Page 42 of I Love You, I Hate You
Direct Messages: Nora @Noraephronwasagenuis
@Lukethebarnyardcat
Big day at work today
@Noraephronwasagenius
Same. See you on the other side.
Chapter Sixteen
All in all, Victoria was confident if not quite at ease with her choices the day the final settlement hearing rolled around. The only fly in her ointment was Luke, who was feeling ever more distant these days. She couldn’t blame him, though, because she also found herself holding back for the first time in their friendship. It felt dishonest, being so open with him and falling for Owen, and part of her wondered if maybe their friendship had run its course. She hated to think that, because Luke was one of the first people to trulygether, on a level she didn’t ever reach with anyone else, not even her group chat. And she wasn’t sure she could ever reach that with Owen, or with anyone she met in person, even if she’d been spending less and less time online these days. She had too many walls, and too much practice at building them to know how to begin to tear them down.
Victoria set her bag on the conveyer belt at the courthouse and strode confidently through security. Maybe her dress was a little unfair to Owen, but she was coming to realize he really, really liked seeing her in purple. Her dark plum sheath was plenty conservative, but the slit up the back would reveal flashes of her legs when she stood, and he was a sucker for that too.
Owen caught her eye when she walked in, and she straightened her shoulders at the flash of heat that passed between them. But then an unfamiliar look crossed his face and he looked away, eyes on his phone as he texted. Disconcerted, she smoothed her dress and sat down to wait. She had been so relieved the day she got the go-ahead to email Owen the settlement offer. She dreaded just about any conversation about feelings, but this was at least one complication between them taken care of. They could handle their feelings later.
The judge entered from her chambers and everyone rose. The hearing began, everything clicking into place like clockwork.
“I hear you have reached an agreement,” Judge Green observed.
“We have, your honor,” Victoria said. “Smorgasbord is prepared—”
Owen stood, shoving his phone in his pocket, and Victoria broke off, puzzled. “Actually, your honor, my clients have rejected the offer.”
“We already received notice that they accepted,” Victoria interrupted.
“I know, but new evidence came to light and after a conference call this morning, my clients have agreed to pursue the lawsuit. I’m moving for an end to voluntary mediation; we’d like to continue this in court.”
“What new evidence?” she replied sharply.
“A former team lead from the Alexandria store is willing to testify that retaliation for refusing off-books work is standard practice, as was acknowledged in the deposition of August twenty-fourth. I have her affidavit here.”
“No such thing was acknowledged,” she snapped. Her stomach felt tight, anxiety blooming. She recognized the look on his face now—Owen had a plan, and she was walking into a trap. To make matters worse, that deposition happened barely a week after he came over to her apartment, and sheknewshe’d been distracted that day. Her skin was buzzing with his closeness, and she could have easily overlooked something. She had coached her witness to be truthful but vague, never outright lying but careful not to give Owen an opening. But she couldn’t say for certain if everything had gone to plan, because that entire day she’d been fighting a blush thinking about him between her legs. And every time she reread the transcript, she kept thinking about him and his stupid smile, or the way he looked at her when she made him laugh.
“Gustavo Lopez testified that managers are frequently asked to stay after hours for inventory, off-the-clock,” Owen countered.
The walls Owen had been so close to toppling immediately realigned themselves and she sat up straighter. “Their contracts state that some work may be required after shifts, and all managers are aware of that before they begin employment. So long as they are free to refuse, it’s allowed,” she argued.
“But they are not free to refuse, as we see here.” He handed her a copy of the affidavit and slipped one to the judge’s clerk. “Debbie Spaeth of Alexandria is willing to testify that employees who refuse are immediately put on a list where minor infractions that otherwise go unpunished are written up, and are generally fired within three months. She will personally admit to firing four people in a two-year period for refusing off-the-clock work, and all four had all their infractions recorded after pointing out the illegality of required unpaid work.”
Victoria blinked. It was exceedingly unusual for a team lead to come forward like this, since Victoria herself knew firsthand just how difficult jobs could be to come by in small towns. Most people grumbled and knew it wasn’t right, but few would risk being blackballed at all Smorgasbord stores to come forward. There were usually clauses in team lead’s contracts about what they could disclose and when. While most of that shit wasn’t enforceable, like a non-compete clause that Victoria herself had argued in more than one meeting was ludicrous for a position like “assistant team lead of produce,” it was usually sufficiently scary to keep people’s mouths shut.
God, she worked for a terrible fucking place. But she did work for them, and as in-house counsel she had a legal and ethical duty to her client. “There’s no corroboration here, your honor,” she said, skimming the papers in front of her. “Debbie Spaeth could be a disgruntled employee, or mistaken, or there could be a whole host of other factors that caused these firings. Grocery retail is a high turnover business, and there’s no reason to take one woman’s word for it.”
“Are you accusing her of lying?” Owen said, voice deceptively mild.
“I’m saying you’re so obsessed with bringing down Smorgasbord that we might as well start calling you Captain Ahab,” she snapped.
“Watch it,” Judge Green reprimanded.
“Regardless, my clients have rejected the offer,” Owen said, refusing to make eye contact with Victoria.
Realization barreled into her like a freight train. It had been a huge risk, hinting that an offer was coming, but she thought he would understand why she was telling him. Victoria had been trying to tell him their future was about to be a lot simpler, and instead Owen had screwed her over. He’d taken the information she gave him and went digging, knowing she wouldn’t settle unless there was a real risk Smorgasbord could be found at fault.
Owen had used her, plain and simple.
Judge Green narrowed her eyes, her wire-rimmed glasses low on her nose and braids pulled back into a low ponytail. “Do you have a motion, counselor?” she interjected.