Cheryl
From Create Your Own Story
MONDAY
Cheryl knocked on David's door and waited for him to call for her. How long ago was it that he'd called her to his office like this? Probably the first time he'd promoted her, he'd done it early too, and she still remembered the looks in everyone's eyes when she left his office again with a big fat smile on her face. What happened? What did she do to get that promotion?
She worked, damn it, and nothing else. Sure, she dressed the part and made it clear to David he was dealing with a woman, but he'd never touched her. He'd look, and she'd feel his eyes on her from time to time, but she did the same to him, so it was fair.
"Come in."
Cheryl smiled as she opened the door, and her stomach tingled, was he promoting her again?
"Hi, David."
"Sit down, Cheryl, we need to talk."
Cheryl's smile faded, and she sat down, her hands folded in her lap. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, is there something you need to tell me?"
"I'm not following."
"There's nothing you think I should know?"
"Look, David, stop with the riddles. What are you on about?"
David held Cheryl's eyes for a few long moments, and the light fluttering in Cheryl's stomach turned sour as her gut clenched with nerves. "Am I being fired? What for?"
"I'm not firing you." He tossed a folder on his desk, and Cheryl startled as it thumped on the wood. "Explain that to me."
Cheryl turned the folder so she could read what was written on it, and she could barely breathe as a fist of dread squeezed her throat shut.
'Fraud Cell case #6804521'
Wordless, she flipped the folder open, and fear dug into her chest as she stared at hard proof of her fraud, down to the tiniest detail. Her hands trembled as she dug her nails into the papers. How did he get this?
She slumped and squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from forming. "Are you sending me to jail?"
"We're talking about half a million dollars, Cheryl, more if we hadn't caught you." Cheryl sank deeper into the chair, she'd never counted it all together. "Where is it?"
"Gone."
"All of it?"
"I had debts to pay off."
David snorted and said, "You did not have half a million in debt."
"I—"
"I don't want to hear your excuses, Cheryl. Do you know what will happen to this company if we get audited?"
"I... yes."
"Half a million in tax evasion is going to cost us millions in fines and legal charges. We don't have millions just lying around, Cheryl, the money's going to have to come from somewhere, which means that if the audit ever comes, I'm going to be forced to lay off a lot of hard working people because of you."
He got up from his chair and strode around his desk until he stood behind Cheryl. "I'm honestly amazed you had the balls to show up for work knowing what you did. I trusted you, Cheryl, I gave you a chance, and this is how you repay me? Whatever your debt was before, it's now half a million and change, and you owe it to me."
Cheryl froze as David put his hands on her shoulders and pressed her down into her chair, his fingers trembled as he took a deep breath and eased the pressure. Another deep breath and he let go of her.
His presence still loomed behind her though, and his voice was measured when he said, "I can send you to jail, but I'd prefer to make a deal, we don't need bad publicity in today's market."
Hope sparked in Cheryl's chest, and she straightened. "What kind of deal?"
"One where you work in this office under a special contract." David reached around Cheryl for the folder he'd thrown on the desk and pulled a stapled bundle from the bottom of it. He dangled it in front of her face and said, "Read it."
Cheryl did as he told her, and dread settled in her stomach. When she reached the last page, David spoke again. "Despite what you've done, I don't want to see you go to jail, but you can't keep your old job, and just letting this go is not an option either. You need to pay for what you've done, and since I'm the one who gave you a chance, I'm the one who needs to punish you."
"By turning me into a whore."
"Yes, you're going to whore out your beautiful body to pay off your debt, and I'm going to expect you to achieve the same standard I've always kept you to. If you miss your monthly quota, you get sent to jail, if you disobey, your ass goes to jail, if you don't sign..."
"I go to jail."
"If any of this gets out into the public..."
"I go to jail."
"But if you pay off your debt, you'll leave this company with a glowing letter of recommendation, and you and I will never work together again."
"That part's true?"
"Of course it is, it's in the contract. You've made a mistake, and I expect you to pay for it, but I'm not going to hold it over your head after you leave here, and I will give you a fair judging, no matter what our history." He held out a pen to her. "Will you need to read it again? Or do I call the authorities?"
Does Cheryl?
