The Creepshow: A Novel Read online

  “I thought she was out sick.”

  Maddie shook her head.

  “What happened? And why didn’t Louis at least tell us?”

  “No one likes talking about sexual harassment, Wanda.”

  “What?” A shiver ran up and down her spine. I’m not the only one.

  Maddie lowered her voice and her gaze as she spoke. “Rumor has it she didn’t appreciate Louis’ advances, nor did she appreciate that he strongly suggested she get an abortion if she hoped to keep her job.”

  “She’s pregnant?”

  “Third child on the way.”

  “How long had this been going on? The harassment, I mean.” Wanda’s mind was racing. Kate was a beautiful woman with long blond hair and a dazzling smile. She turned heads inside and outside of the office. But she was also married and the mother of two—well, now almost three. The idea of Louis putting sexual pressure on her made Wanda want to gag.

  “So she just left?” Wanda asked. “Quietly, like that?”

  “Well, she’s filed a lawsuit for harassment. And word has it there are several other women in Whilt offices around the world who’ve filed for harassment or discrimination, naming male employees in the suit.”

  Wanda thought of her own situation since she’d returned from maternity leave, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it with Maddie or anyone else. She admitted it: She was still in denial. This nightmare may be happening to these other women, but it’s not happening to me. My case was isolated. One—OK two—times.

  She turned back to Maddie. “What sort of trouble were you referring to? Just this about Kate, right? Management’s reaction, maybe?”

  Maddie reached over and squeezed Wanda’s arm.

  “Wanda, you have to be prepared for any outcome.” She pronounced the words slowly, deliberately. Wanda’s stomach flip flopped. She dropped her cup onto the saucer with a clang. If she drank another mouthful, she would vomit. Maddie’s words echoed in her head.

  “This isn’t about me,” Wanda snapped.

  “Wanda, Wanda, listen, calm down. I didn’t mean to upset you. I want you to understand something.”

  “What?”

  “Whilt does not like women with babies and toddlers.”

  “But you had children, and you went far in your career at Whilt! This can’t happen to everyone!” If I push it away, if I say it’s not true, it won’t be true.

  “Slowly but surely, things have changed, Wanda. Ironic, isn’t it? You would think the work environment for women would improve as time goes by, but that isn’t necessarily the case. And it depends on management too. Climates change at companies.”

  Wanda sat in silence. Her eyes dropped to her fingers as they played with the strap of her handbag. She wasn’t one to believe what someone told her without proof to back it up, but Maddie’s comments were hardly out of the blue. They made sense. And that couldn’t mean anything positive for her future at the company.

  “Are you saying I’ll be next? Driven to suicide or driven out the door?”

  “I don’t know,” Maddie said. She swallowed the last few drops of coffee and pushed her cup and saucer to the side. “But I do think you should be prepared.”

  “To find a new job?”

  “Maybe.”

  ~~~~

  Wanda returned to her desk with a glumness that was impossible to hide. But it didn’t matter. No one paid much attention to her. She was like a walking spreadsheet, speaking only of fund performance, annual reports and other dry subjects while the others talked about weekend trips or evenings bar hopping.

  Something on her desk caught her eye as she slipped out of her coat and tossed it onto the back of her chair. A large manila envelope with her name written across the top. She opened it and froze. A preliminary performance evaluation. She scanned the words, the numbers, the cacophony on the page. None of this made sense. She hadn’t been told she’d be receiving a preliminary review. And the information it contained, in many instances, was false or skewed.

  Deciding to go straight to the source, she marched to Louis’ office and stood in the doorway. He glanced at her, then down at his papers, then back up again.

  “Sorry, I thought you were Elisabeth,” he said, referring to his secretary. “What can I do for you, Wanda?”

  “What’s this, Louis?” she asked, waving the performance review in the air as she took a step closer. “We need to talk.”

  “Have a seat.”

  She settled into the messiness of his office and glared at him.

  “We’ve started doing preliminary reviews, to give employees an idea of what to expect. It’s to help you as you progress toward your goals.” His voice was businesslike, but his eyes still undressed her.

  “This review is unfair.” She refused to break away from his gaze and show her discomfort.

  “What do you mean by unfair?”

  “You’re comparing my fund performance with that of managers managing entirely different products in different regions. That wasn’t how it was done in the past. And the goals—they’re unattainable. You’re expecting my funds to be plus five by the end of the quarter, meaning in about two weeks? The only thing happening in the market right now is window dressing! Investors buying a few high flyers to make their funds look good. You can’t expect a major change in performance.”

  “Wanda, if you have a problem with your evaluation, you can contact human resources. As far as I’m concerned, it’s fair.”

  “Human resources? But they don’t understand what I do on a daily basis! You are the one who should do it—and who should know better.”

  “Or you can meet with me privately, babe. I’m sure we could work something out.”

  Wanda’s mouth opened, but words wouldn’t come out. Even with Kate’s lawsuit dangling above his head, Louis wasn’t changing his ways. Because he doesn’t believe Kate will win. He doesn’t believe any woman would win.

  Wanda rose from her seat as Louis’ eyes wandered from her eyes to her chest. She turned and walked out.

  Chapter 11

  “My life is so screwed up.” Wanda sank deeper into Galina’s couch and brought the fishbowl of a wineglass to her lips. She’d spilled her story—everything—to Galina. Well, not the part about Max. She wanted to handle that on her own, if there was anything to handle. At this point, she might never even see him again. No. She wouldn’t think of that right now. She had enough troubles with all that was unfolding at Whilt. But at least she wasn’t completely alone since she’d shared her anguish with her best friend. Even though the problems remained, she did feel as if some of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  Galina had listened patiently, with that unemotional attorney face, then asked questions, all the while refilling their wine glasses and little dishes of crackers that only she had been eating. It was girls’ night. Charles was out of town on business, and Wanda and Nelly had come over to spend the night. Usually that meant watching movies, getting drunk, laughing. But tonight the drinking wasn’t accompanied by movies or giggles.

  The only giggles came from Anya’s bedroom as she tried to convince the babysitter to let her stay up just a little longer. Nelly was already sleeping soundly.

  Galina’s unemotional expression had transformed into the wheels-turning expression. She’d tucked her long, thin legs underneath her and looked like an exotic cat ready to pounce from the armchair.

  “So what are you cooking up?” Wanda asked with a sigh. “There’s no solution, you know. I wanted to fight, but there’s no way—”

  “Of course there’s a way,” Galina said. She stood up and paced in front of the window just as the Eiffel Tower began to twinkle. For five minutes on the hour. Midnight. “Wanda, you have to seek legal advice.”

  “Well, I’m asking you. Isn’t that good enough? You are an attorney.”

  Galina rolled her eyes.

  “Wanda, I’m talking to you as a friend. You need advice from an attorney whose specialty is labor law—”
/>
  “That’s your specialty,” Wanda interjected.

  “And who’s used to defending employees,” Galina continued. “I’ve defended employers, remember?”

  Wanda sighed, set down her glass and rubbed her eyes. “I’m not really motivated to do it, not now. Sure, everything looks pretty bad, but I haven’t been fired or put on probation. Maybe I’m overreacting. Louis’ words are just that—words.”

  “You’re not overreacting. I can tell you that for certain—and from the point of view of an attorney who has seen companies pull the wool over employees’ eyes plenty of times. They are setting you up, Wanda. They have established goals that are impossible for you to attain. Therefore, you will fail, and they will have the excuse they need to fire you. Louis is playing a role in that and harassing you to boot. It’s quite a cocktail.”

  Wanda shivered as her friend said “fire you.” Words she hadn’t allowed to enter her mind were now stuck there.

  “I knew something was up when you told me about that heavier workload,” Galina said.

  “You probably knew something was up because of the look on my face.”

  “That too.” Galina smiled then—one of her serious, take-charge smiles—and sat down next to Wanda. “Listen, I’m going to take some notes on this, do a bit of research and then get you in touch with an attorney.”

  “How about you? If I end up suing the company, that is.”

  “I’m on sabbatical.”

  “I know. But how about coming out of sabbatical? I think you miss working.” Wanda had noticed more than once how Galina eagerly joined in conversations about Charles’ cases or spent spare time doing research.

  Galina lowered her eyes, and Wanda sat up straight, surprised at catching a sliver of weakness in her friend. This was an extremely rare occurrence.

  “I’m right, aren’t I? If I do decide to sue the company—and I’m not sure that I will—but if I do, this would be the perfect opportunity for you to return to law.”

  The idea sounded overly simplistic, ridiculous even, as if cooked up by an eager teenager. Heat rose into Wanda’s cheeks. She hated sounding silly. Yet the thought of Galina taking control of this unwieldy situation comforted her.

  Galina quickly regained her composure, her golden eyes now steady and filled with the usual decisiveness.

  “This is about you, Wanda. It’s not about me. When I decide to return to work, you’ll be the first to know. You’re always the first to know.” Her voice softened, and she squeezed Wanda’s hand. “But it’s not the right time. I’d promised myself to stay on sabbatical until Anya turned six. I’ve got two more years. And in any case, I’m not the right attorney for you.”

  But Wanda knew her friend was indeed the best attorney she could possibly have on her side. And that’s what she communicated with the look she gave her. Still, she knew there was no convincing Galina. Her whole life, Galina had only been forced into a decision by one person—herself.

  Wanda thought back to their college days. Galina had always run the show. Even in class, she managed to convince professors to change the date of a test or recognize her unconventional analysis of a situation. She had a certain charisma that came with self-assurance.

  Perhaps all of this self-assurance came from her enchanted life. Galina was used to castles, champagne and elegant dresses. Her father had been a Russian diplomat. Galina didn’t know which country to call home after living in Russia, France, England, the United States and her birthplace, Nigeria. She was told she was adopted, but she knew better. She had her father’s eyes. Yet Galina did not waste time mulling over situations that couldn’t be changed, especially when they didn’t present a problem. Her parents had adored her and shielded her from hardship. And this built her into the confident woman Wanda had relied on since the day they met.

  Conversely, Wanda’s childhood hadn’t included castles and champagne. Just a comfortable uneventful bunch of years growing up in the lower level of a two-family house in Cambridge. Cold winters skating on Frog Pond, warm summers lounging on the Common. Both of her parents were teachers at a local high school so they would take her on trips during the long summer break: New York City to visit museums, the Cape for a beach holiday, a road trip through New England. That sort of thing. Nothing exotic and international about Wanda’s early days. Yet somehow, she and Galina, in spite of their vastly different experiences, easily fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

  Wanda finished her wine and set her empty glass on the coffee table. “I’m sure you at least have an opinion? About how this is going to go.”

  “They will fire you, Wanda. Sooner or later. But I think you realize that. This company is used to doing anything to come out on top. Take what you told me about Xavier. You can’t stop Whilt from doing something illegal. But you can fight for justice afterward, and justice will be served. It’s essential to be proactive, to attack them before they can attack you. Because you do have reason to attack them.”

  Wanda suddenly felt sick. All of the wine made her stomach churn, bubbling up from within. Or maybe it was just those words she didn’t want to hear. In any case, she finished the evening in the bathroom, crouched over the toilet.

  Chapter 12

  Christmas Eve. Wanda had ignored Hanukkah, hadn’t lit a single candle in the antique Menorah that remained stuffed in a closet. She had pretty much ignored the Christmas spirit too, refusing Galina’s multiple invitations to dinner and eschewing any form of decoration. She would usually decorate for both holidays. Not an ostentatious display, but the Menorah on the mantel and a waist-high Christmas tree with a mismatched assortment of bulbs on its branches. This time, though, she had been so immersed in the worries about her job and the disastrous encounter with Max that she couldn’t care less about holiday décor.

  So there she was, at her desk at five p.m. on Christmas Eve, when the swirl of office gossip finally reached her ears.

  “You mean you didn’t see today’s Times?” one voice asked. “Check this out.” The pattering of footsteps as the few left in the office at this late hour on the day before a holiday ran to hover over a computer.

  “Fuck.” Another voice.

  “They are so screwed.” Another.

  Wanda sank lower into her seat and opened The Times’ website. She’d rather get the truth straight from the source than sit around gossiping with the bunch over in the corner.

  Her breath caught in her throat as she read the headline and scanned the article. Ito had been arrested for his illegal bitcoin activities. And Whilt’s Asian funds had been seized. The Japanese government, investigating Whilt’s involvement with Ito, considered ousting the company from the country. The article made no mention of Xavier Laval, but his name was on the tongue of every whisperer she heard over the next twenty minutes.

  Louis had already jumped ship, off to Chamonix for a fireside Christmas at the family chalet. Maddie was long gone too. Only the few holiday stragglers, underlings and singles, sniffed around for clues like a pack of wild dogs. Their questions, curses and suppositions echoed in Wanda’s ears, but she remained frozen at her desk. Her only thoughts were for Xavier and Rita. Were they OK? She texted Rita, knowing she was always up late, always plugged in. Then she gathered her coat and handbag, and headed out of the office before she would be forced into that frenzy of mad animals trying to find out exactly what had happened with Whilt in Japan.

  ~~~~

  “We’re OK and coming home next week. Don’t worry.” The message from Rita lit up the phone as Wanda stood by the window watching the rain fall. She let out a sigh of relief and texted back, “Relieved. Merry Christmas to both of you in spite of all this. See you soon.”

  Then she scooped up Nelly and sank onto the couch. Nelly latched onto her bottle and inhaled her milk in record time. The baby’s crying jag had ended, and now she rested comfortably against her mother’s chest.

  “Growth spurt, little one?” Wanda said with a smile. She cuddled Nelly, then chatted with her like s
he was a small adult. “You know, next time the holidays will be better. You’ll wait for Santa, leave out a few cookies. This year, you’re a little young for all of that. But you still have some presents.”

  With one hand, Wanda unwrapped a tiny pink silk dress from her parents—totally impractical but charming—a stack of cozy pajamas and some books from Galina and then some noisy rattles and a Chinese dress that she picked up during her trip. Nelly grasped eagerly at the paper.

  The phone rang, and Wanda popped a pacifier into Nelly’s mouth and settled her into the lounger with a few of the board books. Nelly quickly spit out her pacifier and began to chew on the corner of the one shaped like a giant red apple. Wanda grinned. Even when she was unhappy, Nelly could make her smile. Then she answered the phone. Galina.

  “Thanks for the lovely gifts!” she said, trying to sound cheerful.

  “How about coming over, Wanda? You’re depressing me, you know that, right? Thinking of you and Nelly alone there.”

  “I’m exhausted, Galina, and better off like this. Really. You’re doing me a favor.”

  Silence for a few seconds. Wanda was almost expecting Galina to mention the article in The Times. But then she remembered this would be the one day of the year, with an elegant dinner to prepare, that Galina would not be plugged in to the latest news. At least not until Charles got back from the office.

  “Charles home?” Wanda asked.

  “Not yet. I’m hoping by eight. You’ll stop by tomorrow, right? For a casual tea in the afternoon. You promised.”

  “Yeah, we’ll be there.”

  “Good. Merry Christmas, Wanda.”

  “A merry one to you too.”

  With a sigh, Wanda dialed her parents’ number. They would be having dinner later at her aunt’s house. A big to-do with the Catholic side of the family. Right now, Wanda’s mother would be wrapping gifts, last minute as usual.

  The conversation was brief, mainly because Wanda lied and said she would be heading out to a holiday party in about ten minutes. It was easier this way. Her mother wouldn’t worry about her sitting home alone with a bowl of chips and a glass of wine in front of the computer screen.