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“You bitch!” Hashem screams in agony. “You’re both fired! I’ll—”
“What is going on here?”
Lana’s cool and composed voice makes Hashem’s face pale even more before he regains his bluster in a heartbeat as he tries to straighten up. “This girl assaulted me and Hunter threatened me. I want to file complaints against both of them and I want Hunter fired!”
I feel Halley’s hands clenching in my shirt and I can sense her fear. And it pisses me off even more. “He touched Halley and frightened her. She reacted in self-defense!” I hiss out, my tone hot with anger.
Lana looks over my shoulder and her tone is gentle, “Halley, is this true?”
“He said he’d put my skills to good use and he implied that I was a w-whore.” There is a quiver in Halley’s voice, which she’s trying to firm, as she responds, her fingers tightening in my shirt where no one can see.
“Well…” Lana looks at Hashem, who’s still out of breath from the sucker punch but he’s on his feet. “Is that true, Mr. Jameson?”
Hashem splutters, “I said no such thing!”
“He did,” I retort, quietly. “You leered at a girl who’s half your age, you made her feel uncomfortable, you implied that she belonged in a brothel and then you said you’d use her. Then you put your hand on her shoulder possessively, I might add.”
Lana’s face is growing harsher and harsher under the light.
I can see the simmering rage in her eyes.
“It’s two against one, Mr. Jameson. And since this is the second complaint filed against you, I—”
“Look at what that bitch is wearing! She was asking for it! She’s dressed like a two-bit hooker—”
His words drown out my rationality, and for a man who prides himself on not having any violent tendencies, I smash my fist against my boss’s cheek, hearing the sharp crunch as his nose breaks with the impact against the floor.
“You fucking prick!”
Lana stares impassively at Hashem and her voice is cold, “You had that one coming, Mr. Jameson. I’ll see you in my office after you’ve cleaned up. You and I need to talk about your future with this company.”
Hashem doesn’t get a chance to respond because a sharp gasp from the doorway has everyone’s attention there, and I wince when I see him.
Raymond standing there. “W-What?” His sharp eyes take in the scene and the way Halley is standing behind me while my stance is protective. The blood on my knuckles, Lana’s disapproving gaze, and Hashem huddled on the floor, cradling his face, gives him all the information he needs.
He strides past Lana, his face hard. I step aside, letting him reach out and enfold his niece in his arms, “Are you okay? Did he—?”
The concern and fear in his voice is tender and it makes me feel like I’m intruding on a very private moment.
Halley nods, shakily.
Raymond lets out a breath and turns around as Hashem gets to his feet.
If I was expecting Raymond to strike him, I’m sorely disappointed. Raymond has always been an amiable man, a very peace-loving personality. However, the anger on his face is mixed with bitter disappointment and self-loathing. “I blame myself for this.”
Hashem’s face is pale.
Raymond shakes his head. “I brought this upon myself when I turned a blind eye to when you harassed all the other women in this office. I never once thought that my Halley would face the same treatment at your hands.”
Hashem’s eyes are wide. “Raymond, I didn’t—They’re lying!”
“Halley wouldn’t lie,” Raymond responds, quietly. To Lana, he says, “I want to press charges. Against him, not the company.”
I step forward and murmur, “Raymond, it will be a very flimsy case. You’ll lose at best. There is no solid evidence.”
The words are only meant for his ears and I see a flash of helpless rage on the older man’s face.
“Let’s discuss this in my office,” Lana offers.
