Protected By Her Controlling Boss

Chapter 2

Two hours later, Angela was sitting on a bus bound for her parent's place and leaning her head against the window. After rushing out of Mr. Arthur's office, Angela submitted her resignation via the company's email app before uninstalling it from her phone. She didn't even stay for a moment to gather any personal items or say goodbye to her coworkers. Angela didn't need to. Nothing she had at the office was valuable. After her mother's antics in the lobby that day, Angela had removed everything important to her fearing she'd be fired without warning one day. It seemed her intuition was correct, and she didn't regret her preparations. Once in her apartment, still retching internally from the feel of Mr. Arthur's hand, she stood under the shower for almost 20 minutes, wishing it'd burn her skin off before she even began to scrub away at herself.

Angela had then redressed into something comfortable and packed quickly per her mother's instructions. There was no sense in keeping Janice waiting, especially if she was willing to go as far as to plot to have her framed for s****l harassment while being harassed. Plus, Angela did want to see her father. He'd turned a blind eye to the treatment that Janice and Angelica had heaped on her, but he wasn't a bad man. He was powerless in his own right, after all. Robert and Janice's marriage had been one of convenience rather than love though he had tried to love her in the beginning. The Grantham family had fallen on hard times and used their son to form a business relationship between their family and Janice's family. Sadly, after her grandparents had passed away and her father had no support behind him, everyone in Janice's family treated Robert like a slave. They allowed him to keep the Grantham name on the business, but he answered to the McComb family now. They had even demoted him to a department manager despite the company belonging to his family. Janice had turned mean on him then, too. No longer willing to fake a civil marriage, Janice was disgusted with her husband's lack of backbone. She saw him as her family did, just another person to use. At this point, Angela felt bad for her dad and wanted to be there for him.

It was early evening by the time the bus stopped near her parent's home in the suburbs. Even though it was already April, the air was still chilly as Angela began the 20-minute walk to the house. She knew better than to call her parents to pick her up even if it was getting cold and late. She hoped there'd be food when she got there but knew that was unlikely, especially since she had hung up on Janice that afternoon. The sandwich she'd picked up on the way to the station was all she'd likely get to eat. Her overnight bag weighed heavily on her shoulder as each step carried her closer to the family home. While it was nicer than any other on the street, perhaps the entire neighborhood, it only filled Angela with coldness and dread. It had not been easy growing up here. In a way, it only felt fair that if Angela didn't feel at home here, neither should her family. Yes, it was fair that they had to give it up and move to survive. Angela shook her head at the thought, willing it to leave her mind. It wouldn't do her any good to let thoughts like that poison who she was. She had finally reached the door and took a moment to collect her thoughts. Never having been considered important enough, Angela had never had a key to this door. Not when she lived here as a girl nor when she visited as an adult. Even visiting at her parent's request, she still had to wait to be let in. Sighing out, she reached out her hand and knocked on the wooden door as loud as she could. Since it was already getting dark, her mother would complain that Angela was noisy if she rang the doorbell. However, Angela knew that Janice just liked to cause her the discomfort of knocking on the heavy door since it hurt her knuckles. One time, Janice forced Angela to knock on the door all afternoon to "teach her how to knock on the door like a lady" and not "bang on it like the cow she was."

There is so much hurt at this place. Angela couldn't wait to see it out of her family forever. When Janice opened the door, though, Angela could tell immediately that something wasn't right. Her dear father, who hardly ever drank, was sipping what looked like scotch in the living room, and not a single thing was packed. There weren't even any boxes. Not for the first time that day, Angela was completely confused about what her mother was trying to do. With a frown, Janice looked her up and down before yanking her into the house without a word. The sudden sting and face plant into the wall as soon as the door closed behind her was also unexpected. Angela looked at her mom as the force of the slap caused the right side of her face to swell up, luckily, being slammed into the wall with the force of said slap didn't break her nose this time. Angela didn't even cry out in pain.

"I told you that you'd regret disrespecting me when we spoke earlier, " Angela's mom gloated at her. Robert didn't even look up. He just continued to sip his drink and stare into nothingness. When Angela didn't respond, Janice frowned, "What are you wearing? I told you to look nice!"

"What do you mean, mom?" Angela tried to keep her voice even and not sound accusatory. "You told me I'd need something to wear tomorrow, but since you said I'd be helping to clean and pack, I thought wearing clothes I could get dirty was reasonable."

"Reasonable? How does one looking like a slob ever come across as reasonable? I could overlook things if you weren't a complete mess, but you're not cute enough to get away with this lazy look of yours."

"And now she's attacking my looks, " Angela thought. "Of course she is."

A voice came from somewhere around the entranceway in the living room. One she thought sounded familiar but couldn't place. Janice jumped and grabbed Angela's arm, dragging her to a guest room before Angela could see who was there.

"Mom, who's here?"

"I told you that your father and I wanted to reintroduce you to Jameson as he agreed to take you on in exchange for helping out our family."

"You said that was tomorrow, though. And where's everything to pack? What's happening," Angela was overwhelmed with everything going on. Nothing was making sense.

"Jameson Rose came over this evening after having drinks with your father this afternoon. I have no idea why he seems so eager to see you and organize the plan with you, but he's here now. So, hurry and change and try to look appealing at all." Janice slammed the door behind her as she left Angela alone in the room. Saddened by her mother's hard treatment, she sat on the bed looking off into space. She seemed to have lost track of time when a voice came from the door. She hadn't heard it open but looked over to see a man had been standing there, looking at her. It seemed he had been there for some time. Angela was so surprised she fell off the bed.

"Still as elegant as ever, Angela. It's been a while." The man seemed to know her and even expect her to know him. Yet, though his voice was familiar, she couldn't remember this face. It was chiseled and smooth. Whoever he was, he was easy to look at. He was impossible not to look at. The man was completely gorgeous. Tall, tan, muscular, and well-dressed, but Angela could still not place him.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this. Yes, you're right. I'm Angela but, forgive me, who are you? Have we met?" Angela looked questioningly at the handsome stranger. The man laughed, a real belly laugh, looking at Angela with a mix of pity and something she couldn't place.

"You really don't remember me, do you, Angie?" Angie. That simple name lifted the veil of confusion.

"Jimmy, what are you doing here? How long has it been? Didn't you move out of state somewhere for school?"

"You forgot about me, didn't you? Let's start over, you've called me Jimmy since we were kids, but my full name is Jameson Rose, and, yes, we moved to Texas when you and I were still in high school."

"You mean," Angela finally remembered to pick herself up off the floor, "You're the Jameson mom was going on about hiring me or something?"

Again, Jameson laughed, "Something like that. Your mother was about to remind you to hurry up, but I thought that maybe showing you a familiar face would get you moving faster. Please, come join us. We have things to discuss." Jameson stopped leaning on the door frame and turned to leave.

"Jimmy, wait, I...",

"Don't call me Jimmy again. I said to hurry up. We have things to discuss." The click of the door handle and lingering silence felt oppressive. Still, Angela had no choice now but to clean herself up and find out why Jimmy was there and what he wanted from her.