Shattered Lives (The Shattered Series Book 1) Read online

  “What does it look like silly? I'm cooking breakfast,” she replied.

  “Are you okay? You had a rough time last night.”

  “Tami, you worry too much. Sit down, eat breakfast,” she said, as she placed a plate of pancakes and bacon on the table.

  “Thank you, but I'm not hungry. I need you to explain what happened last night.”

  “I took one too many of my anxiety pills. Everything is fine now.”

  “Everything is not fine, mom! I'm worried this will be like last time, you know when daddy died.” Tami watched as her mother silently removed each of the six slices of bacon from the cast iron skillet. A tear fell from her right eye. “Mom, what is it?” she asked, wiping the tear away.

  “Why do you do that? You continue to bring up your father’s passing.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I only brought it up because of your behavior last night.”

  “I feel guilty enough. I don’t need you to keep mentioning it!” snapped Carol.

  “Why do you feel guilty? It wasn’t your fault, just unexpected. Everyone thought he was taking his heart medication.”

  “If I never mentioned that girl to your father, he would here,” Carol mumbled under her breath.

  “What did you say?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What girl? Mom, I’m worried about you. First, you called one of my guest evil in front of everyone. Now you act like it never happened and you feel guilt over daddy and some girl. None of this is normal behavior.”

  Carol placed the skillet in the sink and removed her apron. “I think I need to change my flight and leave early.”

  “Leave early?! No, I want you to stay. Look, I’ll drop this for now if you answer one last question for me.”

  Carol shot Tami a stern look. “What’s your question?”

  “Last night you said I should stay away from ‘that girl’. Were you talking about my guest, Ramona Vasquez? Have you met her before?”

  “How could I, Tami?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Tami pressed the number ten button on the elevator in the new One Star Financial customer acquisition building. Her office was located on one of two executive floors, both with restricted access. Jitters stirred in the pit of her stomach the entire ride up. When she reached her office, she turned on the lights and a smile grew across her face. It was twice as big as the one she had before and the enormous windows that overlooked downtown provided a brightness her previous office lacked. Tami placed her purse and briefcase on her desk and walked over to the windows. She marveled at the busy street down below. As she watched the cars travel back and forth, she took a moment to appreciate what she had accomplished. This was the first time in her career she had felt a true sense of purpose. Becoming the first female executive in the company was a major feat, and it was gratifying to contribute in ways she couldn’t have before. Such as promoting other female employees to better positions.

  When she began her career as a team supervisor, she would have never dreamed she would climb the corporate ladder to VP of Operations in such a short period. Tami has always known she possessed an inner drive, but others may not see it that way. She’s heard the rumors, that Dan gave her this job because they’re sleeping together. That’s why she has to prove she has earned the title of VP. Speaking of Dan, she would miss seeing him every day. She owed him for taking her under his wing and being a great mentor. She will be forever grateful that he saw something in her that has allowed this new chapter in her life to begin.

  Tami turned on her computer to review her agenda for the day when there was a knock on her door. “Come in.” She looked up from her desk.

  The door opened and in walked a woman with hair the brightest shade of red she has ever seen.

  “Hi, Mrs. Hamilton...I'm Suzette,” she said timidly, as she extended her shaky hand towards Tami. “I wanted to remind you of your meeting with Mr. Tim Lansing at ten. Also, later today you have a meeting at two.”

  “It's nice to meet you, Suzette,” said Tami shaking her hand. “Have a seat.”

  Suzette sat in the chair facing Tami's desk. It was obvious from her demeanor she was a nervous wreck. Her shaky hand and the slight tremor in her leg were a dead giveaway. Tami felt she had to put her at ease.

  “So, Suzette, I'm assuming you are my executive assistant.”

  “Yes, HR didn't inform you?”

  “To be honest...no. Everything has been so unorganized. I have not spoken to anyone in HR in weeks. I was initially told that I could bring someone over as my assistant or any other positions.” Tami noticed the change in her expression. “You’re fine Suzette. I'm glad you're here, that's one thing I can cross off my list. So, tell me, did you transfer from another division or are you a new hire?”

  “I'm new to the company. My last employer was acquired by another corporation. Soon after, they laid off everyone and brought in their own people.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s more common than you think.”

  After Suzette became more relaxed, she opened up about her fear of being laid off again at her age. She said she was fifty and found it hard to compete with young women right out of college. Tami assured her that as long as she does her job effectively she had nothing to worry about. Tami looked at her watch and saw she had about thirty minutes before her meeting with Tim. “I'm sorry Suzette, but my meeting with Tim Lansing is set to begin in thirty minutes and I need to run down to the cafeteria. We’re holding the meeting in my office, so if he arrives early, tell him I’ll be right back.”

  Tami walked Suzette out her office and rode the elevator to the first floor. The excitement and eagerness on the faces of everyone she passed in the hall were apparent. They all appeared to share the same enthusiasm to be involved in something new. When Tami arrived at the cafeteria, a long line for breakfast greeted her at the entrance. Despite the wait, the workers swiftly moved everyone through. There was an appetizing assortment of food to choose from. Everything from southern cooked shrimp and grits to egg and bacon platter. Just the smell alone caused hunger pangs in her stomach. When it was her turn to order, she couldn’t decide what to get. Eventually, she settled for a blueberry muffin and eggs, which they placed in a to-go box. Tami had about ten minutes to return upstairs, she barely made the elevator going up. When she jumped in she saw a familiar face. “Good morning, Ramona. How are you?”

  “Fine!” she snapped.

  Tami’s eyes widened as she looked over in her direction. Her short attitude stunned her. It's been a little over a month since the dinner party and their paths hadn't crossed until now. Both women exited on the tenth floor and Tami quickened her pace to get to her office on time. Halfway, she turned around and there was Ramona right behind her. She figured she was taking the long way to her desk near Tim's office that was on the opposite side of the floor. But when Tami reached her door, Ramona was right on her heels and Tim was sitting on the small couch in her office.

  “Tim, I hope I didn't keep you waiting,” she said shaking his hand.

  “No, I only arrived a few moments ago. I hope you don't mind but I asked Ramona to sit in so she can take notes for me. Sometimes I have a horrible memory.”

  “Not at all, that's fine.” Tami wondered to herself why didn't Ramona just tell her Tim asked her to the attend the meeting. It was all so strange.

  During the meeting, they discussed their own visions for the division. Afterward, they thought it was important to have an impromptu meeting with the team in Operations to introduce themselves and to welcome everyone. After wrapping up the last of their business and they made their way to the fourth floor. Tim had sent each of the three supervisors an email alert to inform them of the meeting. There’s three supervisors for now and sixty-five acquisition representatives until more are hired.

  Fifteen minutes later they had everyone's attention. Tim started off by introducing himself and Tami. He welcomed everyone and discussed the importance of teamwork, accountability, etc. Tami spoke next, s
he emphasized the purpose of everyone's job and that was to support the sales team in the field who were acquiring new accounts. The company was continuously growing, and that was the reason for the creation of their division. She continued on for another ten minutes before letting everyone get back to work. When she returned to her office, there were flowers waiting for her on her desk. The arrangement comprised of pink roses, pink lilies, purple carnations, and ferns for greenery. The card simply read Congratulations, Josh. She called him right away but as usual, his voicemail picked up, she left a message thanking him. Next, she called Alexis on her cell. “Hey, are you busy?”

  “I'm always busy,” she replied.

  “What if I can change that?”

  “Change how? What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “I want to offer you a position over here as department head. You will be in charge of the entire Acquisition department reporting directly to me. Before you answer I want you to know I think you are a smart and hardworking employee whose full talents are not being utilized. So what do you say?”

  “When can I start?”

  “I’ll make a call to HR for you to start tomorrow.”

  At the end of the day Suzette appeared with an envelope in her hand. She had received a call from the mailroom advising her of an urgent delivery. Tami thanked Suzette and asked her to close the door on her way out. Once she was alone, she opened the cardboard envelope, inside was a folded white piece of paper. She cautiously unfolded the paper, enclosed was the same newspaper article of her and Dr. Pennington she’d received before. This time there was a note with pasted cut out letters, that read, tell the truth. Tami frantically looked for the sender’s information on the envelope but there was none. She called the delivery company, the only information they could give her was that a female came in and paid them extra to have it delivered right away. Tami thought about calling Josh but decided against it. She needed to gather more information before involving him. She called Suzette back into office. “Suzette, what exactly did the mailroom tell you when they called?”

  “They received a delivery, and it’s marked urgent. I had to pick it up right away.”

  “That’s all? This is very important, so please think. Was there anything else?”

  “No, that’s it.”

  “Why did they ask you to pick it up, instead of delivering it to you themselves?”

  “Because it was the end of the day, they were shorthanded. If I wanted you to have it now, I would have to come get it myself.”

  “Thank you, Suzette. That’ll be all, please close my door.”

  Tami stared at the note. Tell the truth about what? She didn’t know what that meant or what this had to do with Dr. Pennington. However, there was one person who may shed light on all of this, Lauren Corley. Both women had their own relationship with Dr. Pennington, therefore Lauren was the one person who may know what the clipping means.

  “Thank you for seeing me. I have something important to discuss with you,” said Tami, she drove straight to Lauren’s after work.

  “Come in. You sounded frantic over the phone.”

  “Are we alone? Is Nick here?”

  “Yes, we are alone. I’m not expecting Nick for hours. Let’s speak in my office.”

  Feeling tense and nervous Tami followed Lauren into her home office. She intended to show her the newspaper article and not the note. She had to keep that part a secret for now. Once the ladies reached Lauren’s office Tami retrieved the envelope from her purse.

  “What I’m about to show you must remain between you and me. You can’t tell Nick,” requested Tami.

  “Why not Nick? Is this about him?” asked Lauren.

  Tami shook her head no, “This has nothing to do with him but if you tell him, he’ll tell Josh. Do I have your word?”

  “Absolutely, my lips are sealed.”

  Tami placed the newspaper clipping on Lauren’s desk. “The day of my dinner party I found an envelope with this inside. Today I received another envelope at my job with a copy of the same article. It was delivered without a return address. I do not understand what any of this means, but I was hoping you could help.”

  “You think I’m sending them to you?”

  “No, of course not. You and I were close to Dr. Pennington. I hoped you could help me figure this out.”

  Lauren picked up the article and studied the photograph. “Well, I know the picture was taken at the last fundraiser I hosted for him at the Rosemount Ballroom.”

  “I remember. Maybe, someone who attended sent this to me.”

  “I don’t think so. What would be the motive? I think someone is implying something happened with the two of you. Maybe, they sent the picture to let you know they’re aware of it.”

  “Nothing inappropriate happened between us! How did you come to that conclusion from a photograph?”

  “Why send you a picture that’s at least four or five years old? Not once but twice. This about you and him together. Nothing had to happen for someone to presume it did.”

  Tami didn’t know what to think. She was more confused now than before she spoke with Lauren. Of course, she would think this was about cheating, she’s married to a cheater. But she agreed with one thing whoever is sending the pictures wants to remind her of something from the past.

  CHAPTER TEN

  It's been two weeks and Ramona had already made headway. She's sat in four meetings between Tim and Tami. When she demanded to be included in all meetings, Tim tried to put up a fight, but eventually, he saw things her way. The cover of being forgetful was a genius move on his part. Tami doesn’t know him well enough to question it. If she had, what could she do about it, he’s her superior after all.

  She resolved the other problem on her list thanks to Tami’s assistant, Suzette. She needed a legitimate reason to hang around Tami’s office, so Suzette became the perfect solution. They have become fast friends, despite the age difference. One day Ramona brought over papers that Suzette had left on the copy machine. They talked, and she confided in Ramona she was new to the company and knew no one. Additionally, she felt out of place in a division where most of the employees were much younger than her. Once Suzette admitted her insecurities, it was too easy for Ramona to take her under her wing. They had lunch together, Suzette would stop by Ramona's desk during her break, and sometimes she would bring in donuts for the both of them.

  Ramona has tried her hardest to become friendlier with Tami, but that’s been an uphill battle. Whenever Ramona approached her, either she’s too busy or on her way to a meeting. Then there’s Alexis. The other obstacle in her way. What Ramona didn't count on was Tami transferring her guard dog to their division. She has become a major pain in the ass. Either she is coming or leaving Tami’s office several times a day. Every time their paths crossed, the air thickens due to the tension between them. Recently, Ramona came in extra early to do a little snooping, but she couldn't get much done because Alexis was there. In Tami's office! Luckily, Alexis didn’t notice her. Something needed to be done about Miss Tagalong. Perhaps a wedge in between their friendship would do the trick.

  Ramona sat at her desk reapplying her favorite shade of lipstick, Vixen Red when Tim requested that she stepped into his office. The first thing she noticed was the frown on his face as she entered. “Have a seat,” he said flatly, pointing to the chair facing his desk.

  She remained quiet and did as he requested.

  “I know you may have your own agenda for wanting this job. But, you must do the work. If I need something typed, type it. If I need reports made, produce them. You can't ask for this job and expect me to hire someone else to do the work,” he said.

  “You're right. I will get everything completed after lunch,” Ramona replied, “and I will email copies to you before the end of the day.”

  “Wait, a minute. No fight, threats, or more blackmail?”

  “Nope, not this time.” Tim was right. To keep this job, the work must be done. “Is there a
nything else? It’s lunchtime.”

  “We’re done.”

  Ramona met Suzette at the elevator as planned. “Sorry, I'm late, Tim had to speak with me at the last minute.”

  “It's okay. I can steal an extra few minutes for lunch, Tami has left for the day,” replied Suzette.

  “She did? I hope everything is okay,” asked Ramona, hoping to pump her for information.

  “Yes everything is fine, she had to take care of a personal matter.”

  They both ordered turkey club sandwiches from the deli in the cafeteria and found a seat. “How is she in boss mode?” Ramona probed.

  “She's wonderful. I’ve had bosses that were obnoxious, who wanted everything under the sun completed under an absurd deadline.”

  “But not Tami?”

  “Oh, no! She’s fair and understanding.”

  Ramona rolled her eyes as she placed her sandwich in her styrofoam container. The thought of anyone describing that bitch as fair made her stomach turn.

  “It’s never a dull moment, something is always happening,” continued Suzette. “Either it’s the closed-door meetings or the multiple fires that must be extinguished.”

  “Do you know who she meets with?”

  “Mainly with the Department Heads.”

  “Oh, you mean Alexis?” Ramona said dryly.

  “I didn't realize you knew Alexis, I mean Ms. Roberts.”

  “Not personally, I know her by name only. We both worked at the other office.”

  “How was it over there?” asked Suzette, “I heard several employees transferred here.”

  “Competitive, everyone fighting over the same job openings. It was all about who you knew instead of your experience.”

  Ramona continued the rest of her lunch in silence while Suzette rambled on about her grandkids. She was less than satisfied with the lack of information she had provided. As usual, she would have to take matters into her own hands. After lunch, Ramona walked Suzette to her desk and noticed that Tami’s office door was opened. “Suzette, I thought you said Tami left for the day.”