27. Be Prepared

When Lily walked into her office Monday morning after vacation with her arms full of coffee for her meeting, she wasn't expecting to be greeted by such animosity again from Stella.

Things had been somewhat quiet and the week away was awesome.

"Now I know what is going on with you," Stella said.

"What?" she asked, putting all the coffee on the table and finding name tags to match with their drinks. Braylon had helped her carry the two trays up like he did when she had big orders.

"Aaron and Nate must have found out and they are sucking up to try to get close to your boyfriend's brother. I bet they are trying to get an in for a job."

"I don't think that is it," she said. At least she hoped not. She wasn't going to say anything about Braylon's status. It just went to prove that Stella never paid attention to her or that she'd had a fake diamond on for a period of time. "Not once has either of them said a word to me about Braylon. I'd ask how you found out, but my guess is the picture in the paper?"

"I didn't even pay attention to it, but several people were talking about it on Friday. Your name wasn't listed, but it's obvious it's you."

"It is," she said.

"I bet that is why you're talking back to me too," Stella said loudly. "That you've got this newfound love and it gives you a backbone to not do your job without me pushing you harder."

She felt her face flush. "If you've got a problem with my job performance, then please talk to me in private," she said.

She turned her head and saw a few people looking toward the conference room. The room had glass walls which helped let in the light for the cubicle area. The blinds were closed at times, but not often. The room was soundproof. Which was helping but the door was open.

"I will talk to you when we are done," Stella said. Her boss turned to get her coffee. Both of them had their backs to the door. "I'm sick of you showing me up."

"I don't believe she's doing much more than her job, Stella."

They both turned to see Aaron standing there. He wasn't part of this meeting so she had no idea where he'd come from.

She turned and saw Evan standing on the other side of the wall grinning.

She knew that Evan and Aaron talked a lot and she wondered if the guy she thought was hitting on her before was now trying to be an ally.

It was only going to make matters worse for her no matter how it played out. This wasn't how she wanted her first day back from vacation to go.

She expected some comments on the article, but it was the only one run and West hadn't commented on it publicly.

On New Year's Day West's engagement photo and interview would come out. She just needed to weather this week and then move past it.

Braylon had hinted that the family photo was going to be posted, so those who recognized him in that photo might go back and see the two of them in the article next week.

She'd be prepared.

There was this fear that people would want to know who she was. Or figure it out, but she trusted Braylon when he said it'd be fine.

The last thing she wanted was anyone looking into the past that she tried to pretend didn't exist.

Lilian shouldn't be embarrassed about it, but couldn't help that she was.

She was making something of herself. As best as she could.

She didn't want Braylon to think she was anything like her mother or her brother Karl.

It's not like she had lied about her mother. She didn't have a relationship with her and hadn't talked to her in almost ten years.

Her foster parents, Tess and Ronnie, didn't allow it and then her mother was in prison.

"I never said otherwise," Stella said to Aaron.

"It didn't sound it to me, but I could have misunderstood."

"Possibly," Stella said with her teeth clenched.

"Have a good day, ladies," Aaron said and left the room.

When Stella stormed out, Lilian followed to go to her desk and get her laptop for the meeting.

"That was funny," Evan said.

"No," she said. "It wasn't. I'm going to bear the brunt of this. Why did you get Aaron?"

"She needs to be knocked down a few pegs," Evan said. "She's a bitch and you know it."

"But she's my boss and now I've got to deal with this," she said.

She walked away and went back to the conference room to do her job.

The only thing she wanted to do.

After the meeting, Stella called her into her office. Exactly what she expected would happen.

"We need to come to an understanding," Stella said.

"We do," she said. "I just want to do my job. I'm not out to get anyone."

"Fine," Stella said. "But if I feel as if you're trying to steal my job then you will be out of one. You can get any group of people on your side that you want, but I've got protection that you don't have. They won't save you."

Lilian frowned and didn't know what that was about and didn't care.

"I'm not trying to start any problems," she said. "Again, I just want to do my job."

"Then go do it," Stella snapped. "Shut my door when you leave."

She walked out and went back to her desk to get to work.

It was an hour later when Ray came over with a chair and moved next to her. He worked in another department but was on the other side of her cube.

"What can I help you with, Ray?"

Ray liked to chat with her at times. More like gossip. You could get the scoop from him whenever you wanted, but she never did. She often heard him talking with other people rather than having it spoken directly to her.

"I was close to Stella's door earlier," Ray said.

"Eavesdropping?" she asked, grinning. He had a habit of doing that too.

"Someone has to do it," Ray said. "What she said is probably true. I thought I'd let you know."

"What part is true?" she asked.

"About her having protection and you not. Though Aaron and Nate like you and the work you do, they wouldn't get rid of Stella unless they had something ironclad that a lawyer couldn't dispute."

"Why?" she asked.

"Stella slept her way to her position. The guy before Aaron was terminated when the affair was discovered."

"But not Stella?" she asked. "I'd think they'd both get in trouble if someone was going to."

"To save herself, Stella claimed sexual harassment. That is why she did it. She threw Clint under the bus. He was terminated. Since he was married, he didn't want to have this getting into a messy legal battle. His wife didn't know about the affair. But Stella was able to keep her job and every time things come up that tick her off, she threatens to bring up Clint and that she could still take action."

"That's horrible," Lilian said.

"Just letting you know what you're up against. No one wants bad press," Ray said. "Something to keep in the back of your mind."

"Thanks for letting me know."

It just reminded her what Braylon had said about Abby when it was discovered that her mother had mental health and addiction issues.

Didn't Braylon do everything he could to keep that quiet so that nothing affected West?

She just had to hope that no one was interested in her and Braylon's relationship like her boyfriend assured her.

And when Braylon texted her after lunch to ask how it went and if anyone commented on the picture, she brushed it off and said it was what she expected, but it was all good.