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Back The Lying House Save as PDF
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

Her work began slipping. Some female coworkers were sympathetic at first—“that dick of an ex did this to her”—and tried to protect her, until she begged for money, calling at all hours and finally stealing it from them.

Then came the time they found her in the alley behind the building on East Ninth Street, which led to her in-laws taking custody of Lucas, her little boy. She’d sought help, but it was futile.

She was quietly fired.

That had been about nine months ago.

“Just hear me out, Jeff. Would you be decent enough to do that?”

He stared back in silence, her cue to continue.

“I haven’t used in over four, almost five, months now. I’m getting things together, and I need to show that I’m on the right track so I’ll get Lucas back. To do that, I need you to help me get my job back but here, in this office, because my in-laws who have my son live in Florida, in Boca.”

Jeff gave his head slow, little shakes.

“It’s admirable that you’re getting clean, that you’re pulling your life together, but I can’t recommend you be hired back.”

“You don’t understand. I have no options. This is my only hope.”

“You don’t understand. I helped you in Cleveland. I covered for you. I gave you money. All of your favors with me have been used up.” Jeff stopped, softened his tone. “I’m new here, Vida. This office is different from Cleveland. I have no say in hires. You’ve been through a rough time, but you have to get on with your life, start fresh. Somewhere else.”

Her face became stony.

“All this—” she stabbed her chin at his office and view “—your job, your move here, all this should be mine, and you know it.”

“What?”

“You know what you did. What we did.”

“What’re you talking about, what we did? Nothing happened.”

“Something definitely happened, Jeff, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

He dragged both hands over his face. “You were sick, Vida. Your work suffered. I had to pick up your projects, and that’s what happened, nothing else. There’s no we. We’re done here. I listened. It’s time to leave.”

“Not yet.” She looked at him for a moment. “I know about your new twenty-five-million-dollar campaign.”

“From who?”

“I have my ways of finding out things. More important, the concepts you used are the ones I created in Cleveland. You stole my work.”

“Stop right there. Those are my concepts. I finished your sloppy, half-developed work for you when you were sick. You had created nothing when I took over your stuff. You had nothing.”