chapter90

It was summer, so the company had switched to its summer hours, which meant everyone got a long break at noon. That was one of the main reasons people stuck around, even when business wasn't exactly booming. The perks here were just too good to pass up.

Lydia had barely set foot inside the building before two security guards stepped right in front of her.

"Miss, are you sure you're in the right place?"

She glanced at them, then looked past them to the reception desk. The same two women from the morning were there, pretending to be busy but not fooling anyone. They'd seen Lydia walk in, but when the guards stopped her, they just sat back and watched, almost like they were waiting for a show. Everyone knew they had the president's wife on their side. She had already said this Ms. Norwood wouldn't last more than a few days. Let her have her moment. Soon enough, she'd be gone. They didn't have to be afraid of her.

Lydia turned her attention back to the guards. Her voice was calm, almost chilly. "Where were you this morning when I came in?"

The two men hesitated for a second. One of them, Ben, gave her a cocky grin. Is this your family's company or something? Why should we report to you now?"

The other one, whose name tag read Will, laughed along. "Little miss, if you were management, maybe we'd owe you an explanation."

They thought she was just some pretty kid who'd wandered into the wrong building. They had no idea who they were talking to.

Without missing a beat, Lydia reached into her bag and took out her employee badge, holding it up where they couldn't miss it. So, can you tell me now why you weren't at your posts this morning?"

Both guards stared at the card. The words Chief Executive Officer, Lydia Norwood, were right there in black and white. They looked like they'd just been slapped.

"Uh, Ms. Norwood..."

Lydia slipped her badge back into her bag, her voice even colder now. "Starting tomorrow, you'll show up for your shifts on time and stay at your stations. If you slack off again, you'll be out of a job."

They just stood there, completely stunned.

Lydia kept walking, heading past the front desk. The two receptionists, who had been enjoying the drama, immediately dropped their eyes and started clicking around on their computers, acting like they hadn't seen a thing. Maybe they couldn't afford to mess with her, but at least they could avoid her.

Except Lydia wasn't letting anyone off the hook. Her voice floated over, flat and emotionless. "Go to HR before the end of the day and pick up your last paycheck. After today, you're both terminated."

The color drained from their faces. They called out to her, but Lydia was already inside the executive elevator.

Quitting was one thing, but getting fired was something else entirely.

"What do we do? Are we really just supposed to leave like this?"

"No way. We're calling the president's wife."

Word traveled fast. Lydia had left at lunch without even eating, and now the executive office and the secretarial pool were buzzing with gossip. Everyone was saying she'd realized she was in over her head and left in embarrassment.

Parker and Rose were feeling pretty smug about it, right up until the front desk called to say Lydia was back.

Rose was furious, her face practically gray. "Who is this Lydia, anyway? Cameron must have sent her just to mess with us."

Parker was starting to get nervous too. "Her last name's Norwood. Maybe she's actually related to the family. Why else would Cameron and Kylie put someone so young in charge?"

Rose thought hard, but nothing came to mind. "I've known Kylie forever, and I've never even heard of a Lydia. Where did she come from?"