Instead, it had happened in pieces.
Answering one message.
Taking one call.
Laughing at one stupid joke.
Telling someone the truth and discovering they did not use it against her.
At Virexon, the atmosphere on the fourth floor had changed.
Brittany avoided the break room when Grace was inside.
Jessica attempted a smile that Grace did not return.
By noon, rumors had spread through three floors.
Somebody had searched Matteo’s professional profile.
Somebody else had discovered his ownership stake.
The same people who had barely looked at Grace the day before now seemed fascinated by her.
Grace hated that almost as much as the cruelty.
She was still the same woman.
Matteo’s net worth had not increased her value overnight.
That afternoon, an intern named Daniel approached while Grace was replacing a trash liner near the copy station.
He looked nervous.
“Grace?”
She turned.
“Yeah?”
“I was in the break room when Brittany said that thing.”
Grace waited.
“I should’ve said something.”
He looked at the floor.
“I didn’t laugh, but I didn’t stop it either.
I’m sorry.”
It was the first apology anyone from those little audiences had given her.
Grace thanked him.
Later, one of the analysts said something similar.
Then Mr.
Harris asked her into a storage office and closed the door.
“I’ve heard there may have been comments from Virexon employees toward you.
Repeated comments.”
Grace’s stomach tightened.
Her first instinct was to protect her job by minimizing everything.
“It’s fine.”
Mr.
Harris shook his head.
“Don’t say fine because you’re worried about BrightWay.
If somebody is harassing my staff at a client site, I need to know.”
My staff.
Grace looked at him differently.
He placed a blank incident form on the desk.
“Write down what you remember.
Dates if you have them.
Locations.
Who was there.
You decide whether we send it forward.”
Grace took the form home.
For two hours it remained untouched on the kitchen table.
Linda did not tell her what to do.
Neither did Matteo when he called after his meetings.
“I’m afraid they’ll think I’m causing trouble,” Grace admitted.
“Did you cause it?”
“No.”
“Then write what happened.
