Page 4 of Meet Me at the Fudge Shop

“You mean the machine I assigned you to clean last night?”

Lily darted a glance at Kayleigh, whose eyes widened.

“Um, yes. Well, actually, I did clean it but then took the initiative to create some new chocolates for tonight. I worked all night on a new recipe for a bergamot chocolate crunch. That’s not the name—I haven’t come up with the name yet, actually, but?—”

“Ms. Hart?—”

Nope, she couldn’t stop now. “Try one, sir. I think this could be our next big thing. I even wrote down the recipe so we could mass produce it for tonight’s wedding if you like it.”

“Tonight’s menu is already set.”

“Sir, if you’ll just try one, I think?—”

He held up a hand. “I don’t pay you to think. I pay you to do what I assign you. And you clearly haven’t done that.”

“No, but if you’ll just try?—”

“This isn’t the first time, either. You know what’s holding you back? Discipline. You’re impulsive and flighty. Not dependable.”

She stilled, the words pinning her in place. No, that wasn’t…she wasn’t?—

“If you could just taste?—”

“I don’t need to.”

And then he walked over to her plate of chocolates, picked it up, and…

Dumped it in the trash.

She stared at the mess, then back at him. “Have you lost your mind? That—those took me all night!”

And maybe something just snapped inside her. “They were delicious. Artwork. Pomp and circumstance. It’s a medley of flavors, a symphony for the mouth. And you just dumped them because of what? Pride? Just take a look at the recipe!”

He just stared at her, nostrils flaring.

Okay, so maybe…um. She cut her voice low. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to insult you or your work, but?—”

“That’s enough, Ms. Hart.” He snatched the recipe card from her hand, glancing at it, then back to her. “The thing you don’t seem to understand is that this ismykitchen. My kitchen, my rules, my recipes. When you have your own kitchen—and honestly, Ms. Hart, Ivery much doubtyou’ll ever reach that level of success—youcan decide what to make. Until then…”

He ripped the recipe in half, then again, and again. Then he added the papers to the chocolate, spilled in with the other debris from last night’s dinner.

She barely had a voice. “Why did you do that?” She took a breath, found more of it. “I’ve given you five years of my life. I’ve catered to your every stupid whim, spent countless hours doing tedious work, cleaning and sanitizing, and—this is how you treat me?”

She might be shouting now, so she schooled her voice. Hated the tears that rimmed her eyes. “That was mine. You had no right.”

“Correction,” he snapped, stepping up to her. “You used company resources to create it, so it was actuallymine. And I decided I didn’t want it.” Oscar slid the garbage receptacle back into place. “Just like you, Ms. Hart. I don’t want you.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I don’t want you here anymore. As of this moment, you are no longer an employee of The Sullivan.”

Lily just stared at him, the words not quite landing. The silence buzzed loudly in her ears.

What—?

No, no, no. This is not how things were supposed to go. Lily pressed her lips together and blinked her eyes rapidly. She wouldnotcry. Crying hadn’t stopped her grandpa’s disappointment in her. Hadn’t stopped the Kelleys from accusing her, or Declan from turning away from her. Hadn’t stopped Professor Hamilton from failing her.

Oscar folded his arms over his chest. “Did you not hear me? You’re fired, Ms. Hart. And I won’t be giving you a reference, so don’t even ask.” He pointed toward the door. “Your chocolate-making days are over.”

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