I can’t afford to lose Haylee. I don’t know if she realizes it or not, but if I decide to release her from her contract, I still have to pay her the advance for her first book. And it’s a stupidly big advance. I’ll survive personally, but the company… I don’t know. I might have to kill it.
So I’m lucky she decided to stay and work with Avery.
Stupid, so stupid. If it were anyone else, I would’ve thrown them under the bus. But Avery, I couldn’t let anyone talk like that about her. Even if it could’ve cost me everything.
I walk back to my office and gesture for Avery to follow.
“I’m so sorry,” she says, sitting down.
I sigh and collapse into my chair. “Please. It’s okay, honestly.”
“Is it? She was awful, Julian. Wouldn’t listen, kept insulting me, had a million reasons why even normal edits weren’t going to be acceptable. It was horrible.”
“I know,” I say softly. “I think… she’s adjusting.”
Avery makes a face. “That’s adjusting? God, I’d hate to see her being a stubborn cow.”
I smile a little bit at that. “Look. She’s coming back tomorrow, okay? And you’re still working with her.”
Avery gapes at me. “After that? No fucking way.”
“Avery. You’re doing it.”
“No. I’m serious.”
“Avery.” I lean toward her. “Suck it up and do it.”
She stares daggers at me. “Fine. I’ll do it, boss.” She stands up. “Anything else?”
I sigh, too tired to explain. If she knew how much I just risked for her, she wouldn’t be so mad.
“That’s all.”
She whirls and leaves my office, letting the door close behind her.
I stare up at the ceiling.
Fucking hell. I didn’t think publishing would be this stressful. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but this?
God damn. I know it’s my own fault, getting involved with Avery.
At least she’s worth it.9AveryI’m so annoyed with Julian that I can’t bring myself to talk to him for most of the next day.
I know I’m probably overreacting. After all, I’m his employee and I’m supposed to do whatever he tells me to do. I’m also his personal assistant, although he’s not really treating me like one. Honestly, he’s been treating me really well.
I know why I’m so annoyed. It’s not entirely his fault. I mean, he didn’t help, but I can’t blame him completely.
I’m afraid I’ll ruin this.
He’s forcing me into this situation, and he has no idea what’s going to happen. He wasn’t in that room the whole time with me, he doesn’t know the way Haylee was acting.
I can’t believe I respected her as an author. I actually felt excited to go through those edits with her.
She treated me like a moron. Like I was just something in her way, and all she needed to do was steamroll me until I gave in. There was no wiggle room with her, no discussion. She was right about everything.
She just kept saying, she knows better, she knows better, I’m just some random girl, what the hell do I know…
Every time she said it, I felt like she might be right.
That’s the worst part. I never thought I was qualified to be in that room with her, and clearly, she agreed. She thought I was a waste of her time, not worth the effort. She didn’t have to agree to anything with me, because she clearly was better.
And Julian wants me to go back in that room with her again?
I appreciate him standing up to her. I really do. But I can’t imagine talking to that spoiled, awful person ever again.
I keep my head down all day. Julian doesn’t come out to give me any work and so I have to find stuff to do. I almost force myself to read Haylee’s new pages a couple times, but I keep turning away from it, like it’s acid right in my face.
I just keep seeing her ugly, elitist sneer.
Fucking hell. I almost started believing her in there.
That’s the worst part.
The day drags past, and I refuse to speak to Julian. He doesn’t come out of his office and doesn’t message me, so we’re basically not talking. People filter out of the office as five rolls around, but I’m stuck in my seat, still forcing myself to find stupid little tasks to take up my time.
I don’t know why I’m still here. Marcy heads out with a tight little smile for me. “Good night, dear,” she says.
“Good night.” I can’t help but wonder if there’s a little pit in her tone, but I’m probably just projecting.
Five-thirty rolls around, and then six. The office is empty except for me and Julian. He’s not looking up from his computer, and I almost feel like I have to stay later out of some weird sense of pride.
Six-thirty. Seven. I’m exhausted, hungry, and bored. I’ve been playing chess on some random website for the past forty minutes and I keep losing to random people. I want to leave but I refuse to leave before Julian does.