Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Tad closed his eyes for a minute. "Look. I really can't get into it, Mr. Michaels. It isn't my place to tell you. It is Hannah's business, not mine. But I can tell you that something is up with the staff here. And something needs to be done about it."
"Well, that isn't too cryptic," Elliott said, leaning back in his chair.
"I'm sorry," Tad said, looking worried. "I really am but I am between a rock and a hard place here."
Elliott nodded. "I understand. I'm glad to get confirmation that something is going on though. That this isn't just a weird feeling I am picking up on." Tad nodded, tapping his foot nervously. "Go on back to work." When Tad glanced at the door with anxiety, he smirked. "Just tell them I needed to discuss a raise with you. It's probably about time anyway," Elliott shrugged.
"Oh," Tad said, smiling brightly and standing. "Thanks. Really. Thanks."
Elliott waved a hand, brushing off the gratitude and dismissing him at the same time. Of course Tad wasn't going to share private details about Hannah. Had it been any other employee, he might have gotten something. But it hadn't escaped his notice that Tad had befriended Hannah almost instantly and the two were often seen working side-by-side. And he had heard Tad's voice inside of Hannah's office often, even more so as the time went by.
But he could tell that Tad was concerned. Whatever was going on had him worried. And it included Hannah. And it was probably why she was losing weight and not sleeping.
Maybe it was him.
The thought burst into his head with a sharp, bright clarity. Maybe he was being a slave driver. It was something he perhaps always knew about himself. He had high standards. But before Hannah, no one had ever been able to live up to them. Maybe her ability to keep up was causing him to drive everyone else a little bit harder. And not everyone was capable of working at a brow-beating pace. It could easily be causing a morale problem. People were feeling overworked and unappreciated. It also made sense why Hannah seemed worse off than anyone else. She worked so closely by him. He expected even more from her. Every time she met his standards, he supposed he saw an opportunity and raised them.
He needed to be more aware of his actions.
Hitting the intercom button, he asked Hannah to come in for a moment.
She appeared a few minutes later, apologizing for having to finish a phone call.
"I want you to leave at five with everyone else today," he told her while she stood there, shifting from foot to foot.
At his words, her eyebrows lowered, furrowing closer together. "May I ask why?" she said after a moment, looking completely confused.
Elliott shrugged. She almost looked offended. He hid a smirk behind a quick cough. "I have dinner plans," he said and watched her pull out a notepad and scan it. It was, presumably, his schedule which she kept in painstaking detail. "James just called and we need to discuss a few things," he lied easily and watched her confusion disappear. "I won't be back in the office after so there is no need for you to be here. I'm sure you have errands you are running behind on with how often you are here."
Hannah nodded, looking almost uneasy.
He groped for words to say. She just stood there, waiting for further instructions from him and all he wanted to do was find something to say to ease the vacant look in her eyes.
"Just make sure the schedule is put together before you leave," he clarified and could swear there was a look of dread in her eyes before she nodded and left the room.
–
He's sending you home because he sees what a worthless piece of trash you are. Rot in hell, whore.
Hannah sat down at her desk and brought up her email. She felt every bit a coward by emailing everyone to ask for their schedules for the next day. It was her job to go to each secretary and get it herself. Lately, Tad had just been showing up with the compiled list for her, saving her the anxiety of having to do it herself. She jotted an email really quickly:
Mr. Michaels will be leaving the office early tonight. He will need you to send all of your schedules to me to be compiled before five o'clock. Thanks.
And then CC'd all the secretaries.
She couldn't understand why he was sending her home. Even when he left for dinner meetings, he let her about her business. There was always more than enough to keep her there past eight every night. Sending her home was completely unnecessary. She would only have to push herself harder the next day to catch up to all the things she couldn't get to for having to leave early.