The Princess and the Greek God

2 The Greek God

*UNEDITED

The next day, I was at a nearby café buying my usual morning coffee when a call came from the office. This is really odd. What would they want with me so early in the morning?

“No, I don’t understand!” my voice went a pitch higher and everyone inside the café turned their heads at me. The voice on the other end just said to pick up my things and my last paycheck this afternoon and that I don’t need to come to work anymore, and then the line was disconnected.

I am at a total loss of words now. My boss just coldly told me that I don’t have a job anymore without any reason whatsoever. I tried calling Tracey but I kept getting her voice mail. She should know what to do, but for now, I need to find out what was going on.

I abandoned the line at the café and headed to the office. My heart was beating wildly inside my chest, I was trembling with anger and fear. I was never the type to go on confrontations with people, I was never good at that. But I needed to know, because I can’t lose my job now. Not now…

“Where is she?”

I asked my boss’ secretary and everyone began to raise their heads from their cubicle out of curiosity; they were like mushroom heads popping where you don’t want them to.

“I thought I told you to come this afternoon?” she sternly said and raised her chin up at me.

“The hell I will!”

“You do not speak that way to me, understand??

“You just told me I was fired, so you’re no longer my boss. I just need to hear the reason why you fired me, then I’ll leave.”  Jeez, that still sounded too nice for someone who was as angry as I was.

“Ms. Woods, if she is not out of this office in ten minutes, have the security to escort her outside.”

She rolled her eyes at me and turned her heels, headed to her office.

I must have looked desperate and defeated at the same time that Carla, the secretary approached me and tried to console me.

“I’m so sorry, Isla.” She said apologetically.

“Do you have any idea why they fired me?”

She met my eyes and gave me this knowing look.

“Come on, let’s go to the restroom and get you fixed.”

As soon as we were inside, she checked to see if the cubicles were empty then she faced me.

“You do know the rumor right?”

The rumor…why am I so shocked? Right. Because I never thought it would happen to me.

“I’m one of the casualties then?”

She gently nodded. So it was no longer a rumor…the company director, the CEOs son, fires female employees whenever he feels like it…

“Let’s go, I’ll help you pack up your things.”

“No, I can manage. You go back to your desk, before that dinosaur finds out you left your post.”

“Sure you’ll be fine?”

I nodded. She squeezed my hand and said sorry again before she left. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I the color in my face was drained. Too many things were going on inside my head…maybe I should just crawl under a rock and die…

Minutes later I walked out of the building with a boxful of my things. I needed to think. Why do I have to get fired now when I’m about to lose my house? I can let go of my car – not that it’s a brand new model, it’s just some old, beat up Nissan sedan my father owned…I can let my credit rating go bad, I can live without an internet connection but I will not lose the house.