Page 5 of The Secretary Volume II

I swivel in my chair to face her and instantly regret it.Her lime green pantsuit seems specifically designed to trigger migraines.

“He was on the do-not-call list,” I explain.

Marjorie’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes.“Did you try the rebuttal script on page forty-three?“The do-not-call list doesn’t apply to existing business relationships’?”

“We don’t have an existing business relationship.”

“But he doesn’t know that!”Marjorie taps my cubicle wall with her acrylic nails, each one painted a different neon color.“Remember, every rejection is just an opportunity for persistence!”

I nod, wondering if I could fit all my possessions in my Honda Civic’s trunk.The back seat is already taken up by three suitcases and my?—

Ping.

My cell phone.

I glance at the screen, already expecting bad news—a low balance alert, another urgent bill I can’t pay, something to really round out the day.

But instead, the subject line stops me cold.

Finalized Divorce Decree – Blackwell v.Blackwell

A lead weight drops into my stomach.

I stare at it, unmoving.My screen dims, like even my phone knows this is something I don’t want to look at.

I could pretend I didn’t see it.Leave it unread.Pretend it didn’t just slam the door on eight years of my life.

But pretending won’t matter.It’s done.

I’m officially divorced.

I exhale slowly, forcing my face into something neutral.I tell myself it’s a relief.That this was the goal.That I wanted it over.That this isn’t a tragedy, it’s just paperwork.

But Jesus Christ—finding out your marriage has officially dissolved while sitting in a shitty cubicle, at a dead-end job, with someone named Marjorie standing over you?

That’s a special kind of depressing.

I shove my phone face-down on my desk.Ignore it.Move on.

Ping.

Another email.

I frown, flipping my phone over again.Another legal doc?A spam alert?

But no.

Subject: Interview Opportunity – Shergar Corporation

I blink.

Shergar?

I didn’t apply to Shergar.

I open it, scanning the body of the email.A recruiter, some generic corporate speak, an invitation to discuss a “unique career opportunity that aligns with your skill set.”

I almost laugh.

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