My HERO Ex Boyfriend

by Raquel Belle

  “This can’t be possible,” I explode. “Who went out of their way to dig up this ancient company guideline? Are you telling me you’re really going to abide by this?”

  “I’m afraid I have been left no choice.” Serena glances at Sarah, who is still sitting there silently, as white as a sheet. “I’ve been left with no other option. And I hate to do it. But I’ll have to let both of you go.”

  “We’re getting… fired?” Sarah whispers the words out, the last one so quiet I can barely hear it. She’s gripping the arms of the chair she’s sitting in and her knuckles are white with the effort.

  “I’m of course happy to write both of you glowing letters of recommendation,” Serena concludes her speech. “That’s all. Technically you have two weeks but I do understand if you don’t want to stick around anymore. There’s no need for you to remain in the office.”

  Serena looks genuinely sorry as she weakly ushers us out of her office. I have no doubt that this is coming from the higher-ups. But why do they even care? How did they find out? The old guys on the board never bother to keep track of what the company is up to as long as the quarterly numbers are looking good. They don’t care about some HR squabbles down in the ranks.

  Sarah is walking like a zombie in front of me. As we cross the threshold from Serena’s office into the open space, a loud POP finally jerks her back to consciousness.

  “CONGRATULATIONS!!!” Amanda is standing there, holding a bottle of champagne. A few of Sarah’s other favorite coworkers have clustered around, preparing to congratulate her on the big promotion.

  Once they see our faces, their smiles quickly fade.

  “What the… What’s going on? Is everything okay?” Amanda rushes over, concerned, dribbling champagne behind her as she jostles the bottle around in her haste to reach Sarah’s side.

  “We got… fired.” Sarah says it again as if she doesn’t quite believe it. As if she can’t wrap her head around it. She’s staring straight ahead, not even making eye contact with Amanda.

  “OMG, Sarah, talk about the worst joke ever. You suck at pranks.” Amanda laughs shortly. “Nice try. Can you quit it and have a glass of champagne now?”

  I shake my head at her warningly. She pauses and looks in confusion from my face to Sarah’s. Then she turns to me: “Is she serious?”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid so. I mean she would have won. She did win. But apparently… There’s some old rule in the company books about people within the company not dating?”

  “What?” Amanda looks confused. “I’ve never heard of that.”

  A murmur goes through the group standing behind her as people look from one to the other, all with blank faces.

  “Serena said some employee notified the board. Someone knew this ancient rule was still in the company bylaws and… Apparently her hands are tied. It’s not Serena’s fault,” I assure Amanda, who looks ready to storm into the boss lady’s office and demand an explanation.

  “No, it’s not,” Sarah agrees. She’s slowly coming back to life but she still seems to be walking in a dream. “But I don’t get it… Who knew that rule? Who said something? Who would do that?” Her bottom lip starts to quiver.

  That’s when I realize that one face is conspicuously missing from the crowd of would-be well-wishers. Lydia Bowers.

  “Lydia,” Amanda reaches the conclusion at the same time as me and spits out the word as if it’s rancid food. “Lydia fucking Bowers.”

  She’s nowhere in sight. Did she pull the strings to make this happen and then disappear so she could avoid any blame?

  “She wouldn’t do that,” Sarah says. “She’s annoying but she’s not crazy.”

  “I don't know…” I clear my throat before going on, nervously: “She was sort of coming on to me a few times and I wasn’t really receptive. And obviously she’s following the competition and would know that the two of us have become an item…” I let my voice trail off.

  I think back to my last encounter with Lydia, one week ago, at the previous P&B Monday Motivation Meeting. You owe me — that’s what she’d said when I declined to join her for a drink. I remember thinking she was trying to sound flirty but sounded more menacing.

  I also remember thinking that she’s the kind of girl who doesn’t hear no a lot. And who hates it when she does. Who knows what she’d do if she got pissed off. That was my thought as I exited the bar that day. Well, now I know. She was pissed off and she was determined not only to screw me over — but also the woman I love.

  Chapter 19

  Sarah

  This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening. This is the mantra going through my head, over and over again, as I stand in the middle of the P&B offices and watch my life crumble around me.

  When Serena said those words “I’ll have to let both of you go” I think my heart actually stopped beating for a split second. I’ve never been fired from any job before, ever.

  I’ve been at P&B for over seven years. I’ve climbed my way up here from being an intern to—technically—earning the VP of Social Media position. And now this?

  As I stand in the open office, the people around me are just a blur of faces and voices. I hear Amanda and Jake talking but it’s like I’m listening to them through a layer of dark stormy clouds.

  “You’re right, it must have been Lydia,” Amanda is saying.

  “I’m positive of it,” Jake responds.

  “What can we do?” She asks him.

  “Nothing. She’s the granddaughter of Old Man Bowers himself.”

  I drift back away from their conversation and back into my own thoughts. Would Lydia really have done something like this just because she’s jealous of me and Jake? It seems absolutely ludicrous. But Jake did say she had come on to him pretty hard… And we’ve been watching her drool over him for weeks now.

  Amanda and I were always joking about how Lydia chased after Jake. We thought it was pathetic. We wouldn’t have been laughing if we’d known she’d actually go out of her way to effectively ruin my career—and his—because of envy.

  “Sarah! Sarah?” Amanda is calling me and Jake is shaking my arm gently.

  “Yeah?” I shrug Jake’s hand off of my shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” They’re both looking at me with concern.

  “No,” I tell them honestly. “I’m not.”

  I see them exchange glances; I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “Why don’t we step into the kitchenette for a second?” Jake murmurs.

  “Okay,” I say, my voice sounding dead and wooden.

  “Take care of her,” Amanda tells him. “I’ll see if I can find out where Lydia is hiding.”

  Jake nods. He steers me gently away from the crowd of people in the office, into the tiny kitchenette at the back. Once it’s just me and Jake back there, I come out of what feels like a coma — and then I break down.

  “Sarah, it’s going to be okay.” Jake wraps his arms around me as I start crying big racking sobs into his chest, my shoulders heaving with each fresh wave of sadness, frustration, and anger.

  “No, it won’t,” I mumble into his chest. “We were just ready to start this next chapter and jump into our new lives together. And now this. Fired. Both of us! And now everyone is going to know about it because of the competition. And… And… And…”

  “Shhh,” Jake runs his hand gently over my back. “You’ll get another job,” he tells me. “You’re amazing at what you do.”

  “That’s not the point,” I tell him, straightening up and backing away from him. I know he’s just trying to comfort me but right now his presence is anything but comforting. “I don’t want another job! I wanted this job! If we hadn’t slept together… If we hadn’t done anything… If we hadn’t posted those pictures…”

  “Sarah, I know you’re upset but you’re being completely unreasonable right now,” he says firmly. “We did absolutely nothing wrong. There is only one person at fault here and that is Lydia Bowers.”

>   Amanda walks in and overhears the last parts of our conversation. “I have to agree with Jake,” she says, looking at me sadly. “The only person here who messed up is Lydia.”

  I nod, miserable, and let out a weak, “I guess so.” I finish drying my tears on my shirt.

  “Oh, Sarah,” Amanda murmurs and comes over to give me a hug. “You’re going to get through this.”

  “Yes.” I nod, trying to look confident but I just feel like I want to crawl into bed and hide from the world. “I think for now I just need to get out of here,” I tell her and Jake. “I’m not sticking around after this mess.”

  “That’s understandable,” Amanda says. “Go home and get some rest. What about you?” She turns to Jake.

  “I’d like to stay here and see if I can find Lydia,” he says grimly.

  “It won’t do any good,” I tell him. “She’s not going to go back to her grandfather and force him to hire us back.”

  “Let’s see,” he responds darkly.

  I shrug. As far as I’m concerned, this is a lost cause.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Amanda asks, eyeing me with worry.

  “No, it’s fine,” I tell her. “I just want to be alone for a bit.” I give them a weak wave goodbye and then leave the kitchenette before they can argue.

  As I make my way out of the office I can feel the looks of sympathy from other coworkers. Clearly word of what’s happened has spread quickly. I grit my teeth and keep my head held high. I know my eyes are probably red and bloodshot from crying but there’s nothing I can do about that now.

  I head downstairs, walk to the subway station, and catch the first L train back to Brooklyn. It feels strange and wrong to be home in the middle of the day on a Monday. I don’t know what to do with myself. I turn on the TV for a few minutes and then, unable to focus, turn it back off.

  My phone buzzes and I see a new message from Amanda, asking if I’m sure I’m okay. There is also a flurry of Instagram notifications. Screw this. I don’t want to see any of this now. I don’t want to deal with anybody now. And I definitely don’t want to be online when the news of my firing breaks—and all the well-meaning @LuxeOnLex followers voice their opinions about it.

  I turn my phone off completely, watching as the screen goes dark. Then I get up and head to my bedroom, crawling under the covers with all my clothes still on. I knew guys only get in the way of career dreams, I think to myself bitterly as I bury my head in the pillow and let the tears roll down my face. I don’t want anything to do with Jake or any guy right now. I don’t want anything to do with anyone. Seven years, clawing my way to the top…gone. Damn it, it’s not Jake’s fault. But I just want to be left alone.

  When I wake up a few hours later, it’s already getting dark outside. It’s almost November and the sunshine doesn’t last long in New York this time of year. I get up and walk into the kitchen. It’s technically dinnertime. I think about making food but I’m not hungry.

  Instead I grab a bottle of wine and pour myself a glass. Sitting on the living room couch, I stare at my phone — the screen is still black. I have no desire to turn it on. There’s nothing that anyone can say or do to make me feel better right now. Not Jake, not Amanda, not even Old Man Bowers himself. Well, unless he would call to give me my job back. I sigh. That’s not happening.

  I check my watch and realize that right now, everybody from the office is probably at the P&B Monday Motivation Meeting. I have no doubt that today’s fiasco is the topic of conversation at today’s after-work drinks.

  The news of a double-firing first thing in the week surely spread like wildfire throughout the entire company. In fact, the news has probably made it beyond P&B by now. The advertising world is tight-knit in New York and people love to gossip about scandals like this.

  Sarah Anderson and Jake Baker. Fired in one fell swoop. Fired for fucking, basically. I was so excited for our second chance. I had already envisioned us working together and starting a new grownup life together here in New York. But now? This city is so expensive that neither of us will last long without a new job. And the rumors surrounding our double firing will likely make us unemployable. Will the world tear us apart all over again? I pour myself another glass of wine. Shit.

  Chapter 20

  Jake

  Even though I know this isn’t my fault, I feel a familiar twinge of guilt in my gut. Why do things always have to end up in disaster when it comes to me and Sarah? All I want to do is make her happy — to protect her, care for her, make her laugh. And now my presence in her life has led to her losing her job. A job that she fucking loves and has been busting her ass at for years.

  “It’s not your fault, Jake,” Amanda tells me. She must have read the guilt on my face. She’s still standing with me, in shock, in the kitchenette. Sarah said she wanted to be alone and left. But I’m determined to do something.

  “What can I do?” I turn to Amanda.

  “I guess you could try talking to Lydia?”

  “Whatever it takes,” I tell her.

  “Talk to me about what?” In walks Lydia, a barely suppressed smirk on her face. Speak of the devil…

  “Lydia, you’re a real snake, you know that?” Amanda pounces on her before I can even get a word out.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lydia shrugs her shoulders, a bored expression on her face.

  “Oh, come off it,” I find my voice. “Sarah and I just got fired because somebody told the top dogs at P&B that we were leading a romantic relationship.”

  “Yes, I’d heard that…tragic news. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Lydia’s words are saying one thing but her face is saying another. She looks pretty damn pleased that I’m out of a job.

  “You’re clearly the person who took it upon themselves to tell P&B,” I tell her.

  “Yeah,” Amanda jumps in, “what did you do, call your grandpa?”

  “Look, I’m not the one who makes the rules here,” Lydia responds icily. “You are the one who crossed the line and entered in to a relationship with a colleague. You are the one who was in the wrong.” She points a finger menacingly at me as she’s talking.

  “You know those rules are ridiculous and outdated. Nobody would have cared but you went out of your way to flag this ‘problem’ and screw both me and Sarah over.”

  “You would know about screwing people, wouldn’t you Jake?” Lydia shoots me a death stare.

  “OMG, Lydia, was this really all just because you were jealous of Jake and Sarah’s relationship?” Amanda is actually incredulous—and so am I. “How spiteful can you be? You just couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, could you?”

  “I’m not the kind of girl men say no to,” Lydia responds pertly.

  “Well, you’re clearly also not the kind of girl men say yes to because last I checked you were single,” I tell her angrily, no longer able to contain myself.

  For a second I see a flicker of hurt in her eyes. The demon is human after all. But she recovers herself quickly: “I’m not the only one. Are you sure your sweet and perfect Sarah still wants to be with you—now that she’s lost her job because of you?”

  “Lydia, I’ve never said this to a woman before. And normally I never would. But in this case, I have to make an exception…” My voice is shaking with rage. “Go fuck yourself!”

  Amanda audibly gasps next to me. Meanwhile Lydia’s jaw has literally dropped: She stares at me, open-mouthed, her expression one of utter shock and horror. Lydia Bowers may not have heard a lot of the word no in her life—but she’s definitely never had someone say those words to her.

  “Come on,” I turn to Amanda. “I don’t want to waste another second trying to talk sense into this entitled brat. Let’s get out of here.”

  Amanda follows me out of the kitchenette without a word, seemingly stupefied into silence by my outburst.

  “What now?” She finally asks.

  “I have no clue,” I tell her honestly. And I really don’t. I rub my temple
s. “I’ve got a hell of a headache coming on.”

  “Why don’t we get out of the office,” Amanda suggests. “How about a coffee? We can catch a breath of fresh air and brainstorm next steps.”

  “Sounds good,” I agree. I have to appreciate how tenacious Amanda is. No wonder Sarah puts so much trust in her.

  Ten minutes later I’m at the counter at Starbucks, putting in my order:

  “Grande latte, please, in a to-go cup.”

  “Sure thing. Anything to eat with that? A muffin, maybe?” The barista asks. I feel like he’s giving me a weird look but I brush it off; I probably just look exhausted after this morning’s fiasco.

  “Jake,” I respond.

  “Wait…” The barista eyes me again, not even bothering to write my name on the cup. “Are you… @Jake_And_Pepper? From Instagram?”

  Damn it. This is not what I feel like dealing with at the moment. “Uh yeah, I am. That’s me.”

  “Oh man, that’s wild!” The barista’s face breaks into a huge smile. “The latte is on the house! I love your account. I was definitely rooting for you and @LuxeOnLex to work things out.”

  “Thanks, man.” I manage to crack a smile. “I appreciate it.”

  “And your flash mob was awesome,” he continues, still gushing. “You looked so sharp in that tuxedo.”

  “Thanks for your support,” I tell him, preparing to move away. But he’s not ready to end our conversation yet:

  “So the competition ended today, right? @LuxeOnLex got the big promotion I guess?”

  “Umm, not exactly.”

  “But she definitely had more followers than you, didn’t she? I mean, no offense.”

  “No, none taken,” I hurriedly assure him. “It’s just… I mean. Yeah, we thought she had won. But then it turned out there’s some old rule about employees not dating each other at P&B. So we actually both got fired.” People will find out anyway, I reason with myself. There’s no point trying to hide it.