On Women's Day, every female employee at the company received flowers.
Every employee except me.
I was about to head over to HR to ask about it when I caught the whispers drifting out of the break room.
"Cora Maxwell is a technical supervisor, at least. Singling her out this obviously... isn't that a bit much?"
"Well, she's the one who keeps showing up at the CEO's office and pissing off Mr. Delgado's girlfriend. That's why they took the money for her bouquet and used it to order that massive arrangement for Winona. It was the only way to calm her down!"
"Mr. Delgado's already going out of his way to avoid her, and that old hag still throws herself at him like a homewrecker. Absolutely shameless!"
I froze.
I thought of the bouquet that Winona Parsons, the intern, had received that morning. The one so enormous it had the entire office buzzing.
Ever since Philip Delgado started this company, he hadn't given me flowers once. Not today. Not ever.
Even on our anniversary, he couldn't spare the time to sit down for a meal with me.
The last time we'd been intimate, he'd rushed through it like a chore, then spent the rest of the night complaining about how the company's new technology was impossible to crack and how the Butler family was going to beat them to market.
I'd felt sorry for him. Starting a business was brutal. So I turned down the Butlers' generous offer, brought my cutting-edge expertise to his company instead, and ground myself into a machine that ran on overtime and nothing else. I'd even agreed to keep our marriage a secret, just so office politics wouldn't complicate things for him.
And what did it get me?
Coworkers spreading vicious rumors while he stood by in deliberate silence, distancing himself from me. Meanwhile, he showered the intern with favoritism he didn't even bother to hide.
I looked down at the flash drive in my hand, loaded with the latest technical updates.
I took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and called Craig Butler.
"I accept your partnership terms. A technology equity stake."
Silence on the other end. A few seconds passed before Craig Butler, the man the industry called the "Cold-Blooded Godfather of Tech," spoke. Even he couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.
"Cora, I promise you, I will make this the best decision you've ever made. The Eastern Pacific bid is tomorrow. With your technology, we've got this locked down."
I'd barely finished the call when the phone was snatched from my hand.
I turned around and met Philip Delgado's ice-cold stare. Behind him stood a cluster of employees, watching with barely concealed glee.
He didn't even glance at the screen before ending the call. His tone was flat and dismissive.
"It's just a bouquet of flowers. You're a technical supervisor. Do you really need to march over to HR and make a scene? If word gets out, people will think Winona was bullying you. How does that make her look?"
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
I hadn't even made it to HR, and already he was worried about Winona Parsons.
For a whole year, my coworkers had branded me the delusional older woman trying to destroy his relationship with his "girlfriend." Rumors flew. Lies piled up. And he acted like he was deaf, never once stepping in.
Now that the boss was visibly angry, the others took their cue and piled on.
"Supervisor Maxwell's the type of older woman who's probably never gotten flowers in her life. No wonder she's so worked up about it."
"How shameless can a mistress be? Mr. Delgado's clearly keeping his distance and won't give you flowers, and you still have to throw yourself at him!"
"Women's Day is for women. Winona and the rest of us are young and beautiful enough to deserve the perks. You're just some washed-up side piece who thinks she's entitled to everything!"
Every word was a knife. And Philip's face didn't so much as flicker.
It hit me all at once. Maybe they were saying exactly what he wanted to say. That was why he stood there so calmly.
I was trembling with rage. I fixed my gaze, cold and steady, on the man I'd been married to for seven years.
"I'm a female employee of this company. Advocating for a benefit I'm entitled to. What exactly is the problem?"
When he saw the redness rimming my eyes, something shifted in Philip's expression. A flicker of something almost human. He let out a quiet sigh.
"If you really want—"
Winona burst in clutching the enormous bouquet, eyes brimming with tears, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Supervisor Maxwell, this is all my fault! I'm just an intern. I don't deserve something like this! If you want the flowers, they're yours. Just please, please stop using your position to intimidate me. I'm so scared!"
A few of her closest allies in the office stepped forward on cue, their voices dripping with false concern.
