Chapter 157

I can’t hide the truth forever. Though I don’t directly hear from Hugo, I know word of my resignation has passed to him when Kimberly gives me a kind of hard look and a nod.

I feel bad. We are friends. I probably should have told him myself.

Regardless, I continue on working the same as before. No one bothers to have me train anyone knew, they simply milk my efforts as much as they can. I write a slew of articles that I immediately send to Kimberly so that there is an electronic paper trail back to me.

Sabrina isn’t going to steal anymore of my work.

My final day at the end of my two weeks, toward the end of the day, everyone is called into larger meeting room, which has been decorated with Bon Voyage themes. A large banner hangs down in the center of the room, reading, Best Wishes!

I’m mostly ready to turn and run and hide, but Kimberly appears behind me, cutting off my path to escape.

“You were such a valuable employee, Esther, that Hugo insisted on having a farewell party to celebrate you.”

The projectors displayed footage of my first interview with Miles against the back wall. There was no sound, but even without it, the electricity sparks between us.

In the center of the room on a table is a massive sheet cake, beside a tower of small paper plates and plastic forks. Writing on the cake says, Thank you and Best Wishes Esther!

When it’s clear what is happening here, many of my co-workers approach me to praise my work. Some even tell me they will miss seeing me around the office.

Hugo himself weaves his way through the crowd to me then. I regret not telling him right away, but he doesn’t seem to hold any hard feelings about it.

“Kimberly tells me that you’ve decided on your next step,” he says.

“Yes. I.. uh…”

“Campaign Manager for the Hamilton campaign,” Hugo says, quickly filling in for me. “That’s an amazing accomplishment, Esther. I’m sure you will be wonderful at the job.”

He’s so kind, so magnanimous, that it is difficult to stay nervous around him.

“Thank you, Hugo.”

“That isn’t to say we won’t miss you around here,” he continues. “You did good work, and were a bright face in the office. It will be a little darker around here without you.”

I may have won my chance at a job here from a bet at a golf tournament, but Hugo had every opportunity to back out and not give me a chance. He would have been well within his rights. I wouldn’t have even been mad at him.

Instead, he chose to give me that chance. I hope I made it up to him. He seems to think that I have.

I’m still eternally grateful.

“Hugo. Thank you…” When he starts to wave me off, I press on, stronger. “I mean it. If you hadn’t taken that risk on me, I don’t know where I’d be.”

“You would have been fine,” Hugo says. “This was only ever one option for you. Even without me, you would have found another way. I remember that day at the country club. It was the look in your eyes that convinced me to hire you. You were the most determined I had ever seen anyone. In your time here, you’ve exceeded even my most wild expectations.”

He’s incredibly generous to say so.

I want to thank him again, but someone starts cutting up the cake and divvying up the pieces. Hugo is called away to help.

“I’ll be back,” he says. “Don’t leave without a goodbye.”

“I won’t,” I promise and watch him go.

In his absence, I look across the room, taking in the faces of my co-workers. While I couldn’t count most of them among my friends, many were cordial enough. I had some good memories here. This was a good stop along the path of my life’s journey.

“So you are finally skipping out, huh?” Sabrina says from beside me.

I don’t cringe, hearing her voice, but it’s a near thing.

“I knew you couldn’t cut it,” she says.

“Have fun trying to write your own articles when I’m gone,” I snap at her.

“I won’t have any trouble,” she says, though her eyebrow twitches a little in annoyance. Good, she should be annoyed. At herself.

I’ve read her other articles. I know she has the talent to succeed. Hell, she’s only gotten to where she is because of her perseverance and her abilities.

She should be ashamed at herself for having to poach stories from me.

“I believe that,” I tell her, “so long as you focus on your own work. If you keep up the trend of taking from others, it will catch up to you before long.”

“I don’t need a lecture from a newbie,” Sabrina says with an eye roll. Without consequences, she’s learned nothing. So she’ll continue to flounder and to steal, and one of these days, she’s going to be caught and disgraced, I’m sure of it.

“Suit yourself,” I tell her.

She scoffs at me. Then, giving me a snide sort of look, asks, “So what are you going to do now? Go back to being a housewife?”

“She’s going to be the manager of a presidential campaign,” Hugo says, reappearing. Holding two plates of cake, each with their own little fork, he passes one to me while giving Sabrina a cold look. “She’s made a move up in her career.”

Sabrina pales a little, having been put in her place by the boss. Lowering her head, she turns and leaves us without another word.

Lifting the fork, I dig into the cake. It’s absolutely delicious.

“You saved me again,” I tell him.

He shrugs. “You would have told her the same thing. It just carries a bit more punch coming from her boss. Don’t worry, I’m going to keep an eye on her. I don’t care what the executives allow, we do not steal stories from each other at Harbinger.”

I nod and take another bite of the cake. I hope he can weed out that problem here. But since this is the second time this has happened to me alone, I’m sure it will be a daunting effort.

We eat and chat. Speeches are given. Hugo gifts me a pen with my name engraved on the side. Everyone claps politely. Well wishes are exchanged.

Then, just like that, it’s over, and I head to my desk to clean it out.

“I’ll walk you out,” Hugo says, joining me in my cubicle.

I don’t have many things today. Over the past two weeks, I’ve been slowly emptying my cubicle. Everything that’s left easily fits into my shoulder bag.

Hugo still insists on carrying it for me, and together we head to the parking garage and to my car.

We’re both delaying the inevitable goodbye.

It doesn’t have to be forever, I know that, and he must too. But it still feels so final. We won’t see each other as easily anymore. From now on, we’ll have to go out of our way to meet.

We’re both busy people. There’s no guarantee our schedules will align.

Our friendship might not endure.

“I guess this is it,” I tell Hugo after I place my things on the passenger’s seat.

“It is,” he says. He holds his hand out to me, offering me a handshake.

Gently I push it aside, and go in for a hug instead.

He returns it.

“Goodbye, Hugo,” I say. It’s bittersweet. I have feelings for Hugo, a little crush, but it’s a tiny candle flame compared to the wildfire of emotion I hold for Miles.

“Goodbye, Esther. And good luck.” He ends the hug and lets me go, backing up a few steps.

Entering my car, I drive away, watching Hugo and the Harbinger News Company disappear in my rear-view mirror.

The next chapter of my life is set to begin.