Chapter 7
Todd shot me a nasty glare.
"You're really something else, Ashlyn. Aren't you?" he said.
I ignored him.
I turned to the officer. "Officer, they changed my locks and tossed out a lot of my personal belongings. What are you going to do about that?"
The officer glanced over at Todd.
"Sir, if you damage someone else's property, you're required to compensate them. And if you illegally occupy someone's home, the homeowner has the right to sue you," the officer explained.
Todd's face drained of all color.
In the end, with the police watching, Todd, Mave, and Daisy slunk away, hauling their stuff out in shame.
Watching them leave in disgrace, there was no sense of triumph in me.
All I felt was relief.
*****
The next day was the bidding day for the Southside development project.
I didn't go to the venue.
I stayed home, waiting for news.
At three in the afternoon, my phone buzzed.
It was Warren.
His voice sounded tired but excited.
He said, "Ashlyn, come to the office immediately."
When I stepped into the office lobby, the receptionist looked at me differently.
There was a mix of awe and fear in her eyes.
I headed straight for the elevator.
The office was eerily silent.
Everyone acted busy, but their sideways glances tracked me like spotlights.
Todd wasn't at his desk.
Daisy was gone too.
Warren's office door was sealed shut.
I made my way to the door and knocked.
"Come in," Warren said, his voice hoarse.
I pushed the door open and walked in.
The office was hazy with cigarette smoke.
Warren was slumped on the couch, looking haggard and worn out.
Todd stood across from him, his face as pale as a ghost.
As soon as he saw me, his eyes instantly lit up with rage.
"Ashlyn, you vicious witch! How dare you ruin me," he yelled.
He came at me like he had completely lost his mind.
Warren sprang to his feet and gave Todd a sharp kick to the leg.
"Todd, snap out of it!" Warren barked.
Todd staggered, lost his footing, and went down hard.
As Todd struggled to get up, Warren had already stepped over and was standing right in front of me.
"Ashlyn, you're here," Warren said, his gaze conflicted. "Take a seat."
I stayed standing.
Watching Todd lying on the floor, my voice was flat.
"Warren, I'm here today to resign," I said.
Warren's face fell.
"Resign? No way. Absolutely not!" he said.
He was clearly panicking now.
Warren continued, "Ashlyn, I admit it. I messed up by trusting Todd. But the company had nothing to do with it, and neither did the Southside development project.
"Now Veridion Group has accused us of commercial fraud and threatened to bar us from bidding for the next three years."
Todd, still sprawled on the floor, shuddered at those words.
I looked at Warren.
"So?" I asked.
"So, right now, you're the only one who can save us." Warren's voice was almost pleading. "Vernon from Veridion Group requested you by name. He said you're the only one he trusts."
I smiled.
"Warren, Todd just accused me of ruining him. Do you think I did that too?" I asked.
Warren froze.
He glanced at Todd lying on the floor, then looked back at me.
Warren was no rookie. He caught on instantly.
"So what you're saying is the bid proposal you gave Todd and the one he submitted to Veridion Group weren't actually the same?" Warren asked.
"I handed him a proposal that still had some minor errors I hadn't gotten around to fixing," I said. "I told him to review it carefully. That's literally his job as the project manager."
Todd scrambled to his feet, jabbing a finger at me.
"You're full of it! You did this on purpose. You totally set me up," he shouted.
"Set you up? Seriously, Todd?" I shot back. "You didn't even bother to look at the proposal before handing it over.
"Is that how you treat the company's most important project? Just some tool to mess with your ex-wife?"
My voice was calm, but every word landed like a blow to Todd's chest.
And Warren felt it too, every word striking him just as hard.
Warren's face darkened with fury.
He stared at Todd, his gaze burning with absolute disappointment and anger.
"Todd... you... I can't believe how badly you've let me down," Warren said.
He turned to me, his expression sincerely pleading.
"Ashlyn, I'm pleading with you here. Help the company through this crisis. Whatever you want, just say it. If it's within my power, I'll make it happen," he said.
I looked at him.
I knew I had won.
"My terms are simple," I said. "First, I want Todd to apologize to me in front of everyone at the company for humiliating me at the company's annual event and for trying to sabotage my reputation at work."
Todd's eyes went wide as saucers.
"In your dreams!" he snapped.
"Second," I went on, not even bothering to look at him, "I want Todd and Daisy fired on the spot. They've completely ruined the company's atmosphere and made it impossible for me to work in peace."
Warren nodded without hesitation.
"You got it," he said.
"Third," I said, locking eyes with Warren, making every word count, "I want to take over the Southside development project. Full authority, starting now.
"I want fifty percent of the project bonus for myself. And I want a promotion from project manager to project director."
The office was dead silent.
Todd looked at me like I had completely lost it.
Warren was stunned too.
He stared at me, like he was sizing me up all over again.
There was a full minute of silence.
Warren let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Alright. I agree," he said.