“I see you’re nice and cozy with the enemy, Jasmine. Your father would be so disappointed in you but that’s nothing new, he’s always been disappointed. He only allowed you to keep the job here because he was too embarrassed to have you out in the work force, sullying his good name. You have never done anything right. He’s complained many times about you and your bastard son,” the man continued shouting.
The second he turned on Jasmine, Derek lost his cool. He was going to deck the man and damn the consequences. He was walking over to do just that when the guy spoke his last line. Derek’s head whipped towards Jasmine with shock, as he realized she had a son. He had no idea. There was nothing in her files. He wanted to know how old the kid was and if she was involved with the father. He was far more interested than he should be. He felt like he’d been kicked in the gut.
His temper exploded again when he saw her face, though. She was as white as a ghost and looked like she was going to pass out. “My father wouldn’t have said that,” she whispered, sounding like she was going to break apart at any moment.
“He’s said that and so much more. He can barely tolerate you. You’re so unbelievably naïve,” he spat and took a step towards her.
Derek broke out of his trance and grabbed the man by his shirt. He physically lifted the man off his feet and then tossed him towards the door, where the man tripped and fell to the ground. “Get out of my building, now. If you set foot in here again or anywhere near Jasmine, charges will be filed,” Derek growled. He looked like a feral animal.
Jasmine looked from him to the ex-employee and then back again. She was in shock and frightened, all at the same time. “Security,” Derek yelled, which made her jump. Within two seconds two large men came in and didn’t have to be told a word. They took one look at the man and hauled him to his feet pulling him out of the office.
“This isn’t over,” he was screaming, as they continued to drag him away.
Derek walked over to Jasmine and pulled her into his arms. She resisted for a moment and then buried her head in his shoulder as the sobs started racking her body. She threw her arms around him and sobbed for a while. He normally couldn’t stand hysterical women but there was so much pain radiating from her, he couldn’t do anything but comfort her.
The man said some really hateful things and Derek was sure her father had said them all. She was getting a taste of what a horrible man he was. Derek had to guard himself though, because she may have seemed to change from the woman she was ten years ago but she had once tossed him out, without a look back.
She was finally getting herself under control and seemed to realize she was wrapped in his arms. She pulled back and looked up at him with red rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks. He was about to bring his hand up and wipe the tears away, when she pulled back.
“I’m sorry,” she hiccupped at him. She then pulled away and headed into the bathroom. She didn’t come out for a while. It gave him time to go to his computer. He had to do some research on her, to find out what he could about her life. He wanted to know if she’d been married when her son was born and if she was currently married. He needed to know what was going on in her life.
He knew it was going to take a while but he’d find the information he wanted. Jasmine finally walked out of the bathroom, looking much more composed.
“Derek, we’ve finished with all the interviews today and I can easily take my lap top home and go through the applications. I haven’t had a personal day in years and would really like to take one now. I wouldn’t normally ask but I would appreciate it if you would let me head out early today,” she asked, with her shoulders back and her head held high. She was expecting to have to argue with him.
“That will be fine. Just have those names ready for me Monday morning,” he said, barely taking the time to look at her.
Jasmine grabbed her things and rushed out the door. She swung by her office and put together what she’d need over the weekend and was out to her car within fifteen minutes.
Jasmine walked in the door of her home and calmly set her belongings down. She called her father’s number and waited for the voice mail to beep. “Dad, this is Jasmine and this will be my last call to you. Andy got fired today and said some things to me. If you said them then you’ll know what I’m talking about and you don’t even need to bother to call me back, because I will not want to speak to you again. If you didn’t say these vicious things, then you need to call me and explain why Andy would say you did. If I don’t hear from you tonight, then I guess that’s my answer,” she spoke unemotionally and hung up.
She let herself have a hard cry, hoping to hear from her father. She’d always thought he was a hero and the reality of her recent discoveries wasn’t pleasant. She was being crushed with the whole take-over business. Learning her father wasn’t who she always thought he was seemed unbearable.
The phone rang a couple hours later and she was reluctant to pick it up. She squared her shoulders and lifted the handle, quietly saying hello.
“It’s your father,” he said curtly.
“Dad, what’s going on? You haven’t called me. You just disappeared and now I’m hearing all this information that can’t possibly be true,” she said, trying to keep her tone normal. Her father hated displays of emotion.
“I heard you’ve gotten cozy with the new boss,” he spat at her, ignoring her questions.
“I’m trying to make the best of a bad situation,” she said, shocked by his coldness.
“Well, you were always good at adapting, weren’t you?” he said. He continued before she was able to say anything. “You don’t leave me a message telling me not to call you. If I want to call, I damn well will. I’ve put up with you for years but I’m done now. It’s because of you that I’ve lost everything. You’re bastard of a boyfriend felt he had to take everything away and now you’re all cushy with him once more. I see where your loyalties lie,” he ranted.
“I’m not all cozy with him, Dad. I just need the job. I have a son to support,” she told him.
“You’re always just full of excuses, just like when you were a child. I’m done coddling you. If you can get that man to back the hell off me, then you can call me. Otherwise you can stay out of my life,” he shouted. The phone went dead. Jasmine stared at the beeping receiver not understanding what just happened.