Page 28 of The Aries Alliance (BLP Signs of Love #14)
Louder Than Words
If one more media contact asked me for a comment, I was going to scream. Where were their trifling asses when I needed a mouthpiece?
I finally uninstalled my email app from my phone, as person after person harassed me over the next couple of weeks, saying I should resign and stop being such a nuisance to EFU. Although I originally planned to rendezvous in Cancun for a week, I staycated instead.
Despite my request for War not to contact me, he sent a private message every morning via social media.
At first, his messages were short and to the point.
Four days after the media hoopla, they became increasingly warm with cute GIFs and videos that made me smile. Today, he sent his warmest text yet.
War:
Your haven says hello. They’re well and ready. I miss you, Harriett.
He sent a selfie where he stood next to a striking statue of Harriett Tubman. I dialed his number on the burner phone. He answered immediately.
“All it took was a picture with Harriett Tubman for you to contact me?” He chuckled, his voice low and sensual, reminding me how much I missed everything about War.
“Where were you?” I asked.
“In Binghamton, New York, last week for a conference. I thought of you when I saw that statue.”
Heat radiated through my chest.
“Thanks, War. How have you been?”
As much as I wanted to close myself off to War, I couldn’t.
I had a lot of time to think over the past few weeks.
It wasn’t his fault that he worked in such an awful place and held a position that made him an enemy to so many.
We were both products of an environment that pitted us against each other.
It was up to us not to fall into EFU’s trap.
“Keeping my head down. I hope you haven’t abandoned our mission.”
War’s gentle words made me smile.
“Never. I may be knocked down, but I’m never defeated.”
“Give me a week. Then we can celebrate. Will you do that for me, Scarlett?”
I held my hand over my heart and sighed, wanting to believe that something good could come from all this pain.
“Yes. Stay safe.”
For the next week, War sent kind texts but made no attempts to see me in person.
He nor anyone in my inner work circle told me what was happening behind the scenes.
I watched movies with Val, trying to distract myself, but an all-too-familiar jittery feeling kept rearing its ugly head.
Everything in me anticipated a huge storm coming.
The first bomb dropped on Monday when the Gazette gained access to my investigative report.
Instead of the names being redacted, they revealed every person accused of harassing people at EFU.
Before the end of the day, my work inbox was full of not only media requests, but several EFU colleagues and former employees saying they also had experienced abuse at the hands of those named in my report.
Tuesday, President Fields’s cousin, Will, was accused of touching young women without their permission.
On Wednesday, inconsistencies in the equity office’s reporting practices surfaced.
On Thursday, a story about War’s mother hit the news, naming Ansel Samuels, the eighty-year-old professor who still worked at the university, as a perpetrator, much like the president’s cousin.
Like a snowball, victims of discrimination, harassment, and sexual assault at EFU flooded not only public university LISTSERVS with testimonies of abuse but also submitted their information to the media.
Accusers created video testimonials with pictures and other evidence that their voices had been silenced.
Social media blew information up, with influencers giving their opinions about the university at every turn.
Friday night, a prominent Hollywood actor and producer contacted me directly to ask if I would consider being an executive producer of a film about the ongoing, hidden abuse at EFU.
Although I’d never been interested in the media like that, inclusion in such a large project reminded me that the world needed to hear the stories that were happening at EFU and beyond.
I considered it to be a sign that War and I were doing the right thing.
Although Val kept me up-to-date with everything War shared, she said I’d want to see firsthand everything that was going on at EFU since the mess hit the fan. I accessed the link that she texted to a press conference President Fields was hosting to address the tumultuous week.
With a big bowl of movie butter popcorn in my lap and my coziest socks on my feet, I sat cross-legged on my bed and turned on my TV, ready for the farce of a show to begin.
Skip entered my screen in a dark gray suit and navy tie that represented EFU’s colors. His beady eyes shifted across the room until he lifted his hand and waved to somebody off camera.
“Damn fool.” I shook my head and tossed several fluffy kernels of popcorn in my mouth.
I wished with everything in me that I could curse Skip’s smug bulldog face out.
I was ready to spew several expletives his way when I spotted War, no, make that Warrick, sitting behind Skip with his glasses on.
His eyes stared straight ahead, as if he saw through the screen.
When the president leaned down to speak to him, War nodded and then returned his gaze forward.
Even in his black suit and tie, War was no nonsense.
I bit my lip, hungry to reacquaint his sexy body with mine.
Skip adjusted his mic and tapped it, glaring at someone in the back and stepping back as feedback from the mic filled the air. Several people held their ears and followed Skip’s eyes until the annoying sound stopped.
When everyone was settled, Skip cleared his throat.
“This week has been one for the books.” Skip grinned and shook his head. “These vicious attacks against Ember Falls University are unwarranted. I implore the public not to believe any of the lies spewed about our illustrious institution.”
Camera clicks went off as Skip pursed his lips and held the wooden lectern. His head swiveled across the room.
“We are conducting a full investigation to see who is behind this chaos. I assure you that every person mentioned in these malicious reports is innocent. Don’t believe any of the lies.” Skip’s body shook as his face reddened.
“Does that include Dr. Scarlett Kane? Is she innocent too?” A female voice raised the question.
Skip’s head swung so hard, I wondered if he hurt his neck.
“I-I.” His eyes almost popped out of his head.
He turned and looked at War, whose face remained neutral. Behind his beautiful eyes, War’s demeanor was calm. I felt his poise and confidence through the screen.
“I’ll turn this over to our HR Director, Warrick Redmond, to answer those questions.” Skip waved his hand toward War.
War rose gracefully from his seat and stepped forward. He towered over the president, who moved back several steps. War cleared his throat and placed his hands on either side of the podium, hunching his back like a preacher ready to deliver a powerful sermon.
“President Fields has been busy making sure that this university maintains a stellar reputation. Unfortunately, there has been a mixed bag of information presented to the public, making it hard to distinguish the truth from lies.” War pulled out several pieces of paper from the pocket of his suit coat.
He unfolded the papers and pressed them firmly on the podium before staring into the camera again.
“First, this organization has treated marginalized people terribly. The real villains in this story reside at the top of the organization, making decisions that are inconsistent with the values professed by EFU’s vision and mission statements.
For too long, innocent people have lived in fear of retaliation, simply for speaking the truth about this place.
That’s why I want to be the first person to speak out. ”
President Fields leaned toward War to snatch the microphone, but War held him back with his arm, hissing his words.
“No, sir. I have one more thing to say.”
“You do not!”
Even without seeing his feet, I knew Skip stomped his foot. He waved his balled-up fist at War like he was going to punch him in the face.
War lifted his long arm and held it high like a shield.
“You don’t want to do that.” War laughed directly in Skip’s face as if he were playing with a child.
Even on the television, I saw a small puddle of spit land on War’s coat as Skip fumed and searched for words.
“Nasty ass bastard.” I shook my head, anxiously anticipating War’s next move.
War didn’t flinch as the president swayed like he was under the influence. When his body shook like he was about to have a seizure, a man who must have been his assistant rushed to him and held his arm steady.
War continued. “This university is a circus led by one of the biggest clowns on the planet.”
A collective gasp rippled across the crowd as a cameraman who had to be in on War’s plan scanned to Skip on the word clowns and zoomed in on his face, holding it there several awkward seconds as Skip huffed and puffed like an overstuffed pig. The camera then panned to the back of the room.
As secondhand embarrassment overtook me, a group of at least forty people entered through double doors and walked to the front, surrounding War. A couple of the men pushed Skip back with their bodies before the president and his sidekick rushed out of the room.
I clapped my hands and laughed as Skip ran away. I turned up the volume. This was about to get good.
“These are the faces of those who will no longer remain silent about their treatment at EFU. They are coming forward courageously on behalf of Dr. Scarlett Kane, who has been a champion for inclusivity and justice. We will not stand by as she is crucified by people who call her unethical but are the most unethical of all.”
A wave of nods and several bursts of applause filled the room. When the noise died down, War continued.
“I’m submitting my resignation from EFU, effective immediately.
I joined this community, thinking I had a chance to change the oppressive culture from within.
I now realize that new, more progressive methodologies are needed if we are to advance our workplace and our country.
To those in the media, listen to the people before you.
Work with them to report instances of termination and retaliation now that they have come forward.
We have already filed several EEOC complaints.
If a single hair is harmed on their heads, we will move forward with our class action lawsuit.
” War chuckled until my colleague, Stewie, popped him on the arm and whispered in his ear.
“Right. We might do that anyway.”
With that, War stepped back and walked away as several members of the group I called The Haven stepped forward. I couldn’t hold back my smile as the media asked questions of the workplace abuse survivors who stood unapologetically before the press.