First Love: Jake & Sabrina (interracial romance) *completed story* {prequel}

Prologue

Chicago, IL

Early spring

"I'm sorry, Sabrina, but we're going to have to let you go."

Sabrina Monroe had known this was coming. She just hadn't been prepared for the words. Sitting on the edge of her seat, she glanced over at the stern older, black woman who hadn't said much since Sabrina walked into her office. Apparently, the Human Resources director, Susanna Douglas, was only there as a formality, but Sabrina would have felt less on edge if it hadn't been for the woman's cold presence.

Tightening her hands on her lap, Sabrina returned her focus to Melanie Stephens, the HR manager, and the friendlier of the two women sitting across from her. She was more comfortable dealing with the younger woman, anyway. When Sabrina had started interning at McArthur, Murphy and Company-an internship she'd worked her hardest to land and was now coming to a sour end-Melanie had been her main contact.

"May I ask why?"

Stupid question. Sabrina didn't need to ask. She already knew it was about the rumors no one had bothered to confront her about. Judging by Susanna's hard and unsympathetic stare, it was clear the woman also believed the rumors about Sabrina that seemed to have spread throughout the company like a bad rash. Sabrina stifled a groan when it was Susanna who responded.

"There have been some concerns about your ability to perform in your current role, and your superiors feel that you may not be the right fit for this position."

Sabrina's heart sank. That was a lie. Just a few weeks ago, before the rumors started, Melanie had told her about the positive feedback coming from many of her supervisors. But obviously Sabrina wasn't going to get a chance to defend herself, to dispute the gossip that she knew was the true reason she was now facing these two women.

Fine. If they weren't going to address the elephant in the room, then neither would she. Working at one of Chicago's top consulting firm, even as an intern, was too big an opportunity for Sabrina to simply pass up, and she wasn't going to just let them take it away from her.

"Is there any way I could be placed on another team?" Sabrina asked Susanna directly, hoping to reason with the stern woman since she was in the position to make things happen. "Perhaps a smaller one? I would really like the opportunity to complete my internship successfully. Please give me another chance to prove myself."

The two women shared a look. Melanie pursed her lips, sympathy in her bright green eyes, but Sabrina didn't want her sympathy. She wanted them to be fair. Yet, she knew, in that moment, her plea was a wasted effort.

"Unfortunately, it's out of our hands." Susanna shrugged. "We can only go by what's been passed down to us, and per upper management, your termination is effective immediately."

She vaguely listened as Melanie tried to soften the blow, but Sabrina's mind was a million miles away. Had she known then what she knew now, she would have never agreed to the series of dinner dates that had started all of this-the unfortunate events that had now ruined her career.

Many had already branded her the "office slut." Even if Susanna could be convinced of her gullibility, there was clearly someone with more influence who wanted her gone. Sabrina had to accept that there was nothing she could do or say at this point.

In a daze, Sabrina signed the series of forms pushed in front of her, glad for the numbness that had slowly washed over her. "This is so unfair," she murmured. Melanie shifted in her seat but said nothing.

The crushing blow came from the security officer that escorted her to her small desk to gather her things. Sabrina moved with stiff, mechanic steps, ignoring the eyes staring after her and the whispers that seemed to trail closely behind her. Her face burned and the threat of tears stung her eyes as she was led out of the building.

She had never been so humiliated in her life.

Her nerves were strung tight as she walked out of the glass doors of McArthur, Murphy and Company, her small box of things weighing down her tired arms. Sabrina wanted to shriek at the injustice of it all, but the damage was done. She would only be known as the intern who had tried to seduce the nephew of the company's co-founder to advance her career. It was all speculation and rumors, but that hadn't mattered to anyone. And she was finally starting to understand how little it should matter to her.

She'd just gotten a good dose of how cutthroat the corporate world could be and if there was one thing she'd learn from this experience, it was that work and romance just didn't mix-a fact she should have realized much sooner. Sabrina could kick herself for making such a stupid mistake.

But it was a mistake she vowed never to let happen again.