"That way nobody has to worry about you hiding anything!"
My coworkers all sucked in a sharp breath. Everyone knew a designer's computer was as precious as her own life.
I wrenched free of the hands holding me, lunged forward, and slapped Agatha across the face.
"Who told you to touch my laptop? Have I been too easy on you?"
"You dare hit me?"
"You bet I dare!"
I grabbed a fistful of her hair with one hand and swung at her face with the other.
The next second my wrist was caught and my whole body went flipping to the floor.
My arm slammed against the ground, the joint giving a sharp crack, and the pain whited out my vision.
Before I could recover, Abraham's furious voice came roaring down at me.
"Winona, what the hell has gotten into you? This is the office! Not some catfight in the street!"
I gritted my teeth and glared up at him. "She smashed my laptop!"
Abraham went silent at once.
Agatha put on her wounded little act. "I was only afraid she'd walk off with company files. How was I to know it'd slip and break? And then she just lost it."
Abraham's heart melted for her instantly.
"It's fine. I'll handle this."
But when his eyes landed on the laptop on the floor, his right hand tightened without his meaning it to.
"She went a little too far, sure, but Agatha did it for the company. If you'd just handed over the templates, the laptop never would've gotten broken."
Suddenly I understood.
Today's whole scene was something he'd quietly allowed, all to copy off my personal files.
And I understood something else too. They were never going to let me walk out of here with my laptop intact.
So even if I destroyed everything I'd poured my heart into, there was no way I'd hand it to them for free.
I let out a cold laugh and dragged myself up off the floor.
Abraham immediately threw out an arm to shield Agatha, his eyes full of wary suspicion.
I ignored him. I just picked up the laptop and hurled it against the floor with all my strength.
It didn't shatter, so I picked it up and slammed it down again.
Until the fragments had cut my hands open and bloody.
Until not even God himself could ever put it back together.
"Satisfied now?" I asked Abraham.
At last a flicker of panic showed in his eyes.
After all, this was the laptop he'd bought me with his very first paycheck, years ago.
I'd always treasured it.
That time, in the downpour, I'd let myself get soaked to the bone while the umbrella kept the laptop perfectly dry.
And now I'd smashed it to pieces with my own hands.
"Winona, I..."
I turned, picked up the water cup, and tossed it down at his feet.
"Forgot you bought this too. Here, take it back."
I gave him one long, deep look, then said, "Goodbye, Mr. Delgado."
With that, under the stares of him and all my coworkers, I turned and walked away.
