Page 4 of No Such Thing as Serendipity
I gaped at him, searching for words. Although I should thank him, I needed to know what for.
“I hope you think it’s a fair severance.”
What? Severance?I couldn’t have heard him right. “Pardon me?”
He pointed toward the file. “Underneath, you’ll find the agreement Martin drew up.”
I shook my head, trying to make sense of his words. In the movies, the room spun when something earth-shattering happened, but this was real life. Still, I felt light-headed, and nothing made sense.
“Blake.” Terrence’s expression showed concern. “Are you okay?”
I wanted to scream,no!I wanted to ask him what the fuck was happening, but the blood pounding in my ears made it hard for me to focus. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Terrence looked at Martin. “I thought you said she knew.”
Martin gave Terrence a sheepish expression. “I figured she did.”
“Knew what?” I raised my voice.
“That Terrence has agreed to sell the company to MetaForce.”
MetaForce.They were our biggest rival, and their CEO detested me since I’d turned down his advances years ago.
Terrence was talking, but I’d missed what he was saying.
When I tuned in, I heard, “... you wouldn’t want to, anyway.”
“Want to what?”
Terrence narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t want to work for Gregory, even if he’d wanted you.”
So Terrence had thrown me under the bus, and Gregory didn’t want me. “You did this all behind my back?” I clenched my fists. My shock turned to anger.
Terrence bit his lip. “I understand you’re upset, but you had to see this coming.”
No! I fucking didn’t.“How could I? I thought I was your heir apparent. I mean since your kids wanted nothing to do with the business.”
His expression tightened at the mention of his children. “They’re the reason I’m doing it this way. Sylvia convinced me I’d never be able to let go as long as Fortitude existed.”
Martin cleared his throat. “Um, would you like to go over the details of the severance contract now, or would you prefer your lawyer review it?”
I stared at him in disbelief before I turned to Terrence. “How could you do this to me? You were like a father to me.”
His eyes filled with sadness. “But I must think of my own children.”
And there it was. I was nobody. Though I’d spent the last fifteen years working long hours beside him, I was nothing to him.
All the fight left me. I pulled the folder toward me. “Give me a pen.”
Terrence looked from me to Martin.
“Don’t look at him. Just give me a fucking pen.”
Terrence flinched but then pushed his pen toward me. “Don’t you want to read it?”
“What difference would it make? You’ve fucked me enough, so does it matter what I’m signing?”
Terrence sat up straighter. “I assure you I’m not, uh, screwing you. The agreement is very generous.”
