Page 66 of My Boss's Sons

Later that night, Alex joined us where we all still sat at the kitchen island. I could tell from the redness around his eyes that he’d looked at the documents and believed them. It hurt to see him hurting, but we had to be on the same page.

“We do this and then I’m done. No more pretending to be Mr. Anderson Jr. for me. I’m out.” Alex didn’t leave room for argument. He tossed the papers on the counter and walked away.

Ethan sighed heavily as he stood up. “I need another drink.”

Mom pulled a bottle of whiskey out of a cabinet and held it up to us. “Why not?”

52

***Sophia***

“Are you sure about going in?” Ava worried her hands together as she watched me from my bed. “You’re a mess, Soph. You’ve been going back and forth between crying over not hearing from the guys and crying over being assaulted by their father for days. Ask to have the meeting virtually. Please.”

I buttoned the sleek dress pants I’d chosen and pushed my hair out of my face as I looked at Ava. “Thank you for reminding me of how pathetic I’ve been. I’d love to stay home forever, Ava, but I can’t. The head of HR called the meeting and the verbiage was serious. I need to start sorting this out and make sense of my professional life. I have a family to support. I can’t hide forever.”

“You haven’t been pathetic, Sophia Bennett. You’ve been heartbroken on top of being victimized by that slimeball Gerald.”

“I’m not heartbroken.” I said the words fast, like if I said them and got them out they would be true. I lowered my voice andtried again. “I’m not heartbroken, Ava. It was a two-week fling. It’s over now and that’s fine.”

“Lily’s been asking about the puppies.”

I gripped my dresser and had to catch my breath as another wave of pain hit me. “I know. I’ve spent half of the weekend trying to explain to her why the guys aren’t coming over.”

“Did she not understand the simple explanation of they’re assholes and their dad is a predator?”

I pulled on a silk blouse that made me look like I felt confident and not at all like a complete loser. “They’re not assholes… It was messy from the beginning. I should’ve known better. I’m older and supposedly wiser.”

“If they support their father, their assholes, Sophia. That man… I would love to take one of Milo’s chainsaws to him.” She let out a scream. “I have so much pent-up rage. Say the word and I’ll make him vanish.”

I tilted my head to the side and found a smile for the first time in nearly a week. “You’re insane.”

Milo appeared in the doorway. “I heard rage screaming.”

I shoved my feet into my heels and took one last look at myself to make sure I was put together. “I’m going. I want to stop in and check on Randal before I go to the meeting.”

“Just…be careful, Sophia. I don’t trust this.” Ava stood up and pulled me in for a hug. “I love you. I love Lily. But if something ever happened to you and I was stuck with her, I’d lose my fucking mind.”

I pushed her into Milo’s arms and tried to ignore the sense of foreboding hanging all around me. “I’m going to a meeting with HR, Ava. It’s not a swordmatch.”

Leaving my driveway for the first time in days, I drove with the sinking feeling in my stomach getting heavier and heavier with each mile I got closer. I didn’t know how I was supposed to keep going to work like nothing happened. I didn’t know if I could butI knew I couldn’t stop going. It was a brutal twisting mindfuck that left me in a nauseous stalemate no matter how I tried to think about it.

I parked in my normal spot in the parking garage and felt my entire body go cold when I looked up on my walk towards the elevators and saw two security guards blocking the way. Without them having to say anything, I just knew they were for me.

I stopped in front of them and gestured towards the elevator. “I have a meeting with HR that I need to get to.”

“We’ll escort you, ma’am.” And they did. Only they didn’t stop the elevator on the floor I was told to go to. We climbed past HR and didn’t stop until we were on the top floor.

I swallowed around a lump in my throat. “I’m actually supposed to meet-”

“Change of location, ma’am. The meeting is being held in the conference room on this floor. Please follow me.” The guard that spoke stepped out and the silent one stayed behind me as I followed.

My brain was shouting at me to run. I needed to get the hell away from there, but I was trapped. No matter how much adrenaline my body produced, I couldn’t do anything but follow. It felt a little like I was being led to walk a plank. Only, instead of pool water under me, it would be starving sharks with the taste for human blood.

Outside of the conference room door, the first guard stopped and stepped aside. “They’re waiting for you.”

I glanced down to see if Tiffany was at her desk, but there didn’t seem to be another soul on the floor. It was just the guards and whoever waited for me just through the heavy wooden door. I pushed my hair behind my ears and nodded to myself. My feet argued but I forced myself through the door. What I found inside that room was just as scary as a dozen starving sharks and whenthe guard closed the door behind me, I knew feeding time was about to begin.

The room had been rearranged. On the far side sat the board, Gerald, Tiffany, a few men I didn’t recognize, the guys, and even their mother, Mary. They were all facing the lone chair on my side of the room. There were almost two dozen people facing me but it was the three sets of eyes that didn’t meet mine that made my heart sink the most. The guys didn’t look up to see me.

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