Chapter 4

None of this was enough to touch Garry and Barbara. I wanted them to pay in full for what they'd done.

I knew one of Barbara's secrets.

At lunch, I went to the café she always went to at midday.

She was tucked into a corner in a baseball cap and sunglasses, and across from her sat Gerard Lawrence, the man running Ritai.

I picked a booth diagonally behind them, sat with my back to them, and through a gap in the greenery I could see every move she made.

I watched Barbara take a large envelope out of her bag and hand it to Gerard.

Gerard took the envelope and glanced around.

I saw the corner of a flash drive poking out of the envelope.

I opened my camera, pretended to take a selfie, and quietly angled the lens toward them. Ritai had been our sworn rival for years.

All this time, they'd been poaching our clients.

Just then Garry pushed through the door.

He had two iced lattes in his hands.

Barbara hurried Gerard out, and Garry walked over.

"Barbara, who was that just now? Didn't even say hi, and left in such a rush."

"An old friend. Ran into him, said hello, that's all."

I sent the evidence I'd just gotten to Lawyer Whitney.

"Quietly get someone to watch Barbara for me. I think she's leaking company secrets."

"Got it!"

Quinton didn't waste a second.

I smiled and reported the two of them anonymously.

After work, Cassandra helped me rent a place, and I took her out for a big shared dinner to thank her.

But Garry came looking for me. He grabbed me by the collar, eyes bloodshot.

"Tell me, was that report letter you?"

"You think an anonymous report is enough to bring me and Barbara down."

I grabbed his hand and drove my knee up into him.

"Manager Dickerson, if you're sick, go get treated. Don't go biting people."

"Which eye of yours saw me report you? If you hadn't done anything, would anyone be reporting you?"

He stared at me, his gaze flickering, his lips moving.

I didn't leave. I kept eating with Cassandra, humming a little tune, in a very good mood.

At nine the next morning, the company held a core meeting. Attendance was mandatory.

Jayden stood at the front, dressing Garry down.

He hadn't grasped how serious it was. He thought it was just an ordinary complaint.

He stepped forward to plead with Jayden. "Jayden, if you're going to punish someone, punish me. Don't fire Barbara. She doesn't know anything."

Jayden was so angry the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Garry, do you have any idea what you're saying?"

"Do you know what Barbara did? And you want to take the fall for her."

Jayden slammed a stack of documents against Garry.

"See for yourself."

The investigation team came over then, straight up to Barbara.

"You're suspected of selling and leaking company trade secrets and misappropriation of your position. Come with us."

Barbara didn't react at all. She just glared at me, hard.

"So what? Worst case I pay some money and it's over."

"Ursula, you think if the company fires me, you'll get Garry's heart?"

"From start to finish, the only person he's ever loved is me."

"Who do you think you are!"

Half-crazed, she was still screaming it as the investigation team dragged her out.

As for Garry, he stared at the documents in his hands, muttering over and over.

"That's impossible!"