Page 131 of The Assist
“I figured,” Sophie says. “I could see it the way you looked at him when you thought no one else was watching.”
I press the heel of my hand to my eye. “Ben’s helping me. He’s written a formal counter to the management team. It’s not just about the clause anymore. Ben said it’s about precedent now. About the way this has been handled.”
Sophie’s quiet for a beat. “You’re serious.”
“I have to be. This isn’t just about me. Or Dylan. It’s about the next woman who works in a room full of men and gets torn apart for having the audacity to fall in love.”
“What’s in the letter?” she asks gently.
I grab the folder from the table and flip it open. My brother’s is devastatingly professional.
“To whom it may concern
It is my legal and ethical opinion that the current handling of the situation involving Mia Clarke and Dylan Winters constitutes a misapplication of internal policy and a potential breach of employment rights.
There is no direct violation of the existing no-fraternisation clause, as Ms. Clarke is an independent contractor and not bound by the same internal team conduct policy as directly employed staff. Further, the clause itself is ambiguously worded and lacks enforceable parameters as written.
Should this be pursued as grounds for dismissal or punitive action, we are prepared to file a formal grievance with the Employment Standards Branch and initiate legal proceedings for reputational damage, professional misconduct, and gender bias,”
I trail off. “You get the picture.”
“Damn,” Sophie breathes. “Remind me to never get on Ben’s bad side.”
“He wants to come with me when I go back. Said I shouldn’t face them alone.”
“Good. You shouldn’t. Let him scare them a bit.”
I close the folder and lean my head back against the couch. “I don’t want to fight, Sophie. I just want to go back to work and not be treated like I’m some scandal because I dared to fall for someone I work with.”
“Someone who loves you back.”
I close my eyes. “Yeah.”
There’s a long pause. “So, when are you going back?”
“Tomorrow, I’ve emailed the General Manager and requested a formal meeting,” I say. “Ben wants to be in the meeting. We’ll show them the letter. Make them look us in the eye when they try to justify any of this.”
“You’re brave, M,” Sophie says softly. “Even when you’re scared.”
“I don’t feel brave. I just feel tired.”
“But you’re still going. That counts.”
After we hang up, I stay curled up for a while, letting the silence settle around me like snow. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. But I do know I’m not backing down. Not from this.
When I go upstairs to check in with Ben, he’s at his desk, poring over the printed documents like he’s going into battle. He looks up as I step in.
“Hey,” he says. “I added a section on precedent from another case in London. A female trainer was forced out after starting a relationship with a player; different sport, same league language. She won and was awarded a huge payout. They had to issue a public apology.”
I blink. “Wow.”
He leans back in his chair. “You’ve got a strong case, Mia. You did your research. You documented everything. They don’t have a leg to stand on.”
“But it’s not about money,” I say quietly.
He nods. “I know. It’s about doing what’s right.”
I sit down on the edge of his bed, tucking my legs underneath me like I used to when we were kids and I’d come into his room to steal his textbooks and pester him for stories.
