"I would have shut that behavior down immediately." Lydia's voice carried the sharp edge of authority Harper recognized from bank meetings. "No one should ever have to endure workplace harassment. Not you, not anyone."
Harper's gaze dropped to her hands. "I didn't want to cause trouble, or to make waves. I just wanted them to stop. I thought, eventually they would get tired of it and leave me alone."
"Oh, honey." Lydia blew out a breath and came to sit beside her on the couch. "Bullies like that never stop on their own. And there were three of them, so they had a pack mentality, to keep spurring them on to great and greater effort. It's part of my job to ensure things like that don't happen. I can't do my job, if I don't know it's happening." She sighed.
"As your manager, I should have seen what was happening. I failed you."
"No, you didn't-" Harper started to protest.
"I did." Lydia's tone brooked no argument. "Part of my job is ensuring a safe work environment for all employees. Thosewomen were terrorizing people long before you arrived - I see that now. I should have recognized the pattern when other good employees kept quitting."
Nathan's hand found Harper's, giving it a gentle squeeze. The warmth of his touch helped steady her as memories of the past weeks swirled through her mind - the sabotaged lunches, the whispered threats, the constant tension.
"You're not responsible for their actions," Harper said softly. "And I'm sorry - really sorry," Harper apologized, scuffing her toe against the carpet. "I kept thinking, maybe an opening would come up, and Tiffany, she was the worst of them because she thought I took the job she planned to have. I thought maybe, in time, she'd get promoted, and then she wouldn't bother me anymore."
Lydia laughed in disbelief, shaking her head. "Your job? Seriously? You have a BS in Finance, and certification in Financial Planning, not to mention several years of experience. You came highly recommended, as well. Whereas those three were hired right out of college with no particular training or skills, far less any kind of business-related degree. Nor did they ever indicate any interest in further training or responsibilities. I can assure you, none of those three would ever have advanced past basic customer service or teller positions."
Okay, Harper was feeling better all the time, and she managed a smile. "I like hearing that," she admitted. "I shouldn't, I know. I try not to be a petty person like them."
"What they did to you, and to the others before you, was beyond petty," Nathan defended, his eyes flashing with anger. "They went out of their way to be cruel."
"Far, far out of their way," Lydia agreed. "And so you know, we've put out the word to other banks. Those women may find other jobs, but it won't be in banking again."
"I hope they wind up flipping burgers at McDonald's," Nathan said grumpily.
Harper shot him a reproachful glance. "What did the employees at McDonald's ever do to you?"
"Oh, good point." He considered a minute. "Stocking aisles in Walmart on the graveyard shift?"
Harper grinned. "I can live with that."
Harper watched as Lydia shook her head, a knowing smile playing at her lips. "You haven't lived in a small community like this before, have you?"
"No," Harper admitted. "I've been in San Francisco ever since college."
"Well, let me tell you how things work around here." Lydia settled back into her chair, looking rather pleased. "By now, word of what happened yesterday has spread not just through our town, but through all the little communities along the Hudson. Everyone knows everyone else, and news travels fast."
Harper's eyes widened as Lydia continued. "There were customers in the bank yesterday who witnessed everything. They've already posted about it on social media. Images are being shared, stories are being told."
Harper's heart leaped into her throat. "There aren't... there aren't pictures of me, are there?" The thought of her face plastered across social media made her stomach churn. After everything that happened in California, the last thing she needed was more public attention. And… oh my God! That reporter was out there looking for her!
"Oh, no, nothing like that," Lydia assured her quickly. "Just pictures of your office after they vandalized it. I won't show you - you don't need to see that again. But this post is safe for you to see, I think you'll enjoy it."
She pulled out her phone, showing Harper a Facebook post that already had thousands of shares. Harper's shoulders saggedwith relief as she studied the post that documented the evidence of harassment. While there were no pictures of herself, but - was it wrong to feel so gratified? - someone had managed to get pictures of Vanessa, Tiffany, and Janis being escorted out of the bank by a grim-faced Jake. Comments below the post expressed outrage at the bullying, and support for the bank's swift response.
"I didn't realize it would become such a big deal," Harper murmured, still processing the implications.
"That's because you're a kind person who wouldn't want to hurt others, even those who hurt you," Lydia replied. "But they brought this on themselves. Actions have consequences, and in a small town like this, those consequences tend to multiply."
"The community is firmly on your side," Lydia said. "Those women won't find work anywhere around here - not in banking, not in retail, not even at the fast food places Nathan mentioned. No employer in their right mind is going to want to hire anyone who spreads chaos in the workplace. And that, my dear, is all on them."
"Even if they move away from the area," Lydia said, tucking her phone away with a satisfied smirk, "it won't help them escape the consequences. In today's world, this kind of thing follows you. Their names and faces are out there now, linked to their actions. They'll likely be dealing with the fallout for years to come."
Lydia's expression grew more serious, her earlier amusement fading.
"There's something else we need to discuss," Lydia said, straightening her shoulders. "The bank is consulting with our legal team about possible criminal charges against those three."
Harper's fingers tightened around Nathan's hand as Lydia continued.
