”

A familiar deep voice made me stop writing. I looked up just as Chris was taking a seat next to me.

“What are you doing here?” I didn’t care how I sounded or that there was someone else in the room. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him—or his games.

Alicia laughed. “Someone didn’t read her emails this morning. Chris is the newest member of our committee. Isn’t that wonderful? It sets such a good example and lets everyone in the firm know that this event is a priority. I’m sure it will help increase attendance this year.”

He gave me a sly grin and a wink just as others on the committee showed up.

Don’t let him distract you. Even though you don’t want to be here, this is for an important cause. You have to stay focused.

“Chris, did I just hear that you’re joining our little committee this year?”

My shoulders tensed at the sound of the syrupy voice.

I slowly turned around to see Dawn Beck.

Dawn was one of San Marino’s busiest socialites. If there was a gala, auction, fundraiser, or charity dinner to plan, Dawn was on the committee. I’d met her when I’d joined the San Marino Ladies Lunch Auxiliary four years ago. Other members included another councilman’s wife, a surgeon’s wife, and other stay-at-home wives who needed to fill their days planning fundraisers and talking about other women they hated and their next vacation destination. After only six months with the group, I knew the hierarchy and how it worked. So until anyone had the cojones to stand up to her, Dawn was the president of the auxiliary and had the ultimate power. But I knew better than to give her any type of ammunition to use against me.