Page 4 of Sassy Surrogate
“What the hell is going on here?” Ginevra Rosdell, general manager from hell – maybe that should beofhell — stands at the head of the short hall outside her office door. Arms akimbo, stance stiff and disapproving. The heat of her glare can be felt all the way from over there.
The two security officers struggle to extricate themselves from the jumble of limbs on the floor and scramble to their feet.
“Apologies, Ms Rosdell,” one officer replies. “This very inebriated gentleman was causing a ruckus out in reception, so they called us to come take care of it.”
“By causing a bigger disturbance and destruction to company property?” The ice that drips from her words could cause frostbite.
The man swallows, the movement of his Adam’s apple pronounced. “No ma’am. That was not the intention,” he says, bravely in my opinion. “It’s just, this man wouldn’t come quietly. He kept yelling something about wanting to see his daughter.”
I feel my entire body lock at the man’s words. I have yet to see the face of the man struggling to free himself from the sturdy grip of the other officer, but everything in meknowswho the lone figure on the floor is.
“Get in my office. And bring that…manwith you,” the pause leaves us with no doubt on her thoughts about “that man.”
An image of venom dripping from fangs flashes in my mind. Accurate. Poisonous, nasty woman. No one likes Ms Rosdell, but neither do they have the balls to stand up to her. I was the only one to ever speak up in so-called confidence. Laughable. The HR lady barely waited for me to clear the doorframe of her office before reporting my complaint to my boss. Since then, she’s been determined to get rid of me.
Well, looks like today is her lucky day, compliments of dear old dad. The thought enters my mind as I watch them haul the man to his feet, and I finally get a look at him. Quickly, I back away out of sight before my father can see me and kick up a bigger fuss.
I know it’s only a matter of time before the hammer comes down, and I feel my stomach knot with apprehension knowing it will be an ugly encounter.
They drag Dad into Ms Rosdell’s office, and the door closes firmly behind them. I can’t hear what’s being said, but I can hear the sharp, nasal monotone of the woman’s voice, akin to fingernails down a blackboard, and the loud, indistinct slur of his inebriated voice, but no defined words.
Taking a seat at my desk as the rest of the office settles back down around me, I begin a mental countdown to the summons. I’m just shy of the two-minute mark when the office door opens and one of the officers walks down the short hall.
“Ms Brand?” He looks around the room. “Ms Brand?” I nod when his gaze does another sweep, then connects with mine. A look of sympathy crosses his face. “Ms Rosdell wants to see you, Miss.”
I nod again. Standing, I straighten my clothing unnecessarily before following him.
“You want to see me, ma’am?” I query politely, my heart pounding like a snare drum.
The look my boss turns on me is triumphant. “This” — she gestures to my dad, now precariously perched on the edge of a chair — “person says he knows you. That he is, in fact, your father. Is this information correct?”
My heart stutters. It’s the moment of truth, and for the briefest time, I actually consider telling her he’s lying. Nothing more than a drunken bum whose targeting me for some unknown reason. But I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that nothing I say at this point will make a difference.
The truth will come out, and to be caught in a lie will compound the deep shit I’m already in. The malevolent glint of enjoyment in the old cow’s eyes confirms it. Best to just own up and get it over with. I’d far rather stick a fork in my eye than give her the satisfaction, but what choice do I have?
Mentally sighing, I straighten to my full height, nothing spectacular at five foot four. Staring her right in the eye, I reply, “Yes, Ms Rosdell. Unfortunately, that is an accurate fact. This man is, as he claims, my sperm donor.”
Her grimace of distaste at my word choice quickly morphs into an evil smile that makes her appear as if she could well give the devil himself a run for his money. It means nothing good for me, so I brace.
“Men, please remove him.” Again, she points to my dad. “Both from my office and this building. And ensure he stays gone.” She doesn’t bother to wait long enough for them to close the door behind them before starting in on me. “I’m not going to bother offering you a seat, Ms Brand. This won’t take long.”
She, however, takes a seat behind her desk, steepling her fingers together as she contemplates me over the top. Long seconds of silence drag out as if she’s hoping for some kind of reaction from me. Perhaps she’s waiting for me to apologise for my parent’s poor behaviour. If that’s the case, she’ll still be waiting long after hell freezes over. That man has brought me nothing but grief, and I’m done apologising for his shitty choices in life.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” she finally spits out.
“No ma’am.” I stare at her defiantly. If I’m about to be fired, I will take my lumps with dignity.
“Very well.” She taps the nails of a hand against the desktop. “Ms Brand, your father’s behaviour is appalling, and I now understand so much more about you. For some time, I’ve been displeased with your quality of work. And this– this… spectacle is simply the last straw. You are dismissed with immediate effect. I will notify Human Resources of your dismissal. You have ten minutes to clean out your desk and leave the premises.”
I nod and turn to leave. Biting my tongue, I give it my best shot, but as I reach the door, I find myself unable to leave without saying something. Turning back to her, I once again look her dead in the eye.
“Ms Rosdell, before I go, I just want to say this.” She looks at me expectantly. No doubt, expecting me to apologise. I take a deep breath. It’s now or never. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with my quality of work. Let’s take a moment and be honest here. You’ve been looking for any opportunity to get rid of me. You are a vile, despicable person. I hesitate to use the words ‘human being’ because I’ve yet to find anything human about you. It doesn’t break my heart to be rid of you and this place. Just remember, there is such a thing as karma, and italwayscatches up with you.”
Giving her one last look filled with loathing, I count myself lucky to finally be done with her and this place. With those parting words, I open the door, hearing her hiss, “Why you little…” but I couldn’t be bothered to stop and engage with her any further. I’msodone. I’ll panic about the loss of income and how I’m going to support myself when I get home.
As expected, there’s a security officer waiting for me at my desk. He’s obviously been sent by Satan herself; she didn’t waste any time. God forbid I make off with a stapler or ruler. It’s almost laughable. I quickly pack my few belongings and say farewell to the handful of people I’ve been friendly with over the two years I’ve been here as I take my leave. I hand my staff tag in at reception, and before I know it, I’m standing out on the sidewalk unemployed and reeling from the speed at which it all happened.
With all the drama, it also hadn’t occurred to me that my father would probably be lurking somewhere close at hand waiting for me to come out of the building at some point. But there he is, leaning up against the wall outside the post office across the road as if he didn’t just cause chaos in my life. Again. Miserable bastard.
