Page 1 of Hers to Love
Chapter 1
“You’ve got to take him to the cleaners. For all he’s worth,” Sabrina Buchanan said.
Kornelia Kaye nodded, forgetting that her friend couldn’t see her since she was on the phone. She wished she could talk to her friend in person. She had no one here in New York City. She hadn’t been in town long enough to make any real friends. Five years and zero friends.
Her father had been right. She wouldn’t amount to anything. All of her hard work for years had come to nothing. She hadn’t earned anyone’s respect, and she’d been treated cheaply.
“To tell you the truth, sometimes I think I should just let things go.”
“Let it go? Are you crazy?” Sabrina screeched into the phone. “Hefiredyou because you wouldn’t sleep with him. Pretty sure that’s illegal.”
“Well, I have another appointment with the lawyer in an hour. She said she could make a case for wrongful termination. But going up against Brigham Noland…”
“That’s going to be expensive. I heard he—personally—made a billion dollars last year.”
“I know, which is why I need a job. I don’t care what it is.”
Kori tore her fingers from her mouth. She had a bad habit of biting her nails when she was really anxious. And the habit had worsened these last five years. She was always eating nail polish, but she kept manicurists employed. Instead, she continued to unpack her clothes from suitcases that had remained packed for the last couple days after since she had moved out of her place.
“You can’t find one as an executive assistant?”
“My boss—ex-boss—has black-balled me.”
“Black-balled you? What in the world does that mean? Can he do that?”
“As the CEO of a major company, he knowsa lotof people in so many industries. No one in this city will return my calls.”
“You cannot be serious. No! He’s told everyone not to hire you?”
“Yup. I just got my fiftieth rejection email this morning. And it was a canned response. They’re not even giving me the courtesy of actually personally writing something.”
“Oh, Kori…”
“Believe me, I’ve sent out my resume ahundredtimes or more. I’ve called in every favor I could possibly think of.” Which reminded her that a person’s word was worthless. No one was willing to stand with her and pay back what they owed. Who could she trust?
“And you’re getting zero bites.”
Kori collapsed on the bed dressed in a cheap, thinly threaded comforter. “You’ve gotta help me. Don’t you knowanyonethat needs an assistant? I don’t care what kind of work it is. I don’t care that it’s a step down. I just need money coming in so I can pay the lawyer.”
“You’re going to be going up against the corporate attorneys. That’s gotta be tough.”
“Not just attorneys, a whole firm. Afirm. What have I gotten myself into?”
Kori’s breath hitched, and she held back a sob. She didn’t regret saying no to Brigham, but she was beginning to feel very sorry for herself given the consequences. Had she truly thought through her decision?
How could she fight anentirefirm with just one attorney? The retainer alone had cleaned out half her bank account, and she didn’t want to touch her retirement, which was where she’d moved most of her money anyway. She had been traveling so much, living out of hotels. She didn’t need a car, nor did she own a home.
Her ex-boss had put her up in the hotel across the street from his building so at a moment’s notice she could walk twenty feet and be in the building. It had freaked Kori out at first—her boss being able to control her place of living—but since they were on the road ten months out of the year, it never became an issue.
Now she was without a place to stay and a job. Her eyes scanned her room in the low-budget extended stay hotel. Basic furniture, cheap sheets, third-hand art on the walls. It depressed her even more. But not as much as what Brigham’s next assistant would face—the exact same situation that had gotten Kori fired in the first place. Kori wondered how long that assistant would last; how soon Brigham would pounce.
She had to do this. There wasn’t any other choice. If she didn’t stand up, then her ex-boss would be able to do the same thing to another woman, and another woman, and who would have the courage to face him?
Ever since his company had exploded exponentially in the last few years, his morality had taken a nosedive. Or maybe he was always a jerk, but with money he felt he could openly be one.
“Sabrina, I would owe you for the rest of my life if you could do…anything. I don’t care what it is. I’m going down to McDonald’s today to—”
“Now, hold on, let’s not be overly dramatic. It can’t be as bad as all of that. Can you send me your resume?”
