“But—”

“I’m talking now,” she said over Frank. Nash just stared, his mouth open, and she continued on a full head of steam. “You told me I’d be getting a raise, one I deserved. Instead you gave me another job for no pay. Yeah. No. Pay. And that’s…bullshit.” Her heart threatened to explode from her chest. “I’m done. No more doing your work for you. No more doing work I’m not even getting paid to do. Not even a thank you for everything I’ve done to help ‘the team.’” She scowled. “So take my job and Laura’s job and your own and shove them up your ass.”

She turned on her heel and flew back to her cubicle, where she dialed Katie. “I did it. I quit and told Frank to shove it up his ass.”

“Holy shit! I’ll be right down.”

Justine hastily packed up her things, using an empty cardboard box from the supply room. She didn’t have much. A plant, a few sketch pads, some watercolors she’d brought from home.

“Justine, I don’t think you’ve thought this through,” Frank said as he came to her cubicle, walking gingerly, as if expecting a bomb to detonate.

She ignored him.

Katie arrived with a huge grin. “Finally!” She turned to Frank. “You’ve used my buddy for the last time, bucko.”

Breaking into hysterical laughter would make her look doofy, so Justine kept her mouth shut and continued to pack. A small glance at Frank showed him looking ill.

“Justine, I think you’re just under a great deal of stress.”

“Ya think?” Katie snarled. “You shoved Laura’s work on Justine instead of hiring a new employee. And you stiffed her on the raise you said you were giving her.” Katie’s voice continued to rise, and a small crowd gathered around them.

“That’s not true,” Frank huffed. “We’re downsizing, and I—”

“Got a new admin assistant,” Justine had to say. She turned to glare at him. “You have a big office with plenty of time to sit around and chitchat while I stay until seven or eight just trying to get through my day. You have used and abused this employee. I’m reporting all this to HR too. I don’t give a damn if they don’t care. I do, and I’m tired of not being appreciated for all I do for this company.” She said over him, “And to all of you who I’ve helped for months on end, you’re fucking welcome!”

She grabbed her box and her purse. Katie grabbed her plant. She headed straight for the door, glad Frank had moved and the crowd had parted because she would have walked right through them out of the building.

Once at her car, after stowing her things, she turned to Katie, still not believing she’d done it. “I quit. I cursed. I’m done here.”

Katie pumped her fists in the air. “Fuck, yeah.” She glanced at a beep on her phone. “Shoot. I have to get back for a meeting and tie things up. Then I’m quitting too!”