Page 98 of Written By a Woman

I didn’t see her; I didn’t see anyone outside of my office when Jacqueline ambushed me earlier. I had just finished a call with Nikhil when Jacqueline asked if I had a moment. I nodded and invited her in, only then to be informed that Jacqueline had found Signe’s social media accounts. Her accounts that talk about her book, her book about me. Jacqueline showed me several screenshots showing just how sexualized my character was and asked if I was aware that Signe was using my appearance in such a way.

I was terrified, frozen.

Jacqueline took my silence as if I wasn’t aware.

Then she tried to tell me everything she was planning to do. Everything from relieving Signe from her position to filing paperwork disclosing the harassment Signe had caused.

My ears had started ringing from stress before I snapped at Jacqueline to stop. She seemed surprised but agreed. I told her that we would need to discuss this all later, but that she wasnotto approach Signe about this yet. That I wanted to talk to her first.

Clearly, that all went to shit.

“Fuck,” I scraped my hand down my face, my palms getting a little clammy.

“We’re at work,” Jacqueline scolded. I rolled my eyes at her, a movement that she was visibly surprised to see me do since I usually was more collected in the office.

“We need to fix this,” I was rubbing both hands on the sides of my neck, pacing back and forth in the small space of my office. Jacqueline stayed put, near the cracked office door as her eyes watched my movements skeptically.

“What do you mean? It looks like the problem solved itself. She quit. We don’t need to worry about severance or—”

“If she quits, she can’t finish the book!” I snapped, deflating a little when Jacqueline jumped and showed a little fear on her face from my outburst, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. This isn’t your fault. I’m just trying to figure this out.”

Jacqueline studied me, always with a calm and professional face.

“You…want Signe to finish the book?” Her voice was coated with disbelief. I gave her a desperate look before I decided that I should take a seat in one of my office chairs. Making myself smaller relaxed Jacqueline a bit more, instead of her staying glued to the wall as she watched my larger self, pacing and stressing.

“I’ve known about the book for months, Jacqueline,” I sighed, dropping my head in my hands. My glasses got in the way, so I pulled them off and tossed them on the seat next to me before digging the heels of my palms into my eyes, “I’ve always known.”

Jacqueline was silent for a few moments.

I took the time to inhale a few deep breaths and relax myself.

Signe knows that I know.

She quit.

She hasn’t responded to my texts.

Signe quit.

“You’ve…known…” Jacqueline’s voice reminded me that she was still here.

“…Why did she quit?” I asked myself, ignoring the head of HR watching me panic about what my next steps should be.

“…Whywouldn’tshe quit?” Jacqueline countered. When I snapped my head up to look at her, her face softened a little bit as she took a tentative step towards me in my seat, “She heard me talking to you. She saw how you reacted…I assumed the same as she did.”

“What did you assume?” I asked, desperate for details.

“That you were upset,” Jacqueline frowned, “Upset that she crossed a line and that you wanted the situation dealt with. When I sought her out after meeting with you, she was already packing up her desk.”

I glared at Jacqueline, who immediately held my glare with one of her own, “I told you not to talk to her about this.”

“You don’t have the authority to demand that of me,” Jacqueline squared her shoulders, “I know how to do my job, even if it makes employees uncomfortable. It’s my job to ensure that the company practices safe and ethical procedures. So, when you told me to drop it, I ignored you and went to approach Signe about her behavior directly.”

“Jacqueline,” I leaned back in my seat, glaring at the ceiling, “She can’t quit.”

“She actually can,” Jacqueline lifted her shoulder, “I’m not going to stop her. She crossed a professional line, even if you knew what she was doing and seemed to be okay with it.”

“If she quits,” I gritted through clenched teeth, “She can’t finish her book. She’ll need to find a new job, which will take time away from publishing the novel, which delays accomplishing her goal of writing full time.”

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