CHAPTER 30
LILY’S POV
The boardroom fell silent, tension hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. I could feel that almost everyone wanted to say something but was holding back as if something was stopping them.
Noah remained calm and firm. “Cassandra, I understand you’re upset, but this decision is based on performance. Lily has consistently gone above and beyond.”
“So you mean to say I haven’t gone above and beyond?” She used his words against him, making it seem like she was being treated unfairly. “You mean to say everyone in this room that deserved this promotion more than her hasn’t gone above and beyond? That we haven’t been putting in our best over the years.”
“I didn’t say that…” Noah tried to say but Cassandra cut him off.
“You didn’t have to say it for us to understand. Everyone here knows you have been all over her from the first day she stepped foot into this company. You think we haven’t noticed how you favour her more than anyone else in the company. I mean she didn’t even follow the normal procedures for getting the job like everyone else in the company…”
“That’s enough!” Noah lashed out, having had enough. “I have been nothing but a fair boss to you all. I value you as my employees and always go the extra mile to make sure you’re treated well. Promotion is based on performance. You can rest assured that if you have an excellent performance record, it will be granted to you. No one is exempted and I’m not showing favoritism here.”
He huffed out a sharp breath to calm himself before continuing. “I didn’t give Lily this promotion and all this commendation for you all to feel inferior or in competition with her or any other person in the company. I only did it so you can be inspired to work harder and aim higher. Hard work is something that must be recognized and rewarded and I’m always on the lookout for it.”
“Is that so….” Cassandra was adamant, raising a brow. She tried to say something else but Noah brought his hand forward to stop her.
“Not another word,” he said, looking away as if hurt. “I never expected this from you or anybody. Everyone, leave.”
There were murmurs and clatters of wine glasses as everyone kept theirs on the large boardroom table and shuffled out the door.
“Cassandra in my office now.” He said to Cassandra before she could make it to the door. She paused as she turned to him, wearing a defiant look. She mumbled something I didn’t quite catch before heading out.
After they all left, it was just Noah and I alone in the room. I was so nervous and stricken to the spot I didn’t know what to say or how best to react.
Noah took the remaining drink in his glass in one gulp and plonked it down on the table behind him. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a deep breath. This bothered him deeply. I have never seen him so angry, pained and hurt.
Not saying anything, he was about to head to the door when I held him gently by the arm, stopping him. I didn’t know what he wanted to do Cassandra for challenging him openly. But I didn’t want it to be something that could cost her her job. The last thing I want is for anyone to lose their job because of me.
I spoke to him gently, as if he were a deer in the woods I didn’t want to startle. “Are you sure about this, Noah? If this promotion is going to cause issues in the company, please reconsider. You can take it away or give it to someone else. I’m content and very grateful for the position I already have.”
“No…” he shook his head to disagree with me and placed his hand on top of mine on his arm. His fingers were warm and twice the size of mine, enveloping them entirely as he pressed gently. “You worked hard for this, okay? You earned it so don’t tell me otherwise. Having you as my partner and Co-CEO will be one of the best things that ever happened to the company.”
Leaving my fingers, he managed a reassuring smile before walking out of the room.
I took a deep calming breath, feeling a little too overwhelmed with everything that just happened. I couldn’t finish my drink because I lost appetite so I kept it back on the table and left the boardroom for my office.
*
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In my office, other coworkers occasionally dropped by to congratulate me on the promotion. Once the visits slowed down, I got back to drafting business pitch emails and reaching out to companies online I felt might require our services.
Someone knocked, and at my invitation, Miley walked in. She was one of the junior employees of the company. She was in a lemon green corporate top tucked in a black pencil skirt and comfy matching flats. Her long pixie curls covered nearly a part of her face and she always wore wide-rimmed glasses that gave her a cute yet professional look.
Miley was very young like in her mid-twenties. She looked fresh out of college, with a carefree vibe as if she had no worries in life. Lucky her. She was also incredibly friendly and had been nothing but kind to me since I joined the company. When I first started, she gave me a tour and filled me in on everything I needed to know about the place. She sat on the chair in front of me.
“Hey Miley,” I glanced at her from my screen and flashed a welcoming smile.
“Hey Lily,” she smiled back. Her smile was pure and very genuine. “I just wanted to congratulate you on your promotion.”
“Thank you,” I managed to keep up my smile.
“Don’t let what Cassandra said back there get to you okay,” she said in an attempt to lift my mood. “That’s just her acting up. You’re a hard and dedicated worker. You deserved it. I’m very happy for you. Everyone in the company is happy for you so don’t think otherwise.”
What she said about Cassandra caught my attention. I stopped what I was doing and looked at her, exhaling heavily as my shoulders slumped. “I just don’t understand what her deal is. I know she doesn’t like me very much because she hardly responds whenever I say hello. But that shouldn’t give her the leverage to challenge the boss openly like that.”
Miley sighed in empathy and folded her lips. “You see, that thing is Cassandra has always had a huge crush on Boss Noah. And after she learns he is a divorce, it only grows stronger but he doesn’t see her as anything more than his employee no matter how hard she tries. Then you came along and Boss Noah was suddenly all over you. It got Cassandra very angry and jealous. That’s why she doesn’t like you. She sees you as nothing more than a threat that has come to take the man of her dreams away.”