His voice was lower than usual. I walked inside. He waited until I passed him.
Then he closed the door. And turned the lock. My heart started pounding.
“Mr. Harris, why are you locking the door?”
He didn’t answer. He walked to a cabinet, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a large black envelope. Then he looked
at me.
“From this moment on, you tell no one anything.”
That was the moment I became genuinely afraid.
“What does that mean?”
He walked toward the desk.
“Sit down.”
“I’d rather stand.”
He stared at me for several seconds. Then he said,
“You’re a smart girl. That’s why I chose you.”
After hearing those words, I was convinced this was no longer about work.
“Chose me for what?”
He placed his hand on the envelope.
“You don’t get to know yet.”
I stepped backward.
“If this has nothing to do with my job, I’m leaving.”
His voice suddenly became firm.
“If you walk out of this room now, don’t come back tomorrow.”
I froze.
Tears were already gathering in my eyes, but from anger, not fear.
“You can’t talk to me like this.”
William took a long breath.
“Maybe you’re right.”
Then, without another word, he unlocked the door.
“Go home.”
I said nothing.
I grabbed my bag and left.
I didn’t sleep that night.
A hundred different thoughts went through my mind.
Should I call the police?
Should I resign?
Should I wait until morning?
Then, at 9:10 the next morning, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
“Ms. Collins?”
“Yes.”
“This is Daniel Reed, Mr. Harris’s attorney. I need you to come to my office at eleven this morning.”
I went cold.
“Why?”
The man paused.
“Mr. Harris asked me to give you some documents.”
At that moment, I thought it was over.
Either I was being fired.
Or they were trying to make me sign something about what had happened the night before.
At eleven, I was sitting in the lawyer’s office.
He placed the same black envelope on the desk.
