Page 104 of A Bossy Roommate

You remember our conversation? Always look forward. Maybe this is the kick in the ass I needed.

I briefly close my eyes. As much as I want to believe that Carter will get over the fact that he’s just lost the job he’d lived for, it’s unlikely. Yes, he’s incredible, and I don’t put it past him that not even fifteen minutes later, he’s able to roll up his sleeves and move on. But even he has to feel that the rug has just been pulled out from under him under absolutely unfair conditions that force him to start from zero again. The way those idiots in the executive suite had treated him makes me unbelievably angry.

I’d bet my last cupcake that by tomorrow he’ll have at least five serious job offers, that everything he’s done for Legacy up until this moment—and that’s a damn lot—will pay off.

That doesn’t make things any better.

I sink onto my chair, staring off into space. Now, I’ve been in several meetings with Carter since I started working here and admire the way he easily navigates speaking with clients and staff. The way he handles himself is another level entirely.

Then, after he’d walked out of the meeting room, he didn’t even stop at his office.

He’d just left the building.

What a man.

Of course, now I’m left with a spinning mind and no one to talk to.

That doesn’t last long. About two minutes later, Gretchen swings the glass doors open and rushes into the lobby, her blonde hair almost unraveling from its knot, looking concerned, her eyes huge behind her red-framed glasses.

“Hey, what happened?” she asks. “I saw Mr. Bancroft leave a few minutes ago and then you ran out and back. Everything okay?”

“Nope, it’s really not.” I figure she’ll find out sooner rather than later, and wanting her to hear it from me, I say, “Mr. Bancroft’s gone.”

Gretchen’s eyes go even wider. “What? They fired him? You’ve got to be kidding me. Why?”

“It’s a long story, and I don’t know how much time there is before Mr. Bernie comes, but you remember when Aunt Eleanor called me Carter’s wife?”

She nods right away. “Yeah…”

“She wasn’t entirely wrong. We were pretending to be married to make her happy.”

Concern morphs into shock as Gretchen slams her hands on her face, causing her glasses to nearly slide off her nose. She swiftly pushes them back into place. “Oh. My. God. I have so many questions.”

“And I’ll answer them as soon as I can. Not right now though. I still have my job, but I’m hanging on by a thread here. I don’t want to be caught gossiping when Mr. Bernie comes back.”

“Man, if it were me, I’d grab my stuff and go.”

“Don’t think I didn’t want to. I nearly did, but Carter was insistent I stay.”

So is Mr. Bernie.

The more I calm down and think about the whole situation, the odder it feels. I’m not entirely certain why Mr. Bernie hadn’t let me go, and why he’d made himself strong for me during the meeting, but I know this: I have to use my chance. I want to know who has made it seem as if Carter is at fault for the lost accounts.

I won’t tell anybody—including Gretchen—about my plan to investigate the setup. Because that’s what this is—a setup. I need to clear Carter’s name.

I’d bet my next month’s salary that the miserable bastard Huxley is behind it, but…under no circumstances can I be biased. I need solid evidence that will withstand Mr. Bernie’s critical gaze, because if he hasn’t put Huxley in his place so far, the accusations from Carter’s fake wife certainly won’t either. No, I have to follow Carter’s lead and, with a cool head but iron determination, uncover the essential proof.

Point is, I have to stay at Legacy until I accomplish this task. For whatever reason, I can’t shake off the suspicion that Mr. Bernie has allowed me to stay on for this exact reason, despite his inability to make it overtly apparent. Not that I can be certain of that. It’s possible that the reason behind his decision is straightforward, such as having sympathy toward me or recognizing that retaining me will benefit the firm. It’s no secret that I have a good relationship with our clients, and getting rid of both Carter and me at the same time might have raised too many concerns.

Either way, I’m ready to hold the person who’s responsible for this whole mess accountable.

Huxley. Based on everything I know about him so far, he’s a despicable individual, but he doesn’t have the energy to dig up the things about Carter that he put on the table today. Besides, nobody, and I mean nobody, likes him enough to casually exchange gossip with him.

There’s unmistakable evidence of someone within the company aiding him.

The three people who witnessed Auntie’s slip about us being married were Gretchen, Lexi, and Jaylin. One of them must have informed Huxley. I doubt that Gretchen has any involvement, but I could be wrong. Heck, I’ve been wrong and too trusting on many occasions…cough—Rob—cough.

The million-dollar question is: out of these three women, who is most likely to be a spy for Huxley?

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