The second floor lounge was my only solace and refuge away from the office madhouse and Phillip's constant mental harassment. Phillip took sadistic pleasure in tormenting me emotionally and mentally whenever he had an opportunity.
Most people avoided me like the plague and those who sought conversation with me did so in the hopes that I would add fuel to their gossiping frenzy. Although I was tight lipped about my personal situation, it did not stop the thrill seekers from approaching. I trusted no one. Paranoid, I viewed anyone who now approached as the enemy with a hidden agenda.
Lisa Moorhead a former employee who used to work in DPS, saw me one day sitting downstairs in the second floor lounge and strolled over and struck up a conversation. I was apprehensive and wondered what she wanted. The entire time we worked together in DPS, Lisa never had more than two words to say to me.
"Hello, Torah, how are things going for you in DPS?" She asked.
"I'm still looking for another job," I replied, eyeing her suspiciously. "Are they hiring in your department yet?"
"I'm afraid not, but if they do, I will let you know."
"Lisa, why did you leave DPS?"
Lisa smiled and her eyes gleamed with shear pleasure with the open invitation I had just given her to add her two cents to the gossiping circuit in the Federal Building.
"Torah, to be perfectly honest, I got tired of being called in and chewed out by Phillip Sanders. Phillip and Doris tried everything in their power to get me fired from my job. My life was a living hell the entire time I worked in DPS."
"Chewed out?"
"I really mean, cursed out."
"Why would Phillip curse you out and try to get you fired?"
"Phillip cursed me out and accused me of spreading rumors." She paused momentarily and nervously sucked her teeth.
"Rumors?" I questioned.
"Yeah, rumors that you and him were having an affair."
"Me and Phillip having an affair!" I responded in an artificial shocked voice.
"Yeah, he not only called me into his office, he also called other people in as well."
I had some reservations with Lisa's story. My very first impressions of Lisa when I first came to work at DPS, was that she was an "in the closet racist." I believed that she disliked anyone black with half a degree of intelligence. Although I was skeptical about what she was saying, I wanted her to continue.
"Other people, who else did he call into his office?" I asked.
"Sarah for one. Undoubtedly, Phillip believed that people in his office were spreading rumors about you and him."
"Phillip and I have never had an affair," I said in a semi convincing voice.
"Well, the man is just paranoid and I told him so. He threatened to sue me and take me to court."
"When did all this happen? I never knew that Phillip called you into his office."
"All this happened two months before I left DPS. If you don't believe me, ask Ann, she overheard the entire conversation."
"Why didn't you tell someone?"
"I did. I went downstairs to personnel and filed a complaint. Soon after that, I noticed that my office and computer were being tampered with. In fact, I used to leave information for them to find."
