All of Amanda’s hard work is about to pay off big time when her supervisors call her to discuss her work on a huge project, but then her abusive husband, Chris, steps in and embarrasses her.

Just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, Chris interrupts Amanda’s presentation to the investors.

Amanda stared at her laptop screen. She was finishing up with an important meeting with her supervisors at work. Her nerves grated along a knife’s edge, but not because of the video meeting. Her husband, Chris, was approaching the neat and cozy corner she used for working and taking on-camera calls. “You’re amazing, Amanda,” Mr. Anders said.Amanda would’ve hoisted up her biggest and brightest smile, but Chris’s heavy footsteps were closer now; he was almost upon her. She froze. Like a squirrel cornered by a bear, there was nowhere for her to run and no place where she could hide. Chris slammed his beer down on the writing pad she’d used to take notes and stepped right into her space and her laptop camera’s range. Amanda shrank away from him. “What are you doing?” Chris asked. “Where’s my food?” “I’m so sorry,” Amanda said to her supervisors before tilting her head to answer Chris. “I’m just finishing up my meeting, honey.” She looked on in dismay as her supervisors, Claire and Mr. Anders, looked at each other in confusion. Amanda could still save this, maybe. Chris might go away if she could find just the right words or precisely the right way to look at him (once she gathered the courage to look at him at all.) Once he left, she could play the whole thing off as a mistake.”Honey, I’m hungry,” Chris said. “You don’t want to upset your hubby, do you?” His tone of voice was soft, silky, and laden with threats Amanda knew full well he wouldn’t hesitate to follow through on. She looked up at him now—she couldn’t avoid it any longer—and bravely spoke to him as though he were a normal person, not a monster disguised as a human being. “I just need a few more minutes, honey. Please?” Amanda pleaded. “I’m on a call with my supervisors. We should be finished soon.” She turned back to face her laptop squarely, but Chris clearly wasn’t done. “Supervisors?” He chuckled and reached around to grab her chair. “Come on, off you go,” Chris said, giving her chair a little shake. “You know what happens when you work too hard.”Indeed, Amanda knew all too well what Chris would do to her for what he perceived as ‘working too hard.’ She smiled at her screen even as her mind filled with howling terror. Some part of herself that felt like it might be vital tore loose inside of her. Amanda let Chris shoo her away from what might well be the most vital meeting of her career because, ultimately, she had no choice. She never had a choice. A familiar darkness closed in around her as she walked to the kitchen. “And get everything on the table in fifteen minutes,” Chris called after her. “Of course, honey,” Amanda chirped as her auto-pilot persona took over.”I will talk to your supervisors myself,” Chris said. That statement should’ve filled Amanda with anxiety, but she’d already given in to the darkness. It swaddled everything that remained of her true self in neverending emptiness. Nothing could touch her here; all the hungry terrors and sharp-edged shame she lived with daily were powerless in this place. It was the only place where Amanda was safe.In the office, Claire exchanged a look of complete and utter bewilderment with her superior, Mr. Anders, as Amanda’s home life drama played out on screen. She was deeply unsettled by what she’d witnessed. All she could do was watch as Amanda’s revolting husband settled into the spot where his lovely wife was seated moments before.Then, he stared into the camera, raised his beer, and drank. Claire was instantly furious. It was bad enough for this man to throw Amanda out of her own video call to make dinner, of all things, but to behave so unprofessionally on top of it was unforgivable. “Nice suits!” the jerk exclaimed. “What, are you frozen?” He then laughed at what was presumably a joke in his mind, and that was all it took to fill up Claire’s quota for tolerating disrespectful behavior for the day. “Sir, we called Amanda because we need to discuss her work with her,” Claire said. “Ah, business! Money makes money, yeah!” He clapped his hands together enthusiastically. “I got it! So, is my girl doing okay over there, or should I give her a little…spanking?”If it were possible to die of disgust, Claire would’ve gone to the pearly gates right then. She couldn’t even bear to look at his horrid troll face on the screen as she struggled to compose herself. A lifetime of being a woman had exposed Claire to numerous jerks just like Amanda’s husband. And while it was one thing to have some guy get all in your face at a bar, there was a more sinister undercurrent to this situation. Amanda wasn’t just picking up red flags; her entire body was telling her this was a DEFCON 1. Claire met Mr. Anders’ gaze. She was sure he felt as awkward and concerned as she did right now because what sane person wouldn’t? “Chris, listen to me,” Mr. Anders said. “We need Amanda to come in tomorrow to present the project to the investors. Okay? Can you let her know? There’s a lot of money at stake here…a lot. And I’m the one in charge of the money here, got it?” “Uh huh, uh huh,” Chris stuck his finger into his glass, swiped away some of the foam, and sucked it off. He then leaned forward, stared at the screen, and started squeezing a giant blackhead on his nose. “That means Amanda has a very promising career ahead of her, Chris,” Mr. Anders continued. “Which means she’ll get a big, juicy bonus at the end of the year, understand?”That got the man’s attention. He stopped picking at his blackhead and looked up. Claire swore she could actually see his two brain cells gradually putting together the significance of Mr. Anders’ words. “Wait, wait.” Chris leaned back and pressed his hands together. “You know what, buddy? That’s a pretty big deal. I give you my word that I’ll send my girl in tomorrow like a darling.” “Great! That’s exactly what I needed to hear,” Mr. Anders replied. “Dinner is almost ready,” Amanda called from somewhere off-screen. Her voice sounded oddly cheery but in a flat, false way. Chris downed his beer and belched. “Hey, honey, never mind your dinner. I’m sending you into the office tomorrow so you need to get cleaned up and primp yourself, got it?”Claire’s fingers itched with the desire to throttle this fool. She was glad Mr. Anders was there to talk to him because she didn’t think she had the patience. Then again, as she glanced to her left, it seemed Mr. Anders was actually enjoying this.”It will be alright, I’ll give you that,” Chris declared. “See you tomorrow!” “Nice!” Mr. Anders leaned forward and shut his laptop, then turned to Claire with a big grin. “That’s all settled then.” Claire couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She turned to study Mr. Anders as he relaxed in his office chair, that grin still plastered on his face. Were they living in the same reality? Or was he genuinely oblivious to the creepy, controlling undercurrent that had carried through that entire interaction?”Sir? Don’t you think that Chris guy is a…well, he’s coming off as being a narcissist, the very bad actual personality disorder type of narcissist.” “Why should I care?” Mr. Anders frowned. “Do I look like a therapist to you?” “No, but we should figure out what’s going on there,” Claire gestured to the laptop.”Listen, Claire, our only priority is to get Amanda into the office tomorrow to sell our project to the investors.” Mr. Anders jabbed his finger at her. “You’re here to do a job, and that job is to make this company a lot of money, you got that? I’m sure there’s nothing in your job description about snooping into your co-worker’s personal lives, am I right?””But, I’m concerned, sir. Amanda could be in danger,” Claire replied. Mr. Anders sighed deeply and ran his hand over his head. “So long as she’s doing her job and bringing in cash, it’s irrelevant. Now, why don’t you do some work around here, huh? Go make me a cup of coffee.” Claire blinked. It took a minute for her brain to register that Mr. Anders was serious about the coffee and apparently had no empathy for Amanda’s situation. Wow. She tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled. Her mother had taught her many years ago that if you couldn’t strangle a jerk, then the only polite thing to do was smile at them with all the hatred they’d roused in your heart. “Okay, sir.” Claire stood and left Mr. Anders’ office. She’d worked here for almost six months and felt like she was finally seeing her boss’s true colors. More than that, she was starting to realize that the more a man lifted himself above others, the more likely it was that he’d turn out to be a jerk. It seemed like these sad men felt they could make up for their inadequacies by inflating their egos to the size of dirigibles. If only they’d catch alight and burn down as easily as those infamous airships. The world would be a much better place then.The following day, Claire entered the small conference room carrying her laptop in one arm and two pricy bottles of water in the other. She smiled brightly at their prospective investors as she delivered a bottle of water to each of them and sat at the table. “Gentlemen, I’m very sorry for the wait,” Mr. Anders said. He stood before the screen on one side of the room, nervously wringing his hands. “The girl, er, the employee who designed this project, is running a bit late, so if you can, please be patient for a few more minutes.” “If you’re referring to Amanda, then that’s not a problem at all,” Mr. Hodgins replied with a confident smile. “The solutions she’s put forward on this project have been truly revolutionary. We’d wait here all day for her if we had to.””Fantastic.” Mr. Anders grinned at Mr. Hodgins and his colleague, Mr. Driver. “Sir?” All heads turned as Amanda appeared at the entrance to the conference room. She wore the same clothes as during the video call yesterday and seemed anxious. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of Claire’s stomach. Claire leaped from her seat and started forward. “Amanda, are you okay?”Amanda averted her gaze and didn’t reply. Mr. Anders approached her and grabbed her arms. “Did you look in the mirror this morning?” Mr. Anders hissed at Amanda. “Why are you dressed in this…this trash? You can’t show up for an important meeting looking like a beggar. What are you doing!?”Claire didn’t miss the way Amanda flinched when Mr. Anders grabbed her or the fearful way she was staring at him now. Amanda glanced around the room like she’d just woken up and wasn’t sure how she’d gotten there. “I-I’m sorry, sir,” Amanda said. “I, uh…” “Look at me.” Mr. Anders leaned over until he and Amanda were face to face and barely two inches apart. “You need to focus now, got it? Focus! Get rid of this…whatever this look is on your face and smile. It’s show time, and I expect you to make me a lot of money today, got it?” It was eerie to see how quickly Amanda’s facial expression shifted from baffled concern to a warm, cheerful smile. It gave Claire the creeps. She withdrew back to her seat and resolved to pull Amanda aside for a private discussion as soon as the presentation was over.Mr. Anders introduced Amanda to the investors, who praised her work and seemed genuinely happy to meet her. Claire watched her carefully, but Amanda’s smile didn’t slip even once. “Well, I suggest we get straight to it,” Mr. Anders said as he guided Amanda toward the presentation screen. “Amanda’s presentation will explain what we have to offer, and we’ll also be more than happy to answer any questions you may have afterward. I’ve also got a nice bottle of scotch on hand so we can celebrate signing the contract in style. So, take it away, Amanda.” “Of course, sir,” Amanda replied. She took her position beside the screen as Mr. Anders sat. All eyes were on Amanda now, and Claire gave her an encouraging smile. But just as Amanda was about to start, they were interrupted. “Well, well, well.” Chris leaned against the doorway as he grinned at Mr. Hodgins and Mr. Driver. “You must be the guys with all the cash! Just how much money do you have?””Get out!” Mr. Anders snapped, half-rising from his seat. But Chris didn’t react at all. He swaggered over to the table, planted his palms on it, and leaned over to study Mr. Hodgins’ watch. “Look at that!” Chris rapped his knuckle against the watch face. “Is it real? Wait, of course, it’s real. You guys are loaded.” He circled the table and patted Mr. Driver’s shoulder. “Nice suit, man. Ooh, look at that!” Chris snatched up the bottle of water. “This stuff is $20 a bottle!” Chris made an appreciative sound as he started to open the bottle. Mr. Anders looked on in horror, and the investors watched in confusion. Claire moved her chair to get as far away from Chris as possible. “Anders, who is this man?” Mr. Hodgins asked. “Uh…this is our new security guard!” Mr. Anders replied. “I’m so sorry, gentlemen. I’m sure he just mixed up the rooms. He’s definitely not where he’s supposed to be.” Mr. Anders hurried over to Chris, put his hands on his shoulders, and steered him toward the door. Claire took one look at Amanda’s face and immediately moved over to the door as well. She placed herself firmly between Amanda and her husband and gave the other woman a reassuring smile.”Hey, suit, I’m here to keep an eye on my girl,” Chris told Mr. Anders. “I said I’d let her come in, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to leave her alone with you and these rich guys. You got it?” Claire glanced over her shoulder. Chris was grinning at Mr. Anders in a predatory way, and judging by the look on Mr. Anders’ face, her boss finally realized the man posed a threat. Then Mr. Anders smiled at Chris. “I get you,” he said. And just like that, Claire lost all her disillusionment about her boss being a decent human being. It was clear to her now that he didn’t just have zero concern for his employees’ wellbeing; he would happily sacrifice any one of them on the altar of his greed.”Claire is going to show you around the office. Claire?” Dear God! Claire’s heart raced as she turned to face Mr. Anders and Chris. The last thing she wanted was to play tour guide to this creep.”Claire will do anything you ask,” Mr. Anders continued as he placed a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “Anything I ask?” Chris smirked as he undressed Claire with his eyes. Just when she thought this couldn’t get any worse, Mr. Anders had just thrown her to the wolves. Mr. Anders leaned in close to her and whispered into her ear. “Keep him out of this office, you hear me? Otherwise, it’s your head!”He didn’t even wait for her to reply. Mr. Anders spun around and strode back into the conference room. Claire dimly heard him apologizing to Mr. Hodgins and Mr. Driver once more before asking Amanda to continue. Claire smiled politely at Chris and gestured for him to walk with her. Her skin crawled beneath his gaze, but she reasoned that she’d be safe enough in the awful man’s company in the office. After all, most of the walls were glass, and there were plenty of people around. She could put up with him for a while. It wasn’t like she’d never had to entertain creepy men before.”So, pretty girl,” Chris said as they walked down the corridor, “are you afraid of your buddy, Chris?”Lord have mercy; he was referring to himself in the third person now. Claire glanced away as she rolled her eyes. “No, sir,” Claire replied. “Good, that’s very good. I wouldn’t want you to be scared in a moment like this.” “What do you mean?” Claire asked, turning to face him. “That guy in the suit, your boss, said that you’d do anything I asked.” Chris moved in closer to Claire. “Anything. You know what I’m getting at, right?” Claire slipped a hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around the cute, glittery pink taser attached to her keychain. She was tempted to drop this jerk like so many pounds of… Claire let out a sigh and composed herself. Losing her temper would only make matters worse.”Yes, but that’s not what he meant. You’ve got to realize he wasn’t pimping me to you, he meant—” Claire said. “So, let’s go somewhere we can get some privacy, huh?” Chris just cut her off and ignored everything Claire had just said. She stared at him in shock, her mind struggling to comprehend how anyone could be such an entitled donkey. “Are you listening to me?” Chris snapped his fingers in front of Claire’s face. “There’s got to be a room, or even a stairwell, where I can be alone with you.” “No, definitely not,” Claire snapped. Chris grinned even wider and stepped right into Claire’s personal space. His body was touching hers, and it was grossing her out. At that moment, she’d rather have swum through a sewer naked than be standing in the office with him. “What do you think you’re doing?” Claire shoved Chris away.In a split second, Chris’s expression changed from playful to predatory. He clenched his jaw, and a mean look burned in his eyes. “Okay, pretty, listen up!” he snarled. “What do you think will happen if I bust into that conference room again? The suit won’t be happy, will he? In fact, I get the feeling that he’d be pretty upset with you for not taking good care of your buddy, Chris.” Claire hated him for being right. Just yesterday, she thought Mr. Anders would understand if she erred during such a tense situation and would have put her safety first. Now, she knew that wasn’t true. “So,” Chris advanced, forcing her back against the wall as he shoved up against her, “I’ll ask you again. Where are we going, pretty?” Since she couldn’t count on Mr. Anders to be anything more than a steaming pile of excrement, Claire was on her own. She could still taze Chris…at this point, she’d take great pleasure from it, too, but he deserved a more lasting punishment. “Okay,” Claire said. “I have an idea. Follow me.””So, the, uh…the sales figures will go…will go…” Amanda stumbled over her words as she tried to get a grip on the mushroom cloud of dread filling her body. Chris was here, at her work, and Mr. Anders had sent him off with Claire. What if he hurt her? Amanda was hot, way too hot. She gripped the collar of her light woolen cardigan to remove it, then thought better. If she took off her cardigan, everyone would see the sleeveless shirt she wore underneath it, and if Chris saw her so exposed in front of other men… She settled for gently flapping the collar of her cardigan instead and tried to push her dark thoughts aside. Claire would be fine…probably. More importantly, once she finished this presentation, she could get Chris out of there. “The figures will, uh, they’ll go up over the next quarter by…” Amanda glanced at the presentation behind her, but nothing on the screen made sense. Her throat felt tight, and her stomach was a churning, unending repetition of that feeling one gets on a roller coaster. Amanda knew she was having a panic attack, and she needed to get it under control. “I’m sorry.” Amanda forced herself to smile as she addressed the investors and Mr. Anders. “So, sales figures over the next quarter will go up by…by…”There was no air in this room, and the walls were closing in on her. Amanda fixed her focus on the bottle of water in front of Mr. Hodgins. She was losing it…everything was spiraling out of her control.”Amanda, are you alright?” Mr. Hodgins asked. “Would you like some water?” “She’s fine,” Mr. Anders said. Amanda looked from Hodgins, who was actually pouring her a glass of water, to Mr. Anders. She didn’t like the way her boss frowned at her…she glanced back at the water and Mr. Hodgins. Everything was slipping away from her. “I’m fine,” she said, “my head is just…it’s just…I’m so dizzy.”Amanda heard someone calling her as the world dropped out from under her. It was a kind voice, and it was strange to hear someone say her name with such concern. She wanted to thank the person for it, but she didn’t have the strength. A cool hand pressed against her forehead, and then Amanda was gone.Mr. Hodgins stared down at Amanda’s pallid face and noted the beads of sweat dotting her skin. There was something very wrong here. “Call an ambulance,” he yelled over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the unconscious woman in front of him. “Amanda, are you alright? Can you hear me?” “Gentlemen, please, this is obviously nothing serious,” Anders said.Hodgins glanced up at the man as he dipped his fingers into his glass of water. He didn’t even bother to lower himself to pat the cool water onto Amanda’s face. Instead, he just stood over her and flicked his fingers so the water rained onto her face. Amanda flinched as though she’d been struck. Her eyes blinked open, filled with terror, then rolled back into her skull once more. “Anders, she needs help!” Hodgins said. “No!” Anders crouched down and stared fiercely at Hodgins. “She needs to finish the presentation so we can sign the contract.” Hodgins stared in disbelief as Anders grabbed Amanda’s arm and tugged her into a sitting position. His shock grew when Anders hissed orders at the poor woman to get up. When Amanda didn’t respond, he stepped away and let her flop over. Hodgins reached out and caught her before she hit the floor.”Gentlemen, look at her,” Anders said cheerily, “she’s obviously a bit nervous. We don’t often talk about contracts of this size or worth this much money, and the pressure is clearly too much for her. But she’ll be okay.” Hodgins did look at Amanda, and she was very far from okay. She’d regained consciousness, sort of. Her eyes were open, but she seemed incapable of focusing on anything. Her gaze wandered around the room as though she wasn’t seeing them at all. “Up you get!” Anders dropped back into his chair and smiled. “Finish the presentation, Amanda.” Amanda braced herself against the floor with both hands. It seemed like she was trying to stand, but it was all she could do to maintain her balance. “See? She’s fine,” Anders declared. Hodgins exchanged a glance with his trusted friend and colleague, Mr. Driver. They’d had several discussions about Anders and his company in the days leading up to this presentation, and this awful scene confirmed every negative suspicion he and Driver had raised. Hodgins could see that Driver felt precisely the same way he did. It didn’t matter if Amanda somehow found the strength to get back up there and finish the presentation; his mind was already made up.Claire led Chris to Mr. Anders’ office and opened the door. She gestured for him to enter and paused momentarily, wondering if she could lock him inside. The vile troll would almost certainly wreck Mr. Anders’ office if she did that. Technically, it would fall under his orders to keep the guy away from the conference room, too. But Mr. Anders would still be mad, and she’d be the one who paid the price. Claire resigned herself to following through with her original idea. She followed him into the office and shut the door. Chris gave her a sharp look and then began stalking around the room. He scanned the walls and ceilings warily. “What are you doing?” Claire asked.”Your buddy, Chris, is no fool,” Chris replied. “I know these offices are filled with cameras.” While the paranoid moron was distracted by his hunt for security cameras, Claire quickly approached Mr. Anders’ laptop. She scrolled and clicked on a desktop shortcut and stepped back just as Chris turned to face her. “Actually, this is Mr. Anders’ office,” Claire replied, “and he wouldn’t tolerate anyone spying on him.””Yeah, I think you’re right.” Chris grinned and moved toward her. “Pretty girl…good girl. You are a good girl, right?” He reached out and brushed his fingers against her neck. Claire felt like she might hurl all over him, but she had to keep it together. She glanced over at the laptop screen. She and Chris were too close to the camera. For her plan to work, she’d need to ensure they were adequately framed.”Wait,” Claire said. “What? Do you want me to go back to that conference room and tell the suit you’re being uncooperative?” “It’s just that Amanda is only a few offices away from this one,” Claire replied. She didn’t honestly expect him to back off at that point, but Claire decided to give him one last chance to do the right thing. Chris just chuckled. “Silly, pretty girl,” Chris said, his voice deceptively light, “I thought you were a good girl, but now I see that you’re just like my Amanda. And my little wifey only understands the language of force.””Sit!” Chris barked out. He shoved Claire down onto the leather loveseat in the corner of Mr. Anders’ office. A horrifying spark of joy mingled with dark desire glittered in his eyes as he looked down at her. He stalked closer until he loomed over her like a hungry bear. There was no doubt in Claire’s mind about what he intended to do to her. “No.” Claire’s voice quavered. “I’m asking you—” “Shush!” Chris reached out as though to cover her mouth. “Be a good girl, pretty.” Claire stared up at him as Chris started unbuttoning his shirt. All of Claire’s courage drained away, leaving only terror. She’d known it would be difficult emotionally to follow through with this plan, but she’d never realized just how horrifying it would be to be stuck alone in a room with this… monster. He had to be a monster because no human would treat another person this way. It all seemed so stupid now. Claire had thought she could tough this out and save Amanda from this jerk by trapping him, but the reality was that she was all alone and stood no chance. Her taser was still in her pocket, but she’d have to wait for the right moment to use it.”There we go.” Chris leaned over and smiled at her. “It’s always the same with you women. You only start to obey when I show you who’s in charge.” “Please, I’m asking you—” “Shush.” Chris wrapped his hand around the lower part of Claire’s face and squeezed until her jawbone ached. “Your buddy, Chris, is going to get mad if I have to tell you to be quiet again. So, shut your mouth, you stupid witch.” Claire desperately looked over at the laptop as Chris plastered a kiss on her cheekbone. He slid his hand down to wrap around her neck, applying just enough pressure to make breathing difficult. She carefully reached for the taser in her pocket. But Chris didn’t like that. He pressed his forearm against Claire’s sternum and leaned on her until she couldn’t breathe. Her arm was now trapped between her side and the couch, and her taser was inaccessible. “Be a good girl, or your pretty face won’t look so pretty anymore,” he snarled, his teeth grazing her face as he spoke.Hodgins helped Amanda off the floor and into his chair. She still seemed entirely out of it, but he hoped that would clear now that she was strong enough to stand. “Amanda? Amanda, how are you?” He didn’t take his eyes off the sickly woman as he reached out, grabbed another chair, and pulled it closer. “Are you still feeling dizzy?” Amanda didn’t answer, but she glanced down when Driver set the glass of water Hodgins had poured earlier in front of her. That was surely a good sign. The laptop on the table chimed then. Hodgins frowned at it. “What’s that?” he asked. “Nothing.” Anders shrugged and continued typing on his cell phone. “Someone’s trying to call me, but this is obviously not a good time. I’ll turn it off.” But Hodgins had caught a glimpse of the screen. He turned the laptop around to get a better look, confirming that he hadn’t been seeing things. “It says G. Anders on here… are you calling yourself?” “What?” Anders glanced from the laptop screen and back to his phone. “No, of course, I’m not calling myself.”Anders pressed a button to accept the incoming video call. Immediately, the woman whom Anders had sent out earlier appeared on screen with the crazy security guard looming over her in a threatening position.”…going to get mad if I have to tell you to be quiet again. So, shut your mouth, you stupid witch,” the security guard said. Hodgins went cold as the woman glanced over at the laptop. She was clearly terrified, and he was deeply afraid for her. Hodgins leaped to his feet. It was clear she was in danger, and he wouldn’t stand by while the security guard assaulted her. “Is that Claire!?” Anders exclaimed. “What the hell is she…”Anders trailed off once he noticed that Hodgins and Driver were staring at him. “It’s not what it looks like,” Anders continued with a simpering smile. “This is innocent. They’re just good friends…” “What are you waiting for?” Hodgins’ heart pounded as he glanced from Anders to the screen. “Call security, now!” “What for?” Anders said. “There’s no reason… everything’s okay. Where are you going?” Hodgins couldn’t take it anymore. He stormed out of the conference room, determined to find that woman, Claire, and get that beast away from her. But he didn’t know where to start…he glanced down the hallway in both directions. Since the call came from Anders’ laptop, it seemed like the best place to start was in Anders’ office.Hodgins burst into Anders’ office. The first thing he saw was the laptop on the table. He followed the direction it was pointed in and was confronted by the furious gaze of the crazy security guard. “What do you think you’re doing, rich man?” the security guard snarled. “Me and the pretty girl are having a good time here. Get lost.” Hodgins took one look at Claire, and his blood boiled. He took a swing at the crazy security guard, but the man blocked his blow. Then suddenly the man went stiff as a board and an electric crackling sound filled the room. The man dropped to his knees. Claire stood over him with a pink taser in her hand and a look of determination on her face. A few minutes later, several security guards burst into the room with Anders on their heels. As the security personnel secured the crazy man, Anders squeezed into the office and gazed around as though checking the room for damage. He glanced at Claire briefly, sneered, and then put his hand to his forehead. “I’ll find you, you stupid girl,” the crazy man yelled as security escorted him out of the room. “You hear me? I’ll find you!”Hodgins walked over to the sofa and crouched down in front of Claire. He carefully and ever so gently placed his hand on hers. “Are you alright?” he asked. Claire nodded and, most encouragingly, looked him in the eye as she assured him she was okay. “What the hell did you do?” Anders shouted. “You idiot! Between you and that moron Amanda, everything has gone to hell! Everything’s gone down the toilet, and it’s all your fault! And you know what? You’re fired!” Hodgins was stunned by Anders’ outburst. Not only did this man have the emotional capacity of a teaspoon, he was a colossal jerk. He glanced over at Claire, and their eyes met. The resignation, anger, and complete lack of surprise at her boss’s awful behavior suggested to Hodgins that this sort of temper tantrum wasn’t unusual. “Get out of here!” Anders pointed to the door.”I’m with Anders on this one, Claire,” Hodgins said. “It’s for the best. Our investment fund needs brave, quick-thinking employees like you. Your talents are wasted here.” “What?” Anders snapped. Hodgins offered Claire his hand and helped her to her feet before turning to face Anders. “We’ve gradually realized who does all the real work around here,” Hodgins said. “And today you proved all our suspicions were correct.” “What are you talking about?” Anders spread his arms wide. “I’m in charge here.” The door opened, and everyone turned as Driver entered with Amanda. Amanda immediately went over to Claire, and the two women held hands. “I’ve got something to say to you, Anders,” Mr. Driver snapped.”Men like you give all the rest of us a bad name.” Driver pointed at Anders. “How dare you try to play off an obvious assault as something innocent? How dare you treat your staff with such flagrant disregard for their safety?” “Oh, come on!” Anders yelled. “It was nothing! Claire can take care of herself.” Driver arched his eyebrows and closed in on Anders. “You are no better than that poor excuse for a human being your security guards dragged out of here. You care only about yourself and your ego. We don’t want to do business with someone like you, and I’m going to make it my personal mission to ensure nobody else wants to do business with you either.” “You’ve lost your mind,” Anders sneered. “You’re both saps and fools to boot! What kind of a man gets so worked up over two silly women?” Driver shook his head. “None of this is really about men and women, Anders, it’s about being a good person who does what’s right and steps up when someone needs help.”Anders swore and shouted at the others in the room, then stormed out. They heard him yelling for security to throw them out as he stomped down the hallway. “Mr. Driver, Mr. Hodgins, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me today,” Claire said. “If you really want to thank us, then you’ll accept my job offer.” Hodgins looked at Amanda. “And the same goes for you. We want both of you to join our company and work on this project together. If that’s okay with both of you?” Amanda and Claire turned to each other and smiled. “That is one hundred percent okay,” Amanda said. “Absolutely,” Claire agreed. “Excellent! In that case, why don’t you two ladies join us for lunch, and we’ll iron out the details,” Hodgins said.Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day. If you enjoyed this story, read this one: Dr. Sarah Silverman loves her job. She loves stitching people back together. When Vanessa is wheeled into her Emergency Room, she is filled with concern over the unconscious woman who has an array of bruises. But what happens when the person responsible for the bruises comes into the hospital?