The Billionaire's Heart

TINA

I got to work at exactly 9 a.m. I should have been here at least fifteen minutes ago.

It felt like a funeral when I stepped into the bank premises. The Open sign had not been turned over, even though it should have been. The air around the place was gloomy. Everyone was clearing out their desks.

“No, no, no,” I said. I rushed to my work BFF’s office.

Jenna was arranging her table when I got to her.

“You’re late again,” she said without taking her eyes away from the table. “Not that it matters now.”

I was panicking. “What does that mean?” I asked. “What’s going on, Jenna?” I had wanted to come in and tell her about Mike. She knew how much of a romantic I was, even though she’d probably say, “I told you so” about Mike.

She sighed and finally looked at me. I could see sadness in her eyes. It was rare for her to not be able to crack a joke. Things must be bad.

“You may want to follow up with the boss,” she said and resumed clearing her desk. “I can’t bear to talk about it.”

Obviously, she wasn’t going to tell me more. I could see she was tearing up, so I gave her a hug. I knew enough to understand we were all being let go today. But what had happened? We’d closed early yesterday and our boss had looked worried, but nobody had said anything.

I probably should have told Jenna things were going to be okay. That’s what a friend should say. But I didn’t say it, because I didn’t feel like anything was going to be okay.

I tiptoed to Mrs. Jones’s office and knocked.

“Come in,” her muffled voice said from within.

I stepped into her office. It was almost empty. She must have been clearing it for hours already. The shelves were devoid of the usual files and reference material. Her desk was clear. Her clock, which was shaped like an owl’s face, was gone, and her San Diego Chargers memorabilia had vanished. What had happened to her computer?

She stood by the window, looking outside. The weather was sunny and mild. “Miss Campbell,” she said.

She didn’t turn around, which only made me more nervous.

“What’s going on, ma’am?” I walked toward her. I needed her to look at me.

She finally turned around to face me. There were bags under her eyes. It looked like she also hadn’t gotten any sleep last night. A heavy sigh escaped her lips.

“Yesterday was our last day,” she said. “You’ll all be given severance packages.”

“What!” My eyes widened. “That’s not possible. Why? How?”

A small part of my brain registered that she’d said we’d get severance pay. I needed it for rent, and I needed it to be enough. But maybe I was already in serious trouble. Even if I could cover rent this month, it might take me months or years to get a job. I heard enough from my college friends about going through multiple rounds of interviews and never hearing back. And these were smart, well-qualified candidates.

She put her hands on her desk and leaned on it as if she couldn’t hold up her own weight any longer. Somehow, her chair was already gone.

“We couldn’t keep up with the taxation policy,” she explained. “I tried to negotiate one more month, but the taxation officers have made up their minds.”

Every word she said sounded like a foreign language to me. This bank had been my main source of income since I had moved into the city. I liked this job. I didn’t want to have to find another one. My wages here were enough, even if I didn’t have a lot left over.

This was bad.

“Here.” She pulled out an envelope and handed it over to me. I accepted and examined it. Some dollar bills were inside.

“This is your final payment, Miss Campbell.” Her voice broke on the word “Miss.” “I’ve paid the rest of the staff too. I’ll need you to sign this agreement.”

I just stood there staring at her.

“Tina.” She used my first name for the first time. This was a sign that the formality we’d stuck to was no longer necessary. We were no longer workers of the same firm.

“Don’t let this weigh you down. You are one of the best workers I’ve worked with. Your performance and qualifications will speak for themselves, and you’ll find another job sooner than you think.”

I noted that she hadn’t offered to vouch for me. “But I love working here. I’ve grown so much at this bank. There’s no other job in San Diego that can offer even half of what this bank can. You took me on as a teller working the drive-through window and let me work my way up to running the publicity and marketing department. Where am I going to—”

“You will find another job.” Her voice was steel with determination. “I believe in you, dear. You are diligent and efficient. Trust me, dear. I’ll just need you to sign this.”

I scrawled my name on the paper without reading the agreement. I don’t even know if I signed in the right spot. I didn’t have to read it to know that I was relinquishing any right to sue or renegotiate my pay.

On the floor, I saw a magazine. Alejandro Gonzalez was on the cover. I recognized the face of the CEO of Gonzalez Industries. I knew it was a power-holding company that supplied electricity to 70 percent of the country and also to some cities in Mexico. Alejandro was dressed in a suit so expensive that the value could pay my rent for six months. His olive skin shone in synchronization with the camera that was used to take that photo. A mop of curly black hair adorned his head. He had a square jaw, a straight nose, and sharp green eyes. He never smiled in his media appearances.

Just seeing his face on the magazine cover made me feel worse. I’d never find a man half as handsome or successful as him. Rich men like that were probably all playboys, anyway.

“And what about you?” I stared solemnly at the woman who was like a mother to me. Even with the formality here, we’d often found time to connect. She’d taught me a lot about how to manage people. “Where will you go from here?”

“Who knows?” She shrugged. “Life has a way of throwing obstacles at you. One has to find a way to overcome them. And I know I will.”

She smiled and squeezed my shoulder affectionately.

“Every cloud has a silver lining behind it,” she said. “It’s time you seek yours.”

I could tell we were done.

“It was nice working with you, Ma’am,” I said.

“Likewise.”

I thought about asking her for her number, but if I said anything else I might cry. Now I knew how Jenna had felt earlier. My eyes watered as I walked toward the door.

Mrs. Jones’s smile was the last thing I saw before I shut her office door. All of the conversations we’d had in that room were over.

The bank premises was deserted by the time I got to my desk. Everyone had vanished. Even Jenna. She didn’t even give me a final goodbye. I guess she was just as hurt as I was about the situation. I supposed I could just find her on LinkedIn later, when I was ready. I’d miss her.

Someone had already made my computer disappear. I opened my desk drawer and took out the half-empty bag of dried mango. I stole every single pen, pencil, and Post It note in my desk. I was about to dump thirty or more paperclips into my purse just out of spite when I realized I had no need for paperclips.

I sighed and made my way out. I guess I’d be brushing up my resume today, once I got myself together. For the moment, I just wanted to go home and cry. Except I’d have to get in without that awful landlady seeing me.

I felt empty as I walked along the busy road. Then something occurred to me, and I ducked into an entryway and glanced through the envelope. I counted what was in it. I’d definitely have enough for this month. That was a relief.

I reflected on how I’d spoken to Mrs. Kirby this morning. I still felt like she deserved it, but now I was feeling like she’d win in the end. If I couldn’t get a job in a few weeks, I didn’t know what I would do. My family didn’t have money they could loan me. And even if I could get a job, would it pay enough to cover my expenses?

And I was still pissed at Mike. I was in my late twenties, and he was in his early thirties. We should have been on track. It was time for me to find a nice guy to settle down with. He wasn’t perfect, but he was better than being by myself.

It seemed like the universe was plotting against me. Everything that could go wrong just had. First, I was betrayed by my ex. And now, I’d lost my job. Was there someone I offended in a past life that I should be aware of?

I was so occupied with my thoughts that I didn’t realize that I had stepped into the middle of the road.

I heard someone scream, and the screeching of car brakes.