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HARRISON
Wait.
Where’s my sandwich?
And my cappuccino?
I know I stepped out of this office thirty minutes ago to make a sandwich, and I also wanted a cappuccino. How am I suddenly back in the office holding only my tablet, pacing back and forth like a depressed lion? There’s an article on the screen about our recent media disgrace, and I can remember scrolling down to the link. I know I’ve been pacing for the past twenty minutes, but how did I move from the kitchenette to the coffee machine and back to my office, doing three things at the same time and forgetting the first two?
Great.
I might forget to show up at work wearing clothes next.
My life has basically spiraled out of control within the past seventy-two hours. I’ve fielded more phone calls than ever since I started working at Bridges, Inc. many years ago. I’ve forgotten about so many tasks and meetings this week. I’m trying to do so much at once and I often end up not being able to do anything at all.
Victoria even yelled at me yesterday.
Victoria Mendoza, the PR rep who’s supposed to pull us out of this mess. I met her many years ago during a trip to represent Bridges on an international conference in France. We connected on an intellectual note and there’s never been anything sexual between us. Victoria is a strong, powerful, commanding lady with an aura that puts anyone instantly at ease.
This week, however, I’ve been on edge in a way that no charming aura can fix.
Victoria told me to pull myself together, otherwise, after this situation melts down, if it ever melts down, I will lose the respect of all my employees. I’m running away more often, locking myself in my office during work hours, and completely tuning out during meetings.
I’m sitting with my hands tied at my back while Building Bridges is getting dragged relentlessly in the media over a bulking, terrible piece of falsehood. We don’t even know who this man is.
So, this is what a false accusation feels like.
No one even listens to your side of the story. The headlines are sensationalized, and the public is tapping into their deep mistrust of financial companies to collectively hate on your brand. Everyone thinks loan companies are Wall Street sharks. A few businesses have pulled out of the onboarding stage. There’s no room for your integrity to come into play. And my father’s ruthless business dealings are being associated with this slander.
Through a notorious team of high-level, power-packing lawyers, this anonymous man is filing a law suit against Building Brides on counts of fraud and discrimination. Alongside his earlier lies, he’s suddenly claiming he was denied a loan based on racial profiling.
Is this what people mean when they say you have to dance with the devil and dine with his advocates to successfully run a financial business in New York? The sabotage is on another level. I’ve heard of people having assassins on retainers and using them without fear.
How do I fix this? The damage control hasn’t been working. The longer they drag out the lawsuit back-and-forth, the more time this thing has to wash us down the drain. And it’s not the kind of situation that “blows over” in due time. It sticks, like super glue.
My phone starts ringing.
I look at the screen and my heart does a double flip.
My father’s calling.
Ever since the news got out and I’ve been on a mental overdrive for the past three days, my father hasn’t called me once. I’ve been going back and forth with Roscoe trying to come up with a plan, but the old man hasn’t even bothered to check in.
Reaching out to pick up the phone, I notice my hands are shaking. The headache splices right to the frontal lobe of my brain, like clockwork. My body never fails to react negatively whenever my father’s involved.
“Hello Dad. Good morning,” I say, bracing myself for the emotional assault that will likely follow.
The old man doesn’t disappoint.
“How many times did I warn you, Harrison? Did I stutter when I specifically told you to not ruin this for your brother? How dare you let things get out of control like this? Do you not know what being a CEO means? It means you have to be proactive! You must have a strong sense of foresight. Things aren’t always going to be smooth and easy. People are wicked and evil. That’s why you have to get in front and quell these things before they get out of hand!”
The yelling is like a hammer to my emotions and he barely lets me get in a word. I can hear his voice vibrating low in his stomach, as it always does when he’s pissed beyond control.
I hear a loud slam in the background, like something crashing into a wall.
“Dad… Can you please let me explain? Let me tell you how…”
“Shut up, Harrison! Be quiet. I understand that you couldn’t control what that bastard decided to do, but you could have put a stop to this before it got out of hand. You could have quelled it before he went for that lawsuit. You’re supposed to be the guardian of the company, not a bus boy waiting for orders. You better fix this soon. Fix it yourself and do it fast! You will not ruin Roscoe’s dreams. I will not clean up your messes anymore. Get it done or you’re done at Building Brides!”
