CHAPTER 8:REBECCA’S REVENGE.
1264 Words
The next morning, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.
72 notifications. 200 new followers. 15 comments on Chapter 7.
And one voicemail from a number I didn’t recognize.
I pressed play while making coffee.
"[Name]. This is HR from Cole Enterprises. Due to an ongoing investigation, we need you to come in and sign some documents regarding your termination. Please call back to schedule."
I deleted it.
Adrian was already at the office when I got there. Suit gone. Jeans. Coffee in hand. Looking like he hadn’t slept.
"Morning, Boss," he said with a small smile.
"Don’t call me that," I said. "Not yet."
"Fair," he said. "We have a problem."
"What now?"
He turned his laptop to me. A news article.
**COLE ENTERPRISES CEO RESIGNS AMID SCANDAL. FORMER ASSISTANT TO SUE FOR WRONGFUL TERMINATION.**
Below it was my name. My full name. And a photo of me from the company website.
"Rebecca," I said.
"Rebecca," Adrian confirmed. "She leaked it to the press. She wants to control the narrative before we do."
I read the article. It made me look greedy. It made Adrian look like a monster. It made Cole Enterprises look like the victim.
"She’s good," I said.
"She’s ruthless," Adrian corrected. "And this is just the start."
As if on cue, my email pinged.
From: r.cole@coleenterprises.com
Subject: Cease and Desist
`Ms. Okafor,`
`You are hereby ordered to stop using the name "Meridian Solutions". It infringes on Cole Enterprises trademarks. Further action will be taken if you do not comply within 24 hours.`
`- Rebecca Cole, Legal`
I laughed. "Meridian? The deal that failed? She’s claiming that?"
"She’s claiming everything," Adrian said. "She’s going to try to bury us in paperwork before we get our first client."
I closed the laptop. "Okay. New plan."
Adrian looked up. "What?"
"We fight back," I said. "But not in court. In business."
---
By noon, we had three problems.
Problem 1: No one would rent us office space. Three landlords cancelled after "getting a call from Cole Enterprises."
Problem 2: Our website was down. "Cyber attack," the hosting company said. "Very sophisticated."
Problem 3: Our first potential client cancelled. "Sorry, we can’t work with you. Cole Enterprises is one of our investors."
Adrian slammed his fist on the table. "This is illegal."
"This is Rebecca," I said. "And we’re playing her game."
I stood up. "We need to go somewhere."
"Where?"
"To see someone who hates Rebecca more than she hates us."
---
Two hours later, we were in a coffee shop in the industrial part of town.
Across from us sat Mrs. Adebayo. Adrian’s mother.
She was elegant. Sharp. And looking at her son like he was a stranger.
"Adrian," she said. "I told you not to come."
"Mom," Adrian said. "Please. Just listen."
Mrs. Adebayo turned to me. "You must be the girl."
"Amara," I said. "And yes."
She studied me. "You look tired."
"I am," I said honestly. "Rebecca is trying to destroy us."
Mrs. Adebayo sipped her tea. "She’s always been like that. Even as a child. If she couldn’t have the biggest toy, she’d break it."
Adrian leaned forward. "Mom, she’s using company resources to harass us. She’s committing fraud."
"And what do you expect me to do?" Mrs. Adebayo asked. "Your father put her in charge of legal while you were 'finding yourself'."
"I expect you to help us," Adrian said. "Because if Rebecca wins, she’ll run this family into the ground."
Mrs. Adebayo was quiet for a long time. Then she set down her cup.
"I can’t stop her legally," she said. "But I can give you something better."
She pulled out a USB drive and slid it across the table.
"What’s this?" I asked.
"Every email Rebecca sent in the last 6 months," Mrs. Adebayo said. "Including the ones to the press. Including the ones to the landlords. Including the one where she brags about framing you."
Adrian stared at it. "Mom... how?"
"I’m still on the board," Mrs. Adebayo said. "And I’m not stupid. I knew Rebecca was up to something."
She looked at me. "Use it wisely, Amara. Don’t become like her."
"I won’t," I promised.
Mrs. Adebayo stood up. "One more thing. The name 'Meridian Solutions'. It’s not trademarked. Rebecca is lying. File the paperwork today."
Then she walked out.
Adrian and I stared at the USB.
"We just got a weapon," I said.
---
That night, we didn’t go home.
We worked.
Adrian drafted a response to the cease and desist. I filed the trademark for Meridian Solutions.
At 2am, Adrian posted something on his personal LinkedIn.
No lawyers. No PR team. Just him.
He hit post.
Within an hour it had 10k likes.
Within 3 hours, Rebecca called him 8 times.
He didn’t answer.
At 4am, I finally looked up from my laptop.
"You should sleep," I said.
Adrian shook his head. "Can’t. I keep thinking about what she’ll do next."
I stood up and walked around the table. Sat next to him.
"Hey," I said. "Look at me."
He did.
"We’re not going to let her win," I said. "Okay?"
"Okay," Adrian said. But he looked scared.
So I did something I hadn’t done in 6 months.
I took his hand.
His fingers were cold. Mine were warm.
"Thank you," he whispered. "For trusting me."
"Don’t make me regret it," I said.
"I won’t," he said.
We sat like that for a while. Just holding hands. In an empty office. With a USB full of evidence and a company that might not survive the week.
It was terrifying.
It was also the most alive I’d felt in years.
---
The next morning, the war started.
Rebecca filed a lawsuit. $2 million for "defamation and trademark infringement."
Cole Enterprises issued a statement: "Adrian Adebayo no longer represents our company. Any statements he makes are his own."
And then the worst part.
My old coworkers started messaging me.
`I’m sorry. We knew it wasn’t you.`
`HR made us sign NDAs.`
`Rebecca threatened our jobs.`
Screenshots. Proof. Witnesses.
I forwarded everything to our lawyer. A young woman Adrian found who wasn’t afraid of Cole Enterprises.
"This is good," she said. "This is really good. But Rebecca will escalate."
"Let her," I said.
That afternoon, we got our first client.
A small bakery that Cole Enterprises had pushed out of their lease.
"Mr. Adebayo," the owner said on the phone. "I saw your post. If you’re really trying to help people like us... we need you."
Adrian looked at me and nodded.
"Yes," he said. "We can help you."
After he hung up, he turned to me.
"First client," he said.
"First of many," I said.
We high-fived. Like kids.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"[Name]," Rebecca’s voice said. Smooth. Cold. "I see you got my gift."
"What gift?" I asked.
"The lawsuit," she said. "Consider it a welcome present to the business world."
"You’re going to lose," I said.
"Am I?" Rebecca laughed. "I have the best lawyers. I have the board. I have my father’s name. What do you have, [Name]? A broke ex-CEO and a USB drive?"
"I have the truth," I said.
The line went quiet.
"The truth doesn’t pay legal fees," Rebecca said. "See you in court."
She hung up.
Adrian looked at me. "What did she say?"
"That she’s scared," I said. "And when people are scared, they get sloppy."
I held up the USB. "Time to get sloppy back."
Adrian smiled. A real, dangerous smile.
"Yes, Boss," he said.
This time, I didn’t correct him.
- Writer
