From Rags to Riches

What goes around, comes back around

Rebecca:

Back to reality. Christmas seems so long ago, now we are in a new year, back to the same boss who has really started to get on my nerves. I told him this morning that I was pregnant and needed to start my maternity plan, and ever since he has been giving me dirty looks and making snide comments.

"Rebecca have you done those manuscripts yet?" He barks at me for the third time in an hour.
"You sent them yesterday afternoon Mark, they'll be done by the end of the day" I tell him and he rolls his eyes.
"Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you can slack on the job" wow. The audacity.
"It doesn't matter whether I'm pregnant or not, Mark" I respond and he just snickers.
"I knew Evelynn was crazy when she hired a woman" he mutters as he walks back into his office. My grip around my pencil tightens so much my knuckles go white.

"Evelynn, he's getting worse. He's so sexist and now he's degrading me because I'm pregnant" I explain over lunch up in her office. Evelynn just sighs as she takes another bite of her homemade chicken salad.
"I hate to say it Becca, but I need evidence. I believe you, of course I do. But it will become a case of your word against his and that's not a situation you want to be involved in" she explains and I understand. He's never said anything when we've been in company, no one has heard what he says apart from me and I don't want to play the blame game. I've already got two restraining orders underway, and I've got a feeling if Jordan finds out about this I'll have a third.

"I feel like this is a challenge I'm willing to accept" Evelynn suddenly says and I frown in confusion.
"What challenge?" I ask and Evelynn swallows the food she has in her mouth before continuing.
"We took down Samantha, I'm feeling like we can take Mark too" she explains and I roll my eyes.
"Evelynn he's my boss, I'll get fired before him" I tell her and she just laughs.
"I'm sorry, have you forgotten who your boss' boss is? And who has suggested this plan in the first place. Honey you're not going to lose your job, if we get rid of Mark you'll take his"  she explains so calmly while I'm almost having an attack. Me as editor? That has been my lifelong dream, but do I really want it at the cost of getting my competition fired?
"Evelynn you can't be serious" I tell her and she just looks at me like she doesn't understand what is so wrong with this plan.
"No one likes him and he's been like this with two of his past assistants. That's why I know there is no point in the blame game, he's the champion. You need to get him caught red handed" she tells me and I sigh. Little did I know, that was going to be a lot easier than I thought...

It's an hour before I'm off the clock and I swear Mark will see the end of my fist if he says one more thing.
"I want a coffee, Rebecca" Mark booms from inside his office. That's nice, I think to myself. I roll my eyes and stand up before making my way down into the kitchen. I start to boil the kettle and grab a cup before I hear the door close behind me followed by the click of the lock. I turn around to find Mark smirking with his eye line at a very inappropriate level.

"Are you ok there?" I innocently ask him and he looks up into my eyes.
"Just making sure you do it right" he tells me, the smirk still plastered on his ageing face.
"I've made you many coffees before, Mark. The way I make them has not changed, so why wouldn't I be making it right?" I spit back and he shakes his head.
"Such a sharp tongue, that's what I like in women" he comments and I feel the goosebumps rise. Absolutely repulsive.
"Now Rebecca, I don't like it when people come in and try to tell me how to do my job" he starts and I frown.
"I've never tried-" he cuts me off before I can defend myself.
"You come waltzing in from the street, next to no experience, and get given the job no problem. You're very friendly with Evelynn which does not sit well with me, and you think that just because your partner is high up in the business world, everything should be handed to you on a silver platter" by the end of his lie the words are spitting through his teeth like fire. He is livid, but I know that if I can rile him up even more, the secret camera Evelynn very conveniently planted on the microwave will capture everything.

"You feel threatened, Mark? Threatened by a girl? Wow, who knew?" I throw back, me now wearing the smirk while his disintegrates.
"A woman should never be above a man in the working world" he snaps while lunging in my direction. We are basically nose to nose, and I can feel his ragged breath on my face.
"Oh so this is about Evelynn? You can't stand the fact that a woman, who is also younger may I add, orders you around. The fact that she is also friends with your assistant, another woman, puts you on edge doesn't it? Could you imagine if I ran you out your job, and YOU became MY assistant? Wouldn't that be ironic" the anger in his face has reached the surface; his cheeks turning flame red. He bangs his hands down on the counter either side of me and leans in so his mouth is touching my face. I'm going to be sick.

"You're going to regret that" he whispers in my ear, and before he can wrap his hand around my neck my knee comes up between his legs; knocking the air out of him as he staggers back. He falls to the floor in a lump and I kneel down next to him.
"You better be careful, Mark. Because you pull another stunt like that, and you'll be on the streets cleaning up after every woman in Seattle" I stand up straight and straighten my skirt before unlocking the door and running out.

Right into Reid and Evelynn.