Nothing Without You

I: Workplace Scandal

Now | Adelaide

"Fantastic," Umaima pinched the bridge of her nose and scrolled through her tablet. "We released a new item with Anita Mahrani last week, what are we gonna do?"

I brushed a hand through my blonde lockes, untying the already tangled knots from roughing it up earlier.

A scandal was the last thing Starlight needed. After Eda passed down the company, no one had been happy about me stepping in with my little girl shoes. 

A scandal between a board member and a minor... That was going to ruin everything.

I always knew the dipshit was out for the young girls. That was why I held that seminar about keeping old grubby hands to yourself. Clearly the 60 year old man couldn't keep his dick in his pants and molested a 17 year old intern.

An image came to head and I almost threw up at it. What a fucking disgusting piece of shit, I want to castrate him and make him choke on his own dic—

"Maybe if we just..." Umaima tucked invisible strands of hair back inside her hijab. Something she often did whenever she was nervous because apparently we were screwed.

Did I already mention that? If I didn't, then yes. We were indeed, in other words, fucked.

And definitely not the good kind.

"What? Unrelease a released item?" I wanted to bang my head against a wall and die. "Everyone will be talking about this—about us!" My voice pitched higher and higher. As quiet as everyone in the building—in this world I thought I was, one step into my office at that very moment would have them shitting their pants.

"Okay we need to think," she turned the tablet off and placed it on her lap. Her left leg fidgeted frantically.

"Think later." I stood up, picking off a piece of lint from my skirt. "Can you find out who did this?" I turned my head away from her gaze. The question skittered off me in nervous waves. There was nothing I hated more than knowing the truth. Lies keep me satiated and satisfied.

The truth always felt like someone was poking a knife into my heart and not stabbing it whole. It prickled until it finally rips apart. That's what the truth was like.

I like my heart, thank you very much. It did have ripped edges and missing pieces, but it was perfectly whole to me.

The sun shone down through the crystal clear windows. Funny, because it didn't match the theme of our moods. Just another universe prank being played on us. Whoever was playing the earth game, really needed to stop testing my patience. 

If it was any other day, I would've enjoyed the weather. So no, I didn't entirely hate the universe. It sometimes did a good job.

"You can trust me to figure out who did this." The sharp sound of something hitting wood snapped me back to reality. Umaima slammed her tablet down.

I almost laughed despite this situation.

If a hijab didn't cover one's ears, I would bet money that there would be smoke coming out of Umaima's ears.

"I'm a little scared right now." I found it amusing, the way she took everything related to me seriously. Sure, she was two years older than me but that didn't matter when she was my best friend.