“No,” he tapped his fingers on the desk. “But I did tell him I would forgive your debt, so. It’s all good.”
“Hmm.” I nodded slowly, taking in the new information. “Guess it’s bad form to get reimbursement after sampling the goods, right? I mean, you already got what you paid for.”
“It’s not like that?—”
“Save it,” I cut him off. If he wanted to do business only, then business it was. “We don’t even have a marketing team.”
“Then build one,” he replied. “It’s time you branched out anyway. There is empty space in the third building. Lavender will give you access.”
I blinked at him.
“I gotta give up my office too?”
There was a pause.
“…I’m sorry, Bunny,” he said, quieter now. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t?—”
“Fuck you, Marlon. Like for real. Fuck. You.”
He nodded then swallowed it. “Okay.”
That was it. No pushback or correction.
Just okay. That’s when I knew it was over for real. I looked at him, trying to figure out if he meant it. Is this his version of doing the “right thing”?
My chest tightened for a second.
I felt like tearing up or throwing up. I wanted to yell, to cuss, to kick his ass for putting me through this, but I shut it down.
Not here. Not in front of him.
I straightened my posture, adjusting the file in my hand like this was just another business decision and put my poker face on so good it mirrored his.
“Okay,” I said evenly. “I’ll relocate by the end of the day.”
He didn’t respond but I could tell he was waiting for something else.
A reaction or fight.
I didn’t give it to him because it wasn’t worth it, so instead, I turned and walked out.
The hallway felt longer on the way back. I stepped into my office and closed the door behind me, setting the file down on the desk with more care than I felt.
Okay.
Okay.
I stood there for a second, staring at nothing, letting everything settle before I exhaled slowly, walked over to my desk and sat down.
Think Rory.
Do I react?
Do I go back in there and say everything I didn’t say?
Do I call him out? Push him? Make him explain himself?
Or—
