The Marriage Rival

s Haden loiters just outside the room on a call.

Noah leans forward as others talk amongst themselves. “You okay?” he asks, keeping his voice low.

“Yes, why would you ask?”

He purses his lips. “Haden is on the warpath.”

“Oh, well… his doing.”

“C’mon, Pres, cut the guy some slack. He’s got a lot on his plate.”

Our conversation is cut short as we both pull back when Haden walks in.

When it comes to demanding attention, Haden always commands the room. Some people are intimidated by him, others, like Noah, just listen. Then, there’s me, the wife, the ultimate bearer of his egocentric ways.

Haden takes a seat without a greeting or hello, jumping straight into the minutes from the last meeting.

Each department has their turn presenting their current and upcoming projects, forecasts for the rest of the year, and then any miscellaneous topics which need discussing. The format is pretty simple, yet I prepared Sandy for her turn and the main topics she needs to focus on regarding Indie Press.

Haden sits quietly for the beginning, only to interrupt mid-way as Sandy brings up forecasts.

“John, what do you think? Our figures aren’t in the black just yet,” Haden interrupts.

John, our finance manager, runs his pen along the paper in his hand, only to sit back into his chair and release a breath. “We need some serious cost-cutting. The rent alone is double what we pay here.”

Sandy interjects, “Look, I know what you’re getting at. We have a prime location, and you’d be lucky to find something of that size in the Bay Area for that price. But, if you feel you can find something cheaper, by all means, go ahead.”

“And headcount, John?”

Haden purposely ignores Sandy’s presence, shifting his body to focus on John.

John shakes his head, removing his glasses. “We just can’t continue to swing these numbers. We need a mass reduction.”

I can see the fury in Sandy’s eyes as John continues to speak. Haden is a dickhead for getting John to do his dirty work. This isn’t about numbers this is about being a greedy asshole. More money in the bank, but at what cost? If we lay off staff, the ones we have left will be pushed beyond their means. Productivity and quality will suffer.

Sandy clutches her fist which sits on her thighs. I move my hand under the table and rest it on top to calm her down. When I look up, Haden’s eyes are boring into me, smoldering with resentment. I don’t understand why he has a vendetta against Sandy. She’s done nothing but work hard for him.

“We promised minimal redundancy,” I speak up, confidently. “So, before the two of you decide to lose the entire workforce, think about how difficult it is to retain good staff. We can’t sacrifice the quality of our work. And since you’re discussing cutting from my team, I believe all these matters should be addressed to me. Am I making myself clear, John?”

“Yes, Presley.”

I turn to look at Haden, ignoring the fierce stare and meeting his stance. “Are we clear?”

Haden doesn’t say a word underneath his stony expression. His rage seems pointless to me, although I choose not to air my further concerns in public. I want what is best for this company, just like him. Put simply, I don’t need to be an asshole to prove it.

“This meeting has ended,” I announce.

Everyone begins to pack up as Sandy whispers in my ear, “Way to go, Wonder Woman. Drinks tonight?”

I nod, with a smile. “I’ll text you. I’ll try to get Masen to sleep then sneak out.”

She leaves the room, along with everyone else as I grab my things only for Haden to shut the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he grits.

“I don’t have time for this, Haden. I need to go home.”

He laughs, almost a shrill. “You undermine me in front of my staff. You disobey my direction.”