Page 19 of Selfish Suit

“I didn’t cost you that campaign.”

“You showed up late, spoke out of turn, and then you embarrassed our team in front of a mid-tier client and got flagged three times before we even locked the second round of ad testing.” He rolls his eyes.

I glance at Mr. Sutton, hoping he’ll intervene, but he doesn’t.

“But hey, maybe you’re right.” Marcus is still going. “Maybe we should burn down months of hard work because youfeellike it’s hollow. Maybe Skittles would much rather hear about that than things we’ve actually worked on.”

Heat burns behind my eyes, and I stand to my feet.

“Thanks for the feedback, Marcus,” I say. “My opinion still stands.”

“That’s all it is.” He glares at me. “A uselessopinion.”

I storm out of the room, heels hitting the concrete floor harder than I mean to. I make a straight line for the elevator bank, every step fueled by humiliation and fury. I jab the button and keep my eyes on the numbers.

No one follows.

Good.

The doors open and I step inside.

I press L for lobby and lean against the back wall, breathing hard.

Just before the doors seal shut—Mr. Sutton steps in.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asks, voice low but sharp.

“Going home,” I snap. “You dismissed everyone else, so I assume that now includes me.”

“I dismissed you for lunch,” he says, stepping closer. “Not the day.”

“Well,” I say, matching his tone, “you failed to mention my new position came with a side of dealing with another selfish suit, so I’ll go ahead and cut my losses now.”

I press the ‘lobby’ button again as if that’ll make the elevator move faster.

“I still expect a check for my ill-wanted contribution today,” I add, lifting my chin. “That’s enough money to cover a few bills.”

“Cut the shit.” He hits the emergency stop button, and the elevator jerks to a halt between floors.

I suck in a breath as he turns toward me and places his hands on the panels above my head.

“You don’t strike me as the sensitive type,” he says. “And yet here you are—ready to throw away an opportunity because someone talked to you the way you recently talked to me.”

“I’mnotthe sensitive type…” I pause. “But I can tell when I’m not wanted.”

“By him or by me?”

“What?”

“I don’t understand why you’re letting Marcus get to you so easily.” He ignores my previous question. “Did he bruise your ego?”

“No.” I glare at him. “And for what it’s worth, that wasn’t a bruise. That was a full-blown hit job.”

“And?” he says evenly. “I have a feeling that you would’ve cut him off a lot sooner if it had been me.”

“I would never disrespect you in front of other staff members.”

“So that’s just something you’ll keep doingin private?” he says, stepping even closer. “I actually expect you to contribute in marketing meetings when you’re not doing the assistant tasks. I didn’t give the promotion for you to stand there like wallpaper, and I would’ve really appreciated you stopping that catastrophe long before they got halfway through the slides.”

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