Page 83 of Love & Other Disasters

Twenty-Eight

Another day with everyone but Monique ignoring her, and she hated that their colleagues avoided Monique, too. While she appreciated her friend’s support, it would have been better for her friend to have made the other choice. How could she have been so stupid?

J.P. was nothing but amazing in their relationship, and she’d caused him more stress by announcing they had an end date. Now wasn’t the time to bring it up, even if she believed it inevitable.

There was less work now, but still plenty of numbers to keep her busy so that she didn’t have to think too hard on her situation during the day. An instant message popped up on the computer screen.

Bonnie: There’s a birthday card for Monique in a manila folder on your boyfriend’s desk.

While on the passive aggressive side, it was more communication than she’d gotten in a couple weeks.

Violet: Thanks.

Bonnie: Don’t tell anyone I told you.

Violet rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to reply, defending herself. It would fall on deaf ears. They’d made their assumptions, and it would be near impossible to change opinions. These incorrect assumptions now shaped the sad state of her life. She marked the place on her spreadsheet and went to sign the birthday card.

Jordan’s office still had nothing on the walls, and no personal touches on his desk. A few piles of papers and an empty spot on the desk where his laptop belonged. He never had IT set him up a desktop computer. She found the folder containing the birthday card on top of a pile of files.

She signed and returned the card to the folder. There was a large yellow envelope on his desk that had her name on the upper right corner. What was it? Their employment records weren’t in yellow envelopes like this. Were they? Odd, Melvin’s name was on the other envelope. A chill shivered down her spine. Why were there envelopes labeled with their names on J.P.’s desk?

The flap wasn’t sealed, so she peaked inside but couldn’t make out anything. Should she read it? Maybe the file on her boss’s desk contained information she shouldn’t have. She put it back on the desk. But it was also alongside one with Melvin’s name. Violet picked it up and turned it over in her hand. An envelope with her name was on the desk of her boyfriend alongside that of a criminal.

Her hands trembled as she opened the flap again and pulled the few papers out and read. It contained all of her information. This explained how he’d known about her parents’ house. She’d assumed Elle. But no. This was an entire dossier on her. What on earth? She sat and flipped through the pages. Holy crap.

He’d had her investigated and used that information to hunt her down.

The last page stated that she had not taken part in any wrongdoings against the company. Violet slid the pages back into the envelope and clutched it against her knees. He’d only accepted her innocence after having someone invade her privacy.

Should she say anything about this? It was an incredible invasion of privacy, and he didn’t have any justification for it. She’d been brutally honest with him from the time he became CFO and didn’t deserve this. And here she’d labored under the delusion that he’d trusted her. What a joke. Who else knew this? Did Brent and Elle know?

“Hey,” J.P.’s voice came from behind her. She didn’t look at him as he rounded his desk, putting the laptop in its place. “What’s up?”

Violet’s lungs constricted. She was not prepared to face him. Taking several deep breaths hoping to control her voice.

“Is everything all right?”

“You… you…had me investigated. Investigated?”

His eyes shot to the envelope in her grasp. “Where did you get that?”

Violet pointed to the birthday card in the open folder. “Under that, genius.” She stood and marched from the office.

Jordan followed Violet. “Get back in here. Let’s talk about it. And you can’t take that.”

“What?” Violet yelled, whirling around in the middle of the room to face him. He wanted to get her back inside his office for a rational conversation, without a roomful of witnesses. All eyes were on them.

“Come back in here, please.”

“I can’t take this? Is that what you said to me? I can’t take this?” Violet held up the envelope. “It’s my personal information that you don’t have a right to. You had me investigated before you reported it to the TBI.”

Audible gasps went through the room at the revelation.

“Violet, please, let me explain.”

“Explain what?” She marched over to her desk. “That you didn't trust me? Better yet, you just wanted to screw me. So, you appeased your conscious by making sure I wasn't in on it with Melvin first? Am I wrong?"

All eyes were now on him in this verbal tennis match. They wanted to know how he’d justify this. He didn’t want to have it out with her in front of an audience, his employees in particular.

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