When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

Kayla stormed out, tears streaming down her face, leaving everyone in the office shocked and staring at me.

I grinned at the onlookers. "Looks like you're all just slackers without your big-shot backers, huh?"

I could tell they were astonished that I, the usual pushover, had finally stood my ground. I didn't mean to make things tough for Kayla, though.

I would've been happy to live and let live if she hadn't messed with me. However, she had other ideas.

When I returned to the Design Department, I could feel the shift in how people looked at me. For a big company, they sure had a knack for gossip. When checking my messages, I saw a flurry of chatter about the incident.

[Has Melanie been possessed or something? She's been looking skinny lately. I hope she's okay."

[Maybe she's just had enough? Who could put up with being cheated on for three years without snapping?]

[Kayla ran crying to Mr. Patterson's office. I bet $100 Melanie will get an earful!]

[I'll put down $20 that Melanie gets off scot-free.]

Everyone was betting, but most people figured Clyde would back his girl and go against me. It seemed their opinion of him was unanimous. Over the years, he'd seemed to have my back.

But whenever it came down to me versus one of his flings, guess who got the short end of the stick? Yet, I didn't get the anticipated dressing down. Things seemed oddly calm. Until, close to quitting time, Lina approached me in tears and with a stack of paperwork. "Melanie, the secretary said Mr. Patterson was too busy to see me, and these documents still haven't been signed. The supplier called, saying they haven't received payment and they'll raise prices. What do we do?"

I took the paperwork, frowning. "Why are there so many copies?"

Lina explained, "Ms. Osborne kept finding issues with the format and the font... We had to keep revising. And after all that, she said it couldn't be signed. What do we do now?"

Lina was on the verge of tears, and I completely understood her frustration. Someone would have to answer for it if the company faced losses. And a price hike from the supplier, even a small one, would cost us millions.

I grabbed the documents and stormed into Clyde's office. Kayla was there, nibbling on a cupcake and cozying up by his side.

"Mr. Patterson, you seem busy. Too busy to even sign the documents?" I slid the paperwork across his desk. "Since you haven't signed off yet, finance hasn't made the payment and now the supplier is talking about raising their prices. Let's figure out who's going to take the heat when the blame game kicks off."

Kayla stood up, visibly shaken. "It's after hours. Can't Mr. Patterson have a break? Does he always have to be working?"

"Say whatever you want. Lina has been trying to get this sorted for hours. It is on you." I said my piece and wasn't interested in watching them feed each other cupcakes.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

I knew this mess started because of me, but I wouldn't let Lina and the others take the fall. That was a responsibility no one could bear.

Clyde gave me a cold look, then glanced over the documents, his brow furrowing. He didn't become the heir to the Patterson family by being a fool. I knew he could

Spot

the issue, and it was up to him to

act.

But I had overestimated him. With a sneer, he pushed the documents back to me. "This is your department's problem. You handle it."

"Sorry, but I'm the head of the

Design Department. And everything's documented. Lina's communications with Ms. Osborne are all recorded. Maybe we should go through the company's internal investigation process and make it public to the board. How about that?"

I gave him a wide, cheerful smile, then glanced at Kayla, who turned pale as a ghost. She probably only wanted to make my life difficult, not realizing the magnitude of the problem.

The supplier wasn't our regular go-to. We only partnered with them due to a sudden shortage. They had given us a bargain, and Patterson Group's failure to pay on time wasn't their fault for raising prices.

Clyde reviewed the documents again. "How much are they raising the price?"

I answered without hesitation. "Half a percent. It will likely increase our construction costs by about one percent."

That got Clyde's attention. He sat up, fixing his gaze on me.

I wouldn't lie about work matters, so

I pulled out the budget documents. "And that's just the immediate cost increase. If they refuse to continue working with us, the project will face delays and incur additional expenses."

With each word, Kayla's face grew paler. I saw her attempt to speak several times but seemed lost for words.

Clyde studied the materials, then rubbed his temples, a telltale sign he was stressed. A material issue wasn't just about losing a few million dollars.

Finally, his eyes met mine again. "You're in charge. Go negotiate with them."

"I won't. I'm the Design Director. It isn't my responsibility." I flatly rejected his suggestion.

Not only was this outside my purview, but even if it weren't, I wouldn't take it on for nothing.

At that moment, Clyde and I reached an unprecedented understanding.

He asked, "You want a commission?"

I smiled brightly. "With possibly millions at stake, right?"

He looked at me, a laugh escaping him despite his frustration. "Fine, go. If you manage it, you'll get $500,000."

My smile got wilder. "Deal, Mr. Patterson."