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“That’s the recent tier-one press release you put out. Look at the comment section. Look at what people are saying,” Harrison says, folding his arms across his chest now.
The press release was a damage control tactic I formally discussed with the Bridges, Inc. legal team before putting it out. It was supposed to appeal to people’s emotions by reiterating all the wonderful things that Building Bridges and its parent company have done for the communities and the general public. There was no fluff of falsehood. It was a grasp at making people remember that we are not the enemy but a genuine line of companies that intend to only do good work and leave a good legacy.
It was well-written, the photos were well-planned out, and the content was humbly-toned and kind.
Taking my time, I read through the comments. Sure enough, they are harsh and mean, but I was kind of anticipating it.
A few of them read so:
“Oh, Building Gutters has resorted to emotional manipulation now, huh?”
“Evil company. What is this stupid attempt at getting us to forget how biased you are?”
“You should fire your marketing/PR. They are dumb for thinking this could ever work.”
The comments are endless, and each one is almost harsher than the last.
“Okay, I’ve seen the comments,” I say, putting down the tablet. “They are mean, just like all the unkind comments we’ve been getting in the past. There’s nothing we can do to control how people will react to the content we are putting out right now.”
Harrison huffs. It’s hard to imagine that this is the same man I was making love to in this same office a very short while ago. How is all that decadent lust and admiration gone from his eyes?
“That’s your job, Charlee. That’s why we have a full-blown marketing division. Part of your job description is public relations. We have Victoria and her team here to help you fix this problem. We’ve been going in circles for weeks with very minimal improvement.”
He pauses, almost waiting for me to retort. I don’t take the bait.
“I need some positivity, Charlee,” he continues. “I need at least one of your campaigns or moves to bring some good light to the company right now. You guys keep putting out stuff that just exposes us for more shots to be fired. Almost as if you’re giving them the stage to drag us into.”
I can’t believe my ears.
How dare Harrison try to shift the blame to me?
My chest is twitching as I re-fold my arms. “Harrison, can you hear yourself right now? I’m giving my absolute best and I’m doing what I can but I cannot control how people ultimately feel. This problem is beyond just marketing. We have to prove that Hayes is a liar and a loser. You can’t leave the entire reputation-fixing problem to just me!”
I can feel my skin heating up. From one ugly emotion to another, jealousy and anger aren’t giving me a break this morning.
“What do you think your job is, anyway?” he asks, sitting up menacingly.
I’m not backing down from this.
“My job is to put the company’s services, mission, vision, and core values out there for the public to know who we are and what we offer. Part of it is damage control and reputation repair when stuff like this happens. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Harrison shakes his head. “Well, maybe if you were a little better at your job, we wouldn’t be digging deeper holes for ourselves.”
My breath catches in my throat. His words cut like a dagger through my chest. This is so hurtful.
“Harrison, how can you say that to me? You know how hard I’ve been working, and I’ve been doing my best every single day. I get that things are hard, but why would you ever think it’s okay to pin the blame on one person, the one person who actually genuinely wants to see you win?”
Harrison shuts his eyes in something that looks like instant regret but I’m not standing around to see the rest of it.
“Charlee… Charlee… wait…”
He’s calling but I’m walking away. I make my way out of his office and walk sharply back to my space. Shutting the door, I lean on it for a bit and try to process what just happened.
Harrison called me incompetent at my job without actually saying the word, but he was clear enough with his message.
It hurts like absolute hell. I know I’m doing my best and he doesn’t even appreciate all my efforts. I can’t control the reception of our campaigns by the public.
I know we’re not supposed to mix business with pleasure, but this is someone I was actually starting to see as a person I might be lucky to meet or happy to be with. And here he is, tearing down my confidence in strips.
