Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 17

Cora's

POV

I go to Human Resources, and I see Lyra smirking at me when I get off the elevator. I go to Hamilton Davis' Office and knock on the door. I wait for the "Come in" before I enter.

"Cora, it has been brought to my attention that you not only assaulted another employee today at your desk. I was also told that you refused to allow her to deliver two important envelopes by refusing to allow her to go into Collin Lauder's office and that you did this in front of the men coming in for a meeting with Collin as well. That reflects poorly on you as a professional. You haven't been here long at all, but putting your hands on another employee could be a terminatable offense. What were you thinking? I know Catherine has had nothing but good things to say about you, but this is the second time you have been reported to me. The first time was for a verbal insult you gave, that also involved Lyra. I don't know why you have such an issue with her, but she has had no problems with anyone else here, and she is a long-term employee with a spotless record, so I must speak with you concerning this", Hamilton says to me.

"I am confused, Hamilton, that's not what happened at all. I asked her to leave the envelopes with me on my desk several times as he was about to be in a meeting and I would give the envelopes to him after the meeting. She told me that I wasn't in charge of her, and she was going to deliver them to CEO Lauder. I did attempt to block his door as I knew he was reading up on what the meeting was going to be about, but when the elevator dinged to let me know our guests had arrived, I turned to greet them, and she hit me in my left side, and then shoved me out of the way and entered his office both unannounced and without permission. I told the bankers that I was going to go announce them and then I knocked on CEO Lauder's door. When he told me I could enter, I saw him wiping off lipstick from his mouth and he was upset at her entering without permission. He is in a meeting right now, but I know that he could confirm her entering without permission, and he may have heard some of the incident in question, because it happened at his door, but I never touched her, she hit me, and then shoved me out of the way to enter CEO Lauder's office". I tell him.

I also saw how he appeared shocked when I told him that Collin was wiping lipstick off of his mouth, but that is what happened, and I told Hamilton what I had seen.

"Can anyone else substantiate the story that you are telling me?" Hamilton asked me.

"Other than what I told you that he could verify, I don't believe so, but since as soon as I got through taking care of the bankers I was summoned here, I did not have time to ask Catherine what, if anything, that she had seen," I told him.

"Well, based on that, I believe that I will have to suspend you for a week to see what actually happened, and to see if I can dig up any witnesses, because Lyra seemed pretty upset when she got back and immediately filled out her statement," Hamilton tells me. "So, you are going to do the investigation?" I asked him.

"Yes, do you have a problem with it?" Hamilton asked me.

"Actually, yes, I do. I have been told that you are a couple, and I hardly think that I will come out well, as I think that this is a witch hunt as I am the victim here, but I am the one who is being suspended. Also, I don't know what you were referring to when you said that this is my second incident in as many weeks. Lyra was rude to me the day I came in to fill out my paperwork, and all I asked her was "You know I can hear you and are you normally this rude to the new hires? I don't see how that was insulting, as she was the one who spoke badly to me about my hair, face, and clothing. Also, if it was a problem, why didn't you say something then, or was it more pillow talk? Because Lyra said that in front of Catherine, and she was a witness to the whole conversation." I told him "Ms. Bowers, that is none of your business about if I have or don't have a relationship with Lyra. You are being insubordinate to me right now with how you are speaking to me and making assumptions about my relationship with another employee", Hamilton said to me and is now very red in the face.

"I just asked if I was going to get a fair investigation, and, from the sound of things, I am already deemed to be guilty, by you, before the investigation has taken place. So, apparently, I am not supposed to ask questions, when you two eat lunch daily together and have been caught several times in the parking garage? I am just trying to clarify, because I think I may need to get a lawyer involved in this, your girlfriend made a false statement, and a false accusation of assault when I was the one assaulted, and now I am suspended. You have absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing by me, or that I am guilty of anything, and she hit me pretty hard. I am sure to get a bruise from it and believe me when I say that I will have photos taken of my injuries. She hit me with her right hand, as the envelopes were in her left hand, and she hit me on the left side of my ribs. I have something important to do tomorrow and having an injury at this time is not good at all for me. Also, I feel compelled to mention that maybe she doesn't have any complaints lodged against her as you will be the one to investigate it, and everyone already knows that it won't end well for whoever lodged the complaint, as we all know that you will take her side in it", I told him. "Now we don't need to bring in any lawyers. I said that I would investigate this, and I will. Who was up there when it happened? I am going to investigate it, and to be fair to you both", Hamilton tells me.

Both Catherine and Coleman had gone to the restroom a short time previous, but when I went to greet the bankers, I saw Catherine standing there at the corner of the office, but I had no idea how long she had been standing there. CEO Lauder was in his office with the door shut, as I told you, but again he may have heard some of what was said, as we were just outside his door. I don't think anyone else saw, because as soon as the elevator pinged its arrival, I immediately looked towards it, as I am required to greet our guests, which is how she even entered his office, to begin with. I am quite sure you are aware that she wants my job. She was rude and hateful to me on my first day. I know she has been trying to get up there for years. Let me ask you this, since assaulting another employee results in a weeklong suspension, or termination, and since I was the one that was hit, are you going to do the same to Lyra, when you replace out that she was the one to assault me because you said that you were going to be fair?" I asked him.

"Well, I am going to be fair, I will get to the bottom of this, and yes, if she assaulted you, then she would get a weeklong suspension, as well," Hamilton tells me, but he won't look me in the eye when he does. He has already decided, and I know he won't be replaceing me innocent in this, even with the bruise I am going to have on my ribs from her shoving me out of her way.

"So, you want me to get my things and leave now, right?" I asked him.

"Yes, please get your personal items and leave," Hamilton tells me.

I went to stand up and I heard a brisk knocking on the door. I opened the door to exit and saw Catherine and Collin standing on the other side of the door.

"I have asked Ms. Bowers to pack up her personal items and leave and she is suspended for a week for assaulting another Employee CEO Lauder, it has already been handled," Hamilton proudly tells Collin and Catherine at the door. I exit and take two steps before Catherine grabs my wrist and says "Don't go anywhere, sit down, we are about to handle this" before she enters Hamilton's office, with Collin.

I can hear raised voices coming from the office and I just sit there waiting for them to finish. Five minutes later, the door opens, and Hamilton calls out "Lyra, please come into my office" and heads back behind his desk.

Lyra walks by me and enters the office, but this time she is not smirking at me. I heard voices rising up again and I felt a little uncomfortable hearing the arguing and moved to the chairs near the elevator doors to continue to wait. Four minutes later, Catherine comes around the corner and then calls out 'Here she is, she is still here" and I see Collin coming around the corner behind her. Catherine hits the elevator button, and we all ride up to the top floor together in silence. I go to the desk and start picking up my purse and jacket for me to leave and start my suspension.

"Put it up, you are not leaving for a week, Lyra is, she is suspended. Also, to keep you safe from now on, we are having audio and video surveillance installed as Lyra blatantly lied, and he bought it because they are sleeping together. It will be for this floor only and the audio will be installed right over your desk, so speak up if something like this ever happens again", Catherine told me.

"I am sorry she lied about what happened. You did the right thing to take care of the bankers first and then come and get her. I heard you arguing and telling her several times to leave the envelopes with you and that you would deliver them, but she wanted to get in to see me. She has been after me for a while, and she just rushed right in and started kissing me after she put the envelopes down on my desk. Hamilton was most upset about that. He said that you told him the same thing, but he didn't believe you because Lyra had worked for him for several years and has had no complaints filed against her. Well, she has some now", Collin told me and gave me a nod before going back into his office.

"How did you know, Catherine?" I asked her.

"I saw her get off the elevator when I was coming back, so I stayed behind to see how you would handle it. You did an excellent job, even after she hit and then pushed you, you did the correct thing by keeping calm and greeting the guests. She is a horrible employee and her lying really came back and bit her in the a*s", Catherine said. "Did you just cuss, Catherine?" I asked her.

"Yes, I can't stand that girl and she totally ruined my day with her lies. I knew how she was, so I blocked her every attempt to come up to the executive level. Since I will be leaving soon, I figured that you would need some backup in the future, because Lyra will still be here, but we will not be announcing the installation of cameras and audio. They will be installed over the weekend and recorded in Collins's office so he can go back and check the coverage if it is ever needed", Catherine tells me.