CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Marley
Marley took an Uber to the store for her two o’clock meeting. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she was ready for anything. She even put on her work clothes for the first time since surgery—one of her looser blouses and an oversized blazer that hid her surgical bra well. Heels too.
On the drive there, she went over all the possible things that could happen in this meeting. She figured best-case scenario would be Erin doing some damage control. Maybe talk to her about being careful not to be seen with a client going forward in her role as a personal shopper. Worst-case scenario would be Marley getting demoted back to sales consultant, which would be…ugh. Marley didn’t want to even think about that possibility.
When Marley was led into the small meeting room in the back of the store, her stomach dropped. It wasn’t Jacqueline and Erin waiting for her.
It was Jacqueline and Olivia, the store’s HR representative. This could be worse than the worst case. Marley cringed as she sat down.
“Marley, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Jacqueline said. “I regret to inform you that your employment with Reid’s is being terminated effective immediately. This letter outlines the compensation you are being offered if you signthis release.” Marley froze as Jacqueline placed an envelope in front of her. She was being…fired? For being followed by photographers into a doctor’s office? That was medical discrimination, wasn’t it? “May I ask why I’m being let go?” Marley was impressed with herself that she kept her voice steady.
Jacqueline nodded. “Breach of contract. You violated the terms of this NDA.” She placed the Reid’s personal shopper NDA that Marley had signed on top of the envelope. “You publicly disclosed the personal information of a personal shopping client and allowed yourself to be photographed with him. In recognition for your years of service, however, we are offering a generous compensation package. Please sign on page three.”
Somehow with blurry eyes, Marley opened the envelope and skimmed the termination letter. Basically, they were offering a few weeks’ termination pay above the statutory minimum for the number of years she’d worked at the store, but in return she had to sign away the right to sue for wrongful dismissal, or for more money. Marley looked up at Jacqueline.
“I can’t believe you’refiringme. I didn’t disclose anything about Nik. Do you thinkIwent to the gossip pages telling them where to find him? We were followed!”
Jacqueline briefly looked at the HR rep, who appeared terrified, then back at Marley. “Mahreen, Reid’s reputation is paramount to our success. Our customers can go anywhere… They can buy the same products we sell at countless retailers online. Not to mention most of them travel extensively. They come to Reid’s because of the level of service we offer, and because this store is aspirational. They want to be seen and be served by our team. The reputation of our sales staff meanseverything.”
Marley still didn’t understand. And why was Jacquelinecalling her Mahreen now? “And because I was in a plastic surgery office, I’m not aspirational anymore?”
Jacqueline snorted. “Hardly. Most of our customers have probably been in that very office. The issue lies with you becoming involved with someone already in a relationship. We cannot have someone infamous in the tabloids serving customers. Not to mention, you’re in a relationship with a client.”
“Wasa client,” Marley said. “His agent fired me as his stylist, remember?”
“Were you fired so he could start a relationship with you?”
No, she was fired because Nikhil was being suffocated by people telling him what to wear, how to act, and who to be. But there was no use telling Jacqueline that. There was no point doing anything. Jacqueline wasn’t going to change her mind. Marley didn’t have this job anymore. But she still did have her dignity, and she wasn’t going to lose that.
She looked down at the paper again. It said she had three days to sign. That was enough time to find a lawyer to tell her if this termination was fair. She refolded it and slipped it, along with the signed NDA, into the envelope.
“I will get back to you on this,” Marley said, standing.
The HR rep managed to look even more terrified. Which made Marley think she probably had a case against Reid’s here. But something else passed over Jacqueline’s face. A touch of compassion, maybe? Marley hadn’t realized Jacqueline was capable of that. “I wish we didn’t have to do this, but my hands are tied. If it had been anyone other than Serena Vox, maybe we would have been able to make this work.”
“What does Serena Vox have to do with it?”
“You are the Angelina Jolie in this situation… and our customer base will always relate more to Jennifer Aniston.”
Marley chuckled at that. Angelina Jolie famously had this exact broken gene, and she’d had a mastectomy, too.
Marley shook Jacqueline’s hand before she left. She knew better than to burn bridges on her way out. “And please, I would be more than willing to give you a personal recommendation for your next role,” Jacqueline said. She almost sounded human.
“Be sure to return the letter in three days,” the HR representative said as Marley left the room. A member of store security was waiting outside the door, ready to escort Marley out of the building, as was routine for all terminations.
Marley walked out of the store where she’d worked for years with her head high. In fact, it wasn’t until she was alone in the Uber that the tears started falling again.
She’d beenfired. She had not just lost the personal shopper job or been demoted to sales associate, but had been full-on fired. She’d never been fired from a job in her life. After six years, Marley was no longer an employee of Reid’s Department Store.
When she walked into the house a half hour after losing her job, Nikhil was sitting on the sofa with McQueen. He looked as terrible as she felt.
“Marley,” he said, standing. “Where were you? I’ve been texting you.” She checked her phone, and yes, he’d been looking for her for half an hour. She hadn’t noticed her phone buzzing. Probably because she’d been crying.
Marley sat heavily on her recliner. “I got called into an emergency meeting at work.”
“Fuck,” Nikhil said. He sat back down on the sofa close to Marley. “You should have waited for me. I could have taken you.”
