Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
The unexpected statement caught me off guard, and a shout of laughter escaped my lips. “Good girl.”
“I ran. I grabbed my purse and I ran. It was late, and no one else was around. I went right home and took a shower. Cried. Then I hid at home for two days.”
“You were traumatized.”
“I shouldn’t have done any of it. I should have gone right to the police. When I returned to the office, he was waiting with HR. He accused me of harassing him. Showed off the scratches on his face. Told them how he had to fight me off, which caused the bruises on my arms and neck. I was fired immediately and kicked out of the building.”
“But you’d already complained.”
“He insisted it was all on my part, not his. And given his friendship with the partners and his status, he was believed.” She sighed, rubbing her head. “I went to a lawyer and, after much deliberation, decided to fight back.”
“And?”
“It wasn’t going well. My word against his. A disgruntled employee against a senior partner who refused her advances, knowing he was being used to climb the ladder.” She paused. “I need a drink of water.”
I handed her the glass, waiting while she drank it. She reached for my hands again. “One day, my lawyer called me and had me come to her office. There was a woman there. Younger than me. It turned out she worked at the firm and with Barry but had left abruptly.”
“Had he harassed her?”
“Yes. But unlike me, Mandy had dates, times, what he said, all written down. She had a voice recording of a message he left her. She videotaped him one day in her office, basically blackmailing her. Threatening to ruin her career and get her fired. But before he could do anything, someone came in. She cleaned out her office and left that day. Moved.”
I frowned. “She never told anyone?”
“She had a mother to care for and a disabled sister to support. She needed a job, and she knew if she spoke up, she wouldn’t be believed. That they would blackball her name. She went to Niagara and took a job there. Moved her mom and sister and kept her mouth shut. But she saw my case in the paper. She was married by that point. Her husband fully supported her coming forward with her evidence. Let’s just say, once that was presented, the case turned my way.”
“And you won?”
“The firm fired him. I was offered my job back, which I refused. Then they offered a settlement, and I was advised to take it. My lawyer wanted to go after Barry personally next. I wasn’t sure I wanted to take it any further. The partners asked for a meeting with Mandy and me. I went with my lawyer, and when it was over, we were walking out…”
Her trembling grew more pronounced.
I pulled her close, letting her rest her head on my chest. My heart was pounding, and I knew what she said next was going to be hard to hear.
“Barry showed up, angry and shouting. Demanding his job back. When he saw Mandy, he lost it. He went after her. I stepped in front of her, and he barrelled into me, sending us both backward. My back hit the edge of a cement block that held a piece of artwork so hard it shattered the vertebra. I fell to the floor, and he did as well, landing on top of me. He wasn’t a small man, and he went down hard, causing more damage.”
She looked up at me, her wide eyes wet with tears. “The next thing I knew, I woke up, and I was in the hospital. Unsure if I would walk again.”
I cupped her face. “Kassie.” I held her, letting her cry. “You got hurt saving someone else.”
“She was tiny—almost fragile-looking. He was out of control with his anger, and I thought he would kill her. I didn’t think, I just acted. It happened so fast,” she sobbed.
“You were incredibly brave,” I praised her.
“I was terrified,” she admitted. “It took months of recovery, therapy, and physio. The firm tried to keep it all hush-hush, but word got out. The story made the papers for a while. Barry’s wife left him and moved away, taking the kids. The firm was in chaos, and others came forward with more stories of harassment. It wasn’t long before they closed down the firm.”
“And what of him?” I asked, thinking a trip to Toronto might be needed. An unfortunate mugging occurring.
“I heard he died. A robbery gone wrong.”
“Fitting.”
She nodded, and I wiped away the tears on her face.
“So, you came home,” I prompted.
“Yes. I had job offers, but I didn’t want to stay. Too many bad memories and I was lonely. The city seemed too big and scary. I had enough clients who still wanted me to do their accounting, I knew I could start my own business. I used the money from the settlement to pay for this house and started my company. I came home. People knew what happened. It was in the papers and on the news for a while. But no one treated me differently. I was just Kassie here. They were helpful and friendly. Not looking for gossip or a story. So I rebuilt my life.” Her shoulders slumped forward, showing her exhaustion. “And that’s it.”