OFFICE ENEMIES : I HATE YOU EDAN (Workplace Enemies Series)

CHAPTER THREE

FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND REASONS

Imogen’s POV

“Imogen, Edan. To the conference room now.” Greg ordered turning on his heel and walking away with his tablet tucked under his arm, expecting obedience the way men like him always did.

I didn’t move, neither did Edan. We were standing three feet apart in the middle of the lobby while the other forty people were pretending to check their phones even though they weren’t good at pretending.

“Imogen, it’s five minutes gone since I called you.” Greg called out from the doorway after waiting for a while.

I made the first move before Edan followed behind, we avoided each other’s eyes but I could feel the pressure behind me the way one feels a storm you can’t see yet till the first crack of thunder.

The conference room has glass on its three sides that everyone outside could watch though Greg closed the blinds anyway, which somehow made it worse, because now it looked like a secret, and secrets in an office are never good news.

“Both of you should please sit,” he said.

We sat at the opposite ends of the long table as the wood between us could actually act as a canyon.

Greg brought out a contract with two signatures already on it, one belonging to him, and the other from someone from Belvane Health’s legal team.

The header on the paper read;

“ CAMPAIGN LEAD COMPENSATION AGREEMENT.”

“Five hundred thousand pounds each will be split between you as co-leads. Though it will be paid in tranches which includes thirty percent on signing, forty percent on launch and thirty percent on performance metrics. The Belvane device is the biggest medical launch in the country this year. The board wants your faces, names and your combined reach in order to achieve this.” Greg explained tapping the paper on the table.

“Five hundred thousand.” Edan leaned forward.

The mentioned number was hanging in the air like a held breath. I did the math in my head before I could stop myself. I immediately calculated my mother’s treatment at the specialist hospital in Geneva as her oncologist had mentioned in a voice that meant if money were no object. Five hundred thousand pounds wasn’t just a number rather it was an open door.

“This is a joke right?,” I asked.

“It’s the opposite of a joke. It’s the most generous compensation package Bright Media has ever offered.” Greg blinked.

“Anyways I don’t care what it is. I’m not working with him.” I said pushing the papers back towards him.

“Imogen, you need to reconsider….” Mr Greg muttered.

“It’s been four years and you want me to stand next to him for six months, smile for cameras, and pretend like none of it happened just because you are offering me money.” I lowered my voice as the words came out harder than I meant them to.

“Not exactly Imogen, it’s for your career, for the company and for the device that could save the patients who are in dire need of it.” Greg said without any knowledge of my mother’s health.

Edan without uttering any other word was watching me the way one would watch a lit fuse in a careful manner and waiting for the right explosion. When I finally looked at him, his expression was unreadable like he had so much going on in his mind.

“Edan, a penny for your thoughts.” Greg asked.

“For me, I’m in,” Edan replied.

“You’re in?” I asked him.

“Five hundred thousand pounds to launch a device that treats cancer. And it’s so funny to think that I’m going to walk away from that because of this….” He gestured between us and there was something unrecognizable in his voice which was not the usual tone that I had known over time/

“This is what you call it.” I repeated.

“What would you call it?” He asked nonchalantly.

“It is called betrayal.” I fired.

The word was sitting on the table between us with Greg looking from me to Edan and back again, and for the first time I saw a flicker which was not exactly confusion but the dawning awareness that there was a story behind this whole chaos which he hasn’t been told across his face.

“With this I could tell that there is a history behind all this but I don’t need to know the details. What I need is for both of you to understand that this merger is not a suggestion. The contracts are already signed. Belvane has already announced the campaign publicly and your names are on the press release that goes out tomorrow morning.” Greg informed us slowly, folding his hands.

“Pull them to end the contract because I’m not intrested.” My voice echoed through the room.

“Its too late, I can’t pull them. The board approved this at seven a.m and the announcement is scheduled for six a.m. tomorrow. If you refuse, the board will find someone else to fill your position and your seat, Imogen, is the one that built the pitch. So if you walk away, you lose everything you’ve worked for here.” Greg explained almost getting out of patience.

“What if I lose it?.” I asked.

“Then you will lose the Belvane account entirely, the pitch dies with you, there will be no device to launch and that will bridge the treatment pipeline. So think about what that entails.” Greg’s voice softened slightly.

I had to take a moment to think it through, I thought about my mother in a hospital bed, about the specialist’s voice, about the numbers on the paper. I also thought about standing in a hallway four years ago with cupcakes in my hand and a banner behind me.

“I’m not doing this, you people should find someone else.” I uttered finally.

“There is no one else. Edan, please talk to her.” Greg looked at Edan.

Edan looked at me and for one dangerous second, I could see the boy who had always assured me that I am the only one that matters to him but still the same one who had sat on that bed and told me nonchalantly that the scene before me was not that serious.

“Imogen. Take the money, the campaign, you can also hate me for it if you have to. But don’t walk away from this.” He said quietly.

“Don’t you dare tell me what to do.” I shit at him.

“I’m not telling you. I’m asking. You built this pitch and don’t let me be the reason it dies. ” His voice stayed low and controlled, just the way it used to get when he was trying not to raise it.

Outside the glass walls, I could see people lingering near the blinds, their phones were out and it was obvious that someone was definitely filming through the gap where the blinds didn’t quite meet.

Greg noticed just in time, stood up and opened the door just enough for his voice to carry the order.

“Everyone should please get back to work. Now.” He ordered.

They all responded immediately by scattering to their different directions leaving only curiosity behind which I could feel pressing against the glass.

“This is non-negotiable. You both will sign the document by the end of today or the board will start looking for your replacements.” Greg continued the moment the door was closed again.

Just then, Edan’s chair scraped back, he stood up and for a moment I thought he was going to leave. Instead he walked around the table until he was standing close enough that I could smell the faint trace of the same cologne he had worn four years ago.

“Sign it because if you don’t and walk away then you will forever regret not taking this opportunity.” He said softly but audible enough.

My phone started buzzing in a continuous stream, I noticed that Greg’s phone lit up on the table as well as Edan’s screen glowed in his hand. Mr Greg was the first to pick him up and his face changed.

“What is the matter?” I asked.

He didn’t answer but turned the phone so we could see. The press release had gone out early with its headline reading;

“BREAKING NEWS: Bright Media announces merger and dual campaign leads for Belvane Health’s revolutionary cancer treatment device with Imogen Cole and Edan Cross.”

Scrolling down the headline, comments were already flooding in with our old photos from four years ago already resurfacing.

And somewhere in the replies, a username I hadn’t seen in years which left me dumbfounded had already typed three words:

“Miss me yet?”