Chapter 12

Liv

W ednesday and thankfully halfway through the week. It's been a busy week so far in the office. Benjamin has four new clients and all are major players for this company. They'll bring in a lot of work and prestige. The one good thing is Benjamin, Noah and Slade are looking at removing clients who are not paying their accounts on time, or causing unnecessary workloads.

"Liv, can you come in here? Please."

Walking into the office, Benjamin is sitting behind his desk with paperwork in front of him. Looking up, he nods towards the seat at the side of his desk. It's the one he sits in to look over the city while devising some plan or other.

Turning in his seat, Benjamin gives me a broad smile. "You have proved beyond a doubt you can do the job for me fluently, productively, and more than efficiently. I'm going to have a new contract made up for you, Liv. If I do an annual one, would that suit you?"

"Oh, that would be great. Thank you Benjamin, I am loving working here. Everyone has been great and very welcoming."

"Okay, I'll get that done today. I want you to get it signed and handed back to Angie in the Personnel Department."

The door flies open and Michelle Graves storms inside the office, leaving me with my mouth dropped open in shock. She looks demented and I'm not sure she's had a shower or changed in days. Her clothes are creased, stained and I notice her skirt is torn. Her hair looks like she's had her finger in a light socket. It's frizzed and standing on end. I side-eye Benjamin, who looks like he wants to burst out laughing, which is not the reaction I thought he would be having.

Taking his phone from the desk, he messes with it a moment before laying it down once more. "Okay, what do you want Michelle?" he calmly asks.

"You…you should go out with me. I told you that you were my boyfriend, and we were going to get engaged and married."

Now, I know she's lost the plot because Benjamin has done nothing to show she is anything but a menace to him. My eyes are flicking back and forth between them, not sure what to do or how to help.

"You, I'm afraid, have lost your senses. I will not be, in this life or the next, your boyfriend. I have told you more than once to leave me alone and stay away from my business. Now you will be made to do just that."

Before I or anyone else, particularly Michelle, can do or say anything, the security guys storm into the office. Tony rolls his eyes when he sees who is causing the disturbance, and when Holly rushes in behind them, I can see she has a red cheek.

"What the hell happened to you?" I ask Holly as I rush over to look at her face.

"That bitch punched me to get to the elevator. I want her arrested for assault," Holly snaps.

Tony and his pal grab Michelle by an arm each, and I am impressed by how gentle they are with her, considering she is screaming, kicking and oh my, she's trying to bite them.

"NOOOOOOOOOO… Benjamin, I love you…" Michelle screams, and I place a hand over my mouth and an arm around Holly's shoulders, who in turn wraps her arms around my waist. I thought she was crying, until she throws her head back and lets out the most raucous laughter.

"It's alright, Holly. All will be fine," Benjamin states as he pats her back gently, but is grinning broadly himself.

Once Tony and his partner, along with a screaming Michelle, have left to be met by the police in the security office. I turn to Holly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. She can't punch for shit." Holly walks over to the desk and perches on the edge, giving her attention to Benjamin. "So, what's going to happen now?"

"Both you and I will press charges. I will have stalking, and slander slammed on her, and you can have assault added. But I'm going to be cutting her father's business off. I spoke to him and told him if she came here one more time, he and this business were finished." Benjamin takes his seat behind his desk and folds his arms across his chest.

Noah and Slade storm into the office and I sneak back to my desk because honestly, the stupid drama of all this is giving me a headache.

The cops came a while later, took statements and surprised me when one stated loud enough for everyone in the office to hear, "The woman's batshit crazy and needs to be in a mental hospital, not a prison."

Slade laughs, "Well, I'll second that and if that's what happens, we'd be okay with it. She obviously has delusional issues."

"Can I go back to my desk now? I have work to get done," I ask as I hurry away.

After I get the go-ahead from Benjamin and the cops, I return to my desk and concentrate on the typing that I have to get completed and printed. Benjamin will check them once I have them printed and I will get our courier to get them delivered and signed for.

It's nearly time to leave, but before that I need to check that I have listed all I need to on this invoice for none other than Gary, the asshole.

Picking up the printed sheet, I flick my eyes down the list. The half-month rental income–check, grocery shopping–check, meal planning and cooking–check, cleaning–check, laundry–check, gas and time taking suits to the dry cleaners–check. The list goes on and I'm delighted with it. I know he'll not pay it, but it may shut his mouth and make him disappear for a while.

I call up the courier and give him the envelopes that need delivering and signing for, and I make sure Gary's is one of them. I can't hold back the smile. I just wish I could see his face when he opens the letter.

Friday afternoon and I'm clearing my desk for the weekend. Benjamin has left town to go to a conference he's attending on behalf of the business. Slade is also out of town, double-checking the security team for a singer we have signed with us for their current tour.

Noah, however, walks over to my desk and gives me a huge smile. Now when he does that, it pays to be suspicious. Taking a seat behind the desk next to mine, Noah again smiles broadly.

"What's going on?" I ask, because honestly I hate it when he smiles like this.

"It seems after Tuesday night, you know, when you three went to the Witch's house and her having all her lovely friends over for a BBQ. Seems someone had her thinking birds were shitting on her and her friends, scattering them around the garden, squeaking, screaming and squawking like frightened birds themselves." Noah throws his head back, laughing at the thought. Me, I keep quiet for now, at least. "Well, it seems she's had enough of this town, Gaz, and all the bullshit that being in a relationship with him brings. She has packed up and done a runner, leaving Gaz to pay all the household financials."

"Oh, my. Now…I can tell you I sent him an invoice as we discussed for all the cleaning, cooking, shopping, blah, blah. So, on top of his witch doing a runner and leaving him with all the paying to do that invoice has to be a bit of a shocker!"

"I can't see him bothering you again Liv, but if he does, we'll make his life even more miserable than it is already. I heard his partners in the business were not happy when they found out he did the dirty on you, and they did not welcome Wanda the Witch into the fold. All is fun in love and war…Do you get it Liv, W.A.R? It's a play on words, you get it?"

Sighing, I shake my head at Noah and roll my eyes before giggling, "Yeah, Noah, I get it."

Suzie rushes out of the elevator and to my desk, where Noah and I sit and wait for what she's got to say. She looks a bit flushed.

"Liv, you got a message from Gaz." Suzie is smirking as she hands me the phone, which is my old one that she has been sending snarky messages to Gaz on.

Gaz the Asshole: Thanks for nothing, but you can shove the invoice. I'm not paying it.

Liv: I'm not paying you a dime either, so hey stalemate.

Gaz the Asshole: You were the one who caused all that shit. I know you were.

Liv: What shit's that then?

Gaz the Asshole: You know flicking yoghurt at Wanda's friends to make them think a bird shit on them. No thanks to you, Wanda has left town, and me.

Liv: As if I have time for childish games like that. Aw, what a shame she left the sinking ship. Now go away. I'm done with you.

"Jeez, the man needs to get a life." Noah snorts and has both me and Suzie giggling.

"Well, we did that, but it was good fun. The first time it splattered on Wanda she shrieked so loud it nearly burst eardrums." I giggle as I look at Suzie, who had, I have to admit, the best aim of the three of us.

"When I hit that one between her eyes and she rubbed it onto her face, it was hilarious when she then thought she had bird crap all over her face. She jumped in their pool fully clothed."

"Yeah, but when her wig came off and floated away, and the others in the pool thought it was a creature, they fled while screaming…" That does it, both myself and Suzie hang onto each other laughing like a pair of idiots. But, you probably had to be there to have seen how funny it was, when everyone scrambled inside thinking a flock of birds was shitting on them all, and a creature in the pool.

"Come on, Suzie let's go home. Noah, thanks for letting me know what you heard." I grab my purse and follow Suzie, who's talking with Noah, to the elevator, and as the doors open, Noah grabs my arm, hugs me, and kisses my cheek.

"Pleased to have been of service."

Feeling somewhat flushed as I step into the elevator, I hold my hand up to Suzie to not say a single word.

Climbing out of the vehicle and walking to Suzie's front door, we both turn, surprised when we hear an angry voice shouting. "Suzie, how can you not give me half the house? It's not right. You owe me, and I'm not messing with you anymore."

Suzie sighs, and I look at her, rolling my eyes. I also did it in such a way he has no option but to see it. Growling at me, which has no impact on me at all, Brent turns back to Suzie.

"I owe you nothing. You signed the prenup, and the house was left to me, as you know full well. You have your parents' home and your condo and whatever home your piece of ass has too, so on your bike buster." Suzie turns to unlock her front door and Brent steps forward, but I step in front of him to stop him from reaching out to touch her.

A vehicle slams to a stop behind Brent's vehicle and lo-and-behold Meanie Mo steps out of it, rushing around to stand in front of Brent.

"Oh, this is getting better by the minute," I say to Suzie, who is looking more and more pissed by the second.

We both stand and watch Meanie Mo rip into Brent for being anywhere near Suzie. Why is he sniffing around here when he should be at home at this time of the day? Then this thought crosses my mind, and of course, I have to blurt it out.

"Hey, Brent, she got a tracker on your vehicle? Not trusting you since you're a cheating asshole, you know, just like she is?" I am giving them both a down the nose disgusted look, and it's not going down well as they both give me an evil look in return.

"Get off my property before I call the cops. I'm not playing games with either of you. You need to move on with your life or suffer the consequences," Suzie snaps as she grabs my hand and drags me into the house behind her.

As the door closes we hear, "What does she mean, consequences?" Yeah, Meanie Mo is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, I'm thinking.

"Forget them. Let's get ready and go to that pizza place. I'll give Holly a shout to get ready, too." Suzie runs up the stairs to change and I wash my hands at the sink in the kitchen, thinking that I wish I left some clean clothes here in Suzie's spare bedroom. Sneaking over to the front window as I dry my hands, I watch as Brent and Meanie Mo are shouting abuse at each other, as they both get into their respective vehicles. Smirking to myself because it's Brent's turn to pay the piper.