Page 17 of Unleashed

With a wink, she slid out of the cab and disappeared into the night, leaving me there with the warmth of her kiss and the possibilities that lay ahead.

CHAPTER 4

Ibarely slept that night, my mind spinning with thoughts of how to craft the perfect resignation letter. I wouldn't write it until the offer from Elliot was official, but that didn’t stop the thrill bubbling inside me. By the time I walked into the office the next day, I felt lighter than I had in months. Humming softly to myself, I made my way to the breakroom, filling a cup of coffee as the scent of brewing beans filled the air.

“What are you so happy about? Did you get some last night?” Thomas’s voice broke through my peaceful morning, his smug grin appearing in the corner of my vision.

I froze, my grip tightening on the cup before I turned to face him. My expression hardened. “That’s inappropriate and none of your business. If you’re going to be a manager, act like it.”

His grin faltered, eyes narrowing. “And you’re being insubordinate. I am your superior.”

I met his gaze, my voice steady. “I have a right to defend myself against sexual harassment.”

The shock on his face made me want to laugh. He looked like I’d slapped him. God, I wished I had.

“Sexual harassment? It was just mindless banter,” he sputtered, still trying to downplay it. “You take things too personally.”

I felt emboldened, knowing that soon I'd be free of this place. “I’ve been taking it personally for the past few years. I’m not an object for the men in the engineering department to leer at and make jokes about.”

Thomas scoffed, waving it off. “It’s not that way at all. You just don’t have a sense of humor.”

I could feel my blood boiling, but I kept my voice cool. “Suppose you worked in a group of women and all day we talked about your body parts and ogled you. How would you feel?”

His response was immediate and, of course, typical. “I’d enjoy it.”

I gave him a withering look. “You say that now.”

I tossed the plastic stirrer into the trash and brushed past him without another word. Leaving him there to chew on what I’d said felt satisfying. Thomas had always been an asshole, and now, I didn’t have to tolerate it much longer. The only person I’d miss was Slade, but even then, I knew his kindness wasn’t entirely selfless.

By 10 a.m., I could hardly contain my excitement. My phone buzzed with an email notification, and my heart raced as I saw the subject line: Official Offer from Elliot Group. I clicked on it, my eyes scanning the details quickly. The salary was exactly what Michael had promised, plus benefits—three weeks vacation, a gym membership, health, dental and vision, retirement and performance reviews in the first year. It was more than I could’ve hoped for.

Without hesitation, I signed the documents electronically and sent them back. My start date was in six weeks. I leaned back in my chair, a wide smile on my face as I sipped my coffee,already mentally checked out. Work was the last thing on my mind.

By 11:30, my resignation letter was finished. I printed it, signed it with a flourish, and scanned it into the system before sending it to HR. It felt surreal. I wondered if anyone would come by to ask why I was leaving, but I doubted it. I wasn’t the first woman to walk out of here fed up with the toxic environment.

I picked up my phone and dialed Erika. She answered on the second ring.

“I did it,” I said, barely able to keep the excitement out of my voice.

“You did what?” she asked.

“I handed in my resignation.”

Her scream of delight was so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “I can’t believe you did it! Did you get the offer from Michael?”

“His HR department sent it to me at ten this morning. I signed everything and sent it back. I’m officially out of here in six weeks.”

“Are you taking a vacation before you start?” Erika asked, her voice still buzzing with excitement.

“Absolutely. I’m going hiking.”

“Alone?”

“Does it matter?” I asked, shrugging even though she couldn’t see me. “I just want to unwind and relax.”

“My idea of relaxing is a five-star hotel with room service,” she shot back, laughing.

“I know, you diva. You should come with me. Learn how to rough it for once.”

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