Arabella
"Dammit Arabella! I go away for a whole damn year and come back to this? You destroyed my company." her dad shouted, looking very angry at her daughter.
Those aren't the words Arabella expected to hear from her father. She was hoping for an incentive and to be told how good she took care of her father's company, because that's what she thought she did. What his father said next was beyond insane. No one expected it.
"How the hell am I going to save this bloody company if you misused the money the way you did?!" He added angrily.
Misused the company's money?
Shocked as she was, she still had the courage to ask what was going on. "Dad, please, you need to calm down, okay? I don't know what you're talking about." She was clueless about the money being misused because she's been extra careful about everything, especially when it comes to the company's finances.
"Don't tell me to calm down Arabella! I've worked so hard to get my company where it is today and you just had to ruin it for me. I never should've trusted you. You lied to me. You said things were fine, running smoothly. I'm starting to think that your brother would've done a better job than you." Her dad said harshly. His words felt like he was literally stabbing her heart.
"Dad please don't say that." She thought if she plead to him he'll hear her out.
"You're useless, just like your mother." Those words hit her so hard and tears formed in her eyes.
"Dad how can you say something like this? Why won't you let me explain? Please let me explain to you that I didn't misuse the company's money. I would never do that to you because I know how hard you worked for it to be where it is today." She had to say something to make him see reason but he was just too livid.
"Get out of my office! You're fired, with immediate effect!" She was in shock when she heard those words.
"Dad, you can't fire me. I... I-" He cut her off harshly.
"Arabella close the door on your way out." He firmly said and he opened his laptop and faced it, he never glanced back at her.
She stood there for a while wondering if she really just got fired. She slowly stood up then walked out of her fathers office, tears streaming down her cheeks. She slowly walked to her office feeling weak and defeated. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her. It was unbelievable. She couldn't process the fact that she was just got fired for something she didn't do.
She couldn't believe that the company's money just went missing without her knowledge. Uncle Lucas and her were so careful when it came to the finances of the company. They checked everything thoroughly everyday. They kept every receipt that they had. She did everything by the book, but this still happened.
Someone walked inside her office while she was clearing her desk, packing her belongings.
"Ms. Tanner your father asked me to come and escort you out of the office just to make sure you leave the premises." Greg, the security guard said to her.
"What, Really? My dad is seriously throwing me out of here? I worked so hard for the whole damn year and now I'm being thrown out like a dog? This is the treatment I receive after everything I did for this company?!" she said with sadness in her voice.
Arabella was sad, mad and confused.
"I'm really sorry ma'am. I'm just following instructions." He sadly said.
"It's okay, Greg. You're just doing your job. I'll just finish up here and you can escort me out." Arabella said to him.
He left her to pack her things and waited for her outside her office. She stole some confidential files on her table, quickly hiding them inside her handbag. She grabbed her other belongings and walked out of the office. Greg helped her carry them to her car.
She gave him the company courier keys and her access card since they insisted on it.
She got into her car, started it then drove straight to her apartment. As soon as she arrived home she threw off her heels, took off her jacket then went to her tiny kitchen and made herself some hot chocolate. She needed it after todays disaster. It always made her feel sane and today was no different.
She came back to the living room, placed her hot chocolate on the table. She took out the files she stole from the office and her laptop. She opened the spreadsheets on her laptop and went through the files to see what really happened to the missing money. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing. She wanted to know what happened and more importantly clear her name.
"I won't go down for something I didn't do. I have to show my father that this wasn't done by me. I also need to find the person that did this." She said to herself.
