Sweet Divorce

Rita’s line brought the bustling office into dead silence.

Everyone looked over to Jason in unison.

Jason lifted his gaze to meet Rita, fingers tapping the tabletop, as if considering something-

Tap.

Tap.

Everyone remained quiet, and the tapping against the table was especially crisp.

Rita and Jason stayed there, testing each other to see who would be the first to crumble and speak.

The room seemed quiet, but undercurrents roiled.

Especially those who’d had their eyes on the assistant general manager’s position for a long time – they really had it in for Rita now.

“The responsibility of the assistant general manager’s position is too great, Mr. Snow. I feel like it should be left to someone more capable.” Matthew spoke first, prodding Charlie with a nondescript gesture. “What do you think, Mr. Powers?”

“That’s right. Assistant general manager is an important spot. You can’t hand it over to someone with an unknown background just because they resolved one crisis for the company!”

Charlie shot a glance at Rita, then muttered to himself, “Much less a young girl like this.”

Jason ignored the two, turning to Connor Trent, who’d maintained silent throughout. “What do you think, Mr. Trent?”

“I’ll leave the decision up to you, Mr. Snow. I have no opinion on the matter.” Connor gave up his say.

Charlie glared at him. “Brownnose!”

Connor smiled, as if he hadn’t heard that.

The position had been one that Charlie and Connor were competing over. Now that Connor had given up, Charlie was obviously slated to be the one to get said position.

As his personality went, of course Charlie was feeling resentful as all heck.

He looked coldly towards Rita, leering, “Listen, girlie…”

“Rita Brown.”

Halfway into his sentence, Rita interrupted him with two words.

“W…what?” Charlie jolted.

Seriously, Rita replied, “My name, gentlemen, is Rita Brown.”

Hearing that, everyone paused for a second.

Other than a bit of disquiet flashing across Jason’s eyes, the rest of them didn’t seem to register anything. At least, they didn’t connect that name to the Brown family.

Rita didn’t have Amelia’s favor, so she’d never been let into the company.

Furthermore, none of the Brown family had ever been allowed to mention Rita’s existence in the bloodline.

So it wasn’t strange that people here didn’t know her.

“You say you solved this issue for us, but where’s the proof?” Charlie cocked an eyebrow, putting the ball in Rita’s court again.

“Yeah, this was all Mutt’s exposure piece at work, what’s it got to do with you?” Hearing that, Matthew chimed in. “Show us proof that you were responsible, and we’ll hand you that position.”

Matthew’s doubts resonated with the other managers of the company, who started talking amongst themselves.

“Mr. Powers and Mr. Gray are right, Mr. Snow. We have to have Ms. Brown prove that she did resolve this issue and it wasn’t a coincidence.” Connor spoke as well.

everyone place pressure on her,

weren’t good people, but he’d never thought they could

position, but

band of

He stood up for Rita. “What do you mean proof; you’re just going back on your word and don’t want to let her have the

wildly. I feel like

“You…”

Rita stopped him

looking at

lost

see? Charlie and gang didn’t want her

what Charlie and the rest of them thought, of course

they wouldn’t budge so

also expected everything to play out

Connor as she said mildly, “Since I was the one who’d sold the video to Mutt, I’m not bothered

is saying on social media that it was the Starpath reporter Isabelle Anderson who’d sold him the

Connor’s words, everyone else checked

course, Mutt had admitted outright that he’d bought the information from Starpath

looked contemptuously

round out the lie now, can

to give up his source like

speak, only

with their doubts, Rita still didn’t panic. “Then why don’t have ask Isabelle over, and we can talk? See what the

with the lie,”

saw Mutt’s post, I had someone get in

efficient as always, Mr.

he’s the best bet

office lauded praise on

were all mild-mannered, but to Rita, he hid

up to Jason, he was

they wanted to play it like that, she wasn’t going to stop

her and mocked. “You

if you leave now, you can still salvage your

chuckled. “I have nothing

moment, the

walked in

new arrival, Connor walked up to greet her, all smiles. “Hello, Ms. Anderson. I’m Connor Trent. I asked

Mr. Trent,” Isabelle

to the subject at hand. “So as far as my knowledge goes, you sold the information to Mutt, which is why we have the tabloid headlines for

went,” Isabelle nodded

Connor’s confidence grew

and placed the focus straight on Rita. “But this person says she was the one who dug up the

dug up the info myself!” Hearing that, Isabelle

temper, some of the people there

Isabelle all the time, and turned her forcefully over to face Isabelle. “How

Isabelle with her back straight. “What… do you

eyes met, and Isabelle feigned

in the middle

Boss?!

Connor froze. “!!!”

to

looked at Isabelle, then at Rita, still not registering the

That was some twist…

just called her…?” Unwilling to accept it, Connor confirmed

spoke, Isabelle took out a Starpath investor’s sheet from her pocket and handed it to Connor.