472 Ba
ch 8

If the earth had opened up beneath his feet and had been kind enough to swallow him, Zack would probably have felt better. He had never seen so much lack at once and all he could think was that at the pace at which this woman worked and the effort she put into it, this lack of… everything, could not be his fault. He looked around and felt a knot in his stomach. He didn’t even have a bed, so he didn’t have to ask about the rest. Now he understood why he walked forty minutes from work to home, because he probably didn’t have the money to pay for the bus. There was nothing in that space that wasn’t absolutely essential to life, and the only toy was a small stuffed animal of those that they gave out at the hospital. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Zack murmured in that hoarse, half-stifled voice. “Tell you what?” Andrea murmured, cradling her baby. “That you were in a difficult situation!” Zack replied. “Because it was none of your business.” You can’t go around burdening other people with your problems… -You should have done it from the moment Trembley was pressuring you with this! -she exclaimed pointing around-. Because with this he was pressuring you! Isn’t that right? People out there, including me! are thinking that you were going to sleep with him for a promotion. -Well, I don’t care because people out there have no idea what my life is like or the sacrifices I make every day for my daughter…! Including you! -she snapped and then shook her head trying to scare away the tears. Zack took a deep breath and even unconsciously was unable to avoid making that comparison. Giselle had had all the possible comforts to have her child and had aborted it, and there was Andrea, enduring the greatest hardships just to raise her daughter. But it was no longer time to think, but to act. He handed that paper to Andrea again and asked her: Thank you for reading on LeeNovelas.com. -Please sign it. This is important. Andrea looked at the paper, with the words “sexual harassment” printed in large, accusatory letters. She knew that signing that would mean a formal complaint to her boss, and also, her dismissal from her job. She closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing before speaking: “I can’t do it.” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. “If I do it, I’ll be fired and I have nothing else to support my daughter. I don’t know how we would pay the rent, feed ourselves…” “You’re already fired, Andrea, or do you really think Trembley won’t enforce that dismissal letter first thing tomorrow morning?” asked Zack. “You have nothing to lose now, only to gain…” “No. I’m not going to blackmail Trembley with that complaint to get my job back,” she murmured anxiously. She wasn’t that kind of person. “I just don’t plan to use it for blackmail. I really plan to report him,” replied Zack. Remember. Read this novel only at LeeNovelas.com, not on other sites. -Then less! -For God’s sake, Andrea,You’re driving a saint crazy! – he exclaimed desperately. Andrea shook her head, still hugging her daughter. – I can’t, Zack, you don’t know how these things work in companies. Andrea couldn’t stop her tears from coming out – They wouldn’t hire me again, it would be months before I got another halfway honorable position… and what would I do in the meantime? Zack felt as if the world weighed on him. He knew she was absolutely right, because companies were afraid of employees with the guts to sue. – I can’t let this stay like this, Andrea. Now less than ever. Forget about the job, I’m not going to let you lose it, but please, sign this – Zack insisted, handing the document to her again. This is your only chance to stop Peter Trembley from using his power against another woman in the business world. Sign it and I guarantee you won’t lose your job. -You can’t guarantee me that, Zack, unless you’re the owner of the damn company, you can’t guarantee me anything! – she exclaimed and Zack closed his eyes for a moment. He put the paper on the kitchen counter and approached her, looking into her eyes. -You have to trust me, he said in a stern tone. – The only thing you have to do right now is trust me. Do it, Andrea, trust me, and I assure you that tomorrow everything will be different. Please. Andrea looked at him for a long moment, her lips trembling. Zack noticed again that rage that had attacked him since he had first seen the inside of that apartment, so he did the only thing that could calm them both. He took the baby from her arms, as if he wanted to remove that defensive barrier, and cradled her, feeling her melt with that toothless little smile. Andrea approached the kitchen counter and took the pen. She was scared, but that man had given her hope for improvement, the only one anyone had given her in the last year, and she really needed to trust someone, because she was already too tired. She signed the document, but it still took a while for Zack to return the baby to her. “Come early tomorrow,” she said, saying goodbye. “Very early.” By the time they separated, both of their hearts were beating very fast, but it was for very different reasons. Andrea set her phone alarm half an hour earlier, and Zack took his to call his best friend. “Ben, I need to see you right now, it’s urgent.” Ten hours later, as Andrea hurried to get to the office, she realized that her boss’s car had already been there early. However, when she got to the floor, she realized that Zack was not there for all that. At least the scandal had not broken out yet, but the same could not be said of her boss’s anger. “Get out of here! You’re fired!” Trembley spat at her, throwing the dismissal letter stamped by Human Resources earlier in the morning onto her small desk.Andrea was able to stop her eyes from getting wet and shook her head. “No, you can’t fire me, much less… especially for what you say here!” she exclaimed desperately. “Labor incompetence? I’m not incompetent! I even studied for a better position, but you didn’t want to examine me!” “Because you didn’t let me,” Trembley hissed under his breath and Andrea gritted her teeth. He was a disgusting old man even when it came to firing someone. An assistant’s job is very simple, Andrea: meet her boss’s requirements, and you don’t seem very willing to meet mine. Last night I gave you one last chance and you showed up with the low-cost Superman, so that’s the end of your chances. Get out! And I assure you that I’m going to make sure that no good company hires you again in this city!” she spat maliciously. “Now go! Get out!” Andrea shook her head with her eyes full of tears. She couldn’t leave, not without seeing Zack, he had asked her to come early, he had told her everything would be fine…But Zack was nowhere to be found. Around him, the other employees were whispering about this public humiliation. Seeing her resistance, Trembley grabbed the phone on his desk and dialed the building’s security extension, asking for two guards to be sent. A few minutes later, the fat old man was gloating as the security officers forced Andrea to her feet. “Get her out of here!” he growled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred euro note to hand it to one of the guards. Straight out the door, and she’s not coming back in here…!” But Trembley’s speech had to stop when one of the employees, the mail boy, ran across the floor. “Boss! Mr. Trembley…! Boss!” he exclaimed anxiously. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you yelling so much!” the fat man snapped. “The owner! He’s here!” said the boy. “I heard him on the first floor!” The owner arrived with his entire team! They’re coming up! Trembley swore before turning to the security guards. “Come on, get her out now! Hurry up!” he spat in annoyance and the guards dragged Andrea to the elevator. The owner was arriving and no one wanted to see a fired employee. The owner was arriving! The owner himself! The king of sports representation in America! The guards anxiously waited for one of the elevators to take her down, but when the doors opened, no one expected what was about to come out of there. Indeed, a new team was arriving at the company, but the one in front of them, dressed in an impeccable tailored suit… was Zack. He took a step out of the elevator and stood face to face with the two guards escorting Andrea. Each one was holding her by one arm, and she was crying and scared, and that made him want to behave like the caveman he was deep down inside. -Let her go right now, – he said in a tone that did not allow for questioning. -B-but sir… she was just fired… -The only person who has the authority to fire someone in this company is me, I’m the owner! – Zack hissed and saw Andrea’s eyes widen while many others on the floor made faces of astonishment. So let her go right now, or you’ll be the ones fired! The guards immediately let her go and Andrea stood there, staring at him in a daze. Zack gave her a soft smile and then walked past her, while that entourage of loyal employees followed him. Trembley looked at him stupefied, red and furious, unable to believe that it was true.