AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gabriella was taken aback; she had never seen a combative side of Sofie before. Instinctively, she could tell that Sofie was lying,but she chose not to question her assistant’s words.I guess I can’t blame her. I’d act the same way. In fact, I already have.Still, Gabriella refused to entertain any attitude from her employees.
Keeping an even tone, Gabriella stared directly at Sofie, challenging her with a serious gaze. “I’m glad to hear that you have a life outside of this office; balancing work and personallife is important. But unfortunately, this magazine doesn’t have the capacity to host a poor attitude.” As Gabriella paused; the tension between them was thick. Their opposing energy suggested unspoken words and unresolved conflict, but neither Sofie nor Gabriella budged from their stubbornness. Sofie remained undaunted and silent as she looked down at the seated Gabriella.
After a few strained seconds, Gabriella leaned back in her chair, surveying her difficult employee. “You know what? I think it may be more comfortable for you to work in a different location. I’ll ask Evangeline to assign you a desk in one of the spare offices on this floor. I think we have at least one or two. Would that be a better arrangement?”
Without averting her gaze, Sofie shrugged, replying, “Sure. But do I still have the same role at the magazine? Or are you demoting me?”
Shaking her head, Gabriella replied, frustrated with the morning’s events, “I’ve already told you your job and responsibilities will remain the same. There is no reason to demote you unless you can’t do your job. You’ve proven to be a valuable employee, so I don’t want to lose you at the company. But you have to decide ifyouwant to stay here. And if you do, then you need to move to a different office. Understood?”
“Got it. So, what should I do now?” Sofie was challenging and bitter. “Do you want me to wait in the lobby until you figure out my seating? Or do you want me to stay here? I mean, you’re the one in charge, right?”
The fashion mogul felt paralyzed by Sofie’s vitriol.Who the hell does she think she is?Clearing her throat, Gabriella narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “I have an idea. Why don’t you take the day off and go home- fully paid of course? I’ll speak to Evangeline, and by tomorrow morning, you’llhave a new workspace.” Turning away from Sofie, she added dismissively, “Oh, and it wasn’t a question. Enjoy your free day.”
Without argument, Sofie marched to her desk, grabbing her purse. Snatching her belongings, she hissed at Gabriella on her way out, “Sounds great to me. Have a good Monday.”
As Gabriella’s door slammed, her heart sank as the tears she tried to hold back slid down her cheeks.Dammit! That’s not how I wanted this to go. God, this whole thing has become a nightmare, and it’s all my fault. Had to go and fuck my pretty young assistant, didn’t I?
When will you learn, Gabriella?
22
Sofie looked out the window of her tiny office; she could see the Manhattan skyline with bodies scurrying around on the pavement like ants. She wanted to be grateful to have a private space of her own to complete her work tasks at Deluxe Magazine, but Sofie was painfully lonely.
The room afforded her a large desk with a comfortable, ergonomic chair, with Sofie situated only a few doors down from Ms. Galena. She remained on the same floor of the building since she was hired, so the change in work location wasn’t technically drastic. Nonetheless, Sofie felt displaced and abandoned by her boss, with whom she was still communicating, albeit in a limited capacity.
The last time they had shared a workspace was weeks prior, and while Sofie regretted losing her temper at Gabriella, she felt justified in her anger and hurt.That woman thinks she can demand anything she wants without putting in any effort or compromise. Maybe that works in her position as CEO, but I deserve more than that. And god, what is with her attitude?!
When the women argued, Sofie knew her boss wouldn’t receive her combative behavior well, and she was lucky tokeep her position. At first, she hoped having separate offices would eventually help repair their working relationship. But the separation soon proved isolating for Sofie, who had spent all of her time in Gabriella’s office from the start of her job.
She was still assigned all of her usual tasks. On occasion, Sofie would be called into Gabriella’s office to review a fashion editorial or to be called upon for a mission offsite from the office, such as attending a fashion show to write a review for the magazine. But anytime Sofie would enter Ms. Galena’s office, another staff member would be present, removing any chance for the women to discuss personal matters.
Worst of all, Sofie felt that she never received any closure; she was merely sent off to another room to work alone without an apology or the occasional warm conversation from her boss. Sofie sighed audibly as she tried to concentrate on organizing a photo layout for the July issue. “This sucks. I hate working alone with no one to talk to or to bounce ideas. And these guidelines are sostrict.I can’t believe Ms. Galena has agreed to follow these; it will ruin the magazine completely.”
Now that Sofie spent most of her days alone in the office, she was beginning to pay more attention to the new standards of the magazine, set by the chairperson of the Board, Tempest Rutherford. When Sofie was working closely with Gabriella, she was so enthralled by this powerful, attractive, and sensual woman that she became blind to the slow shifts seeping into the publication.
But now, Sofie was more aware of the homophobic undertones and the conservative sponsors and advertisements being onboarded into the magazine. Last week, Sofie had been reprimanded for including a photo set of male models designed to emulate drag queen fashions and culture.
One afternoon, while at her desk, Gabriella called Sofie’s extension to express her disapproval. “I received word from Ms.Rutherford that your selection of editorial photos did not meet the magazine’s standard and, in fact, appeared as a deliberate rebellion and a conscious choice to include the photo set. Is this true?”
Shocked, Sofie was speechless. In the past, she and Gabriella would commiserate together over the new and stifling changes. They would spend hours chatting about the state of the magazine, with Gabriella sharing past experiences of when Deluxe Redux was at the height of success. But now, since Sofie left Gabriella’s office, it felt that her boss was now in alliance with Ms. Rutherford, accusing Sofie of insubordination.
“No, of course not! I honestly didn’t consider those photos to breach the guidelines. And I would never purposely go against policy,” Sofie defended herself.What the hell is her problem? Why should she assume these types of things from me?
“Fine. But be careful next time. You’ve been working here for over three months now, and you should know better,” Gabriella replied curtly, immediately hanging up.
The conversation stuck with Sofie, and slowly, over the week, her confidence and self-esteem began to erode. Instead of looking forward to coming to work, Sofie dreaded her work days, often waking up in the middle of the night filled with stress.This is no way to live. I didn’t work my ass off in school to be treated like this. I care for Gabriella, and I wish things had worked out. But I can’t be here anymore—I just can’t!
Staring blankly at her screen, it became more difficult for Sofie to concentrate by the minute. She considered strolling into Gabriella’s office to see if they could clear the air.Maybe we need to talk things through. I should apologize for my attitude; perhaps we can smooth things over.Rising from her desk, she approached her boss, knowing it was the only way Sofie could stay happy and productive at the magazine.
Opening the office door, Sofie peered her head into the hallway. She noticed Evangeline sitting at her desk and approached reception to ask to speak with Ms. Galena.
“Hi, Sofie! How are you making out in the new office? It must be nice to have some privacy, huh?” The attractive blond gave Sofie a genuine smile, making her feel more at ease.
Nodding her head, Sofie agreed, trying to save face. “Oh sure, yes, it’s great. I’m more productive. It’s nice to have peace and quiet, especially during Fashion Week.”
“Are you coming to the gala tonight?” Evangeline asked. “Myself and Ms. Galena are going together. She didn’t mention you, but I assume you’ll be there, right?”
Gala? Gabriella didn’t mention anything to me! So, she is taking Evangeline instead? Wow!
