Chapter 1The Termination Clause

I got blacklisted by my boss’s girlfriend.

She screamed at me over the phone.

“You’re his subordinate! A female subordinate! Don’t you have any goddamn boundaries? Hitting on your own boss after hours?”

But the multimillion-dollar contract in my hands was set to expire tomorrow.

When I tried calling back, my number was blocked.

My boss was MIA. No one at the company would answer.

The next morning, my boss, Leo, showed up at my front door, company seal in hand.

I yawned. “Leo, you’re a grown man. Don’t you think you should have some boundaries?”

I leaned against the doorframe.

“Showing up at your female subordinate’s apartment this early? A little inappropriate, don’t you think?”

* * *

We were finalizing the terms of the contract when the door to Leo’s office creaked open.

His girlfriend, Chloe, peeked her head in. Her eyes landed on me and instantly froze.

Her eyelids were puffy and red. Her voice, thick with unshed tears, was a careful whisper.

“Leo… am I interrupting?”

My hand, resting on the printed agreement, went still.

Leo froze, a statue of pure awkwardness. He snapped out of it and moved to take her hand, but Chloe flinched back, a single, perfect tear tracing a path down her cheek.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffled, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to doubt you… It’s just… I hear things. People say that bosses always end up falling for their indispensable assistants, and I just get so scared…”

I said nothing. I simply closed my laptop.

Leo’s face flushed, a chaotic mix of red and white. His words tumbled out in a rush. “Chloe, don’t be ridiculous. We’re just talking about a contract. That’s all.”

“A contract…”

Chloe’s quiet sniffles blossomed into a full-blown sob.

“I know Avery is brilliant. Not like me. I can’t help you with anything; I just get in your way. But… but does talking business really require a closed door?”

Leo’s brow furrowed. He glanced from the weeping Chloe to me, then back again.

His gaze finally settled on me, heavy with an unmistakable plea for me to just make this easy for him.

“Avery, look… Why don’t you step out for a minute? Let me clear this up with her.”

I stood, gathering my files from his desk.

“Fine,” I said. “But Mr. Henderson is waiting for the final version. If we don’t have it locked in by 9 a.m. tomorrow, the penalty is fifteen percent of the total project value.”

I paused at the door, turning back to him.

“And Leo? My salary doesn’t include a line item for mediating your relationship drama.”

With that, I pulled the door open and walked out, leaving behind the image of Leo’s stunned face and the sound of Chloe’s escalating cries.