Chapter 201
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The next night, | stood outside my former workce, watching as a group of my female coworkers gathered to leave the office
together. | had decided to wait for them, determined to take a step toward mending the strained rtionships that had gued
my time at the firm.
As they made their way out of the building, deep in conversation, | took a deep breath and approached them. It was an
intimidating moment, as | hadn’t interacted with them for quite some time, and | couldn’t help but feel anxious at how they might
have perceived me at that point.
“Hi,” | greeted them tentatively, trying to sound as friendly as possible. “Would you all like to join me for dinner? My treat.”
“Evie!” Beth was the first to speak, though her voice came out a little strained. “Didn’t think we would see you again after you
stormed into Erickson’s office.”
| shrugged. “You''re still colleagues to me, and besides, | wanted to catch up on a few things with you
Their reactions were still guarded, as I’m sure the drama surrounding my departure from the firm was still fresh
on their minds. After a brief moment of hesitation, Faith was the next one to speak.
“We''re not sure, Evie,” she replied cautiously, her eyes reflecting uncertainty. “But, well, we feel kinda bad about how you were
almost cklisted. It wasn’t right.”
“| understand your concerns,” | said with a warm smile. “But I’d really like to make amends and spend some time
with you all. It would mean a lot to me.”
After a bit more deliberation, they agreed to join me for dinner, and we made our way to a nearby restaurant.
The tension that had initially hung in the air seemed to loosen
It started with cautious conversation and the exchange of pleasantries. But it was Beth who broke the surface of our polite
discourse by raising the issue that had been my whole motivation for the night.
“Evie,” she said, her tone sincere and filled with regret, “we feel terrible about what you went through. It wasn’t right, and we wish
we could’ve done more.”
“| understand why you couldn''t,” | replied with a warm smile. “It was an awful time, and | appreciate your support now.”
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Sarah chimed in. “We know that Mr. Erickson’s behavior has been a problem for a long time. Hisments can be a little...
inappropriate at times, and he''ll tell a lot of lewd jokes with the guys.”
“It''s super ufortable,” said Faith. “We''ve been afraid to say anything because he clearly doesn’t respond
well to criticism.”
Their honesty was both troubling and validating. It was evident that Mr. Erickson’s actions had affected more than just me, and it
was time to bring his behavior to light. | listened intently, grateful for their willingness to share their experiences.
“Thank you for being honest,” | told them, my voice sincere. “Your ounts are important in addressing the issue. | believe that
the workce should be safe for everyone. It’s not some college fraternity, like he seems to
believe.”
Beth took a deep breath and said, “I’m d you''re bringing this to light. | didn’t think it was bad at first, but | saw one intern quit
after that one week when he kept dragging her into his office.”
“Oh!” Faith snapped her fingers. “There was another one, though he kept treating her like the maid.”
“Thank you for telling me all this,” | said, though the topic was starting to get painfully dark. “Not that I’m d it happened, but at
least there’s a pattern we can trace.”
“That''s not all.”
We all turned to Sarah, who''s voice had lowered to a discrete level. She looked at the others, as if to gauge her next words on
their reactions. After a moment, they nodded in unison, and she went on.
“Mr. Erickson treated you the same way he treated Linda,” she began. “He pushed her out of the top spot and ced you at his
“topdy“, but you''re the first woman we''ve seen who tantly refused him.”
“And we heard about itter,” Beth finished. “Jasper wouldn’t stop talking about it.”
| wrung my hands under the table as their words echoed in my mind. Just the mention of Linda sent a violent chill through me. It
seemed that Mr. Erickson’s actions were not limited to me alone; he’d gotten
“Ugh, Jasper!” Faith pointed a finger at her mouth and pretended to hurl, eliciting augh from the group. “He was bragging to
me about getting you fired. He mentioned something about making usations and then seeing you gone.”
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*Trust me, I’m well aware,” | told them. “I n on taking him down too. He can’t just go around spreading
rumors about people he doesn’t like.”
“Agreed,” they said in unison.
| grabbed my purse from behind my seat and began digging around for my old business cards. They''d gone out of use since
being “dethroned*. “And while we''re on this topic, here’s my contact information.”
They each took a card and read over them as | went on. “If you could, | would like each of you to draft victim impact statements.
They can be totally anonymous, and I''llpensate you ordingly!”
They exchanged weary nced, and Faith sighed and shook her head. “We''re willing to help, Evie, but we weren''t directly
victimized by Mr. Erickson. We can’t write victim impact statements.”
“That’s okay.” | reassured them. “You can write up witness statements instead. Your ounts are important regardless.”
“But there’s one person who we know got the worst of it,” said Beth. “Linda was the one who had it the worst until you stepped in.
She''d mention it from time to time.”
Linda again. | took a moment to reflect on the information, and a n began to form. It was clear that Linda was the primary
victim, and her words might be the most valuable.
“| appreciate your honesty and willingness to help,” | told them. “This was really helpful.”
As we concluded our dinner, | felt slightly more at ease, though the thought of encountering Linda again didn’t sit so well with me.
She didn’t seem so table thest time | saw her, and | could only imagine how willing she’d
1. be.
Our dinner hade to an end, and as we paid our bills and said our goodbyes, | couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for
the evening we had spent together. It felt like | had gained a few more people on my side, which was a step in the right direction.
As we prepared to part ways, | took a moment to express my appreciation. “Thank you all for joining me for
dinner.”
Faith smiled. “Thank you for inviting us, Evie. Again, we''re sorry for not standing up for you earlier, but we''re on your side.”
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Chapter 201
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As they turned to leave, | tapped Beth on the shoulder. There was still one question burning in my mind.
“Beth,” | asked, my voice soft, “have you heard from Linda at all? Since she left the firm, | mean.”
Beth’s expression grew somber, and she shook her head. “No, Evie. No one has heard from Linda since she left. She practically
disappeared.”
My heart sank at the news. It was still deeply concerning that she had disappeared without a trace.
| could sense the frustration and concern in Beth’s voice as she continued. “We''ve tried reaching she hasn’t responded to any
calls or messages. It’s like she vanished.”
g out to her, but
| nodded. “Thank you anyway, Beth. I’m sure I''ll figure something out.”
Beth’s eyes reflected a shared determination. “We’re with you, Evie. Have a good night.”
As we parted ways, | was filled with a renewed sense of purpose. The missing piece of the puzzle was Linda’s story, and it was
time to track her down.
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