Chapter 10 - The First Career She Broke
Nicole had joined Pierce Wealth seven years earlier as an analyst.
Lauren had been two levels above her.
“At first she loved me,” Nicole said. “I did the work. She got the praise. I told myself that was normal.”
Then Nicole complained about a client report Lauren had altered after the deadline.
Two weeks later, Nicole was written up for “poor collaboration.”
A month after that, she was gone.
“Did you appeal?” I asked.
“I was twenty-six and terrified I’d never work in finance again.”
She slid another paper toward me.
It was an email she had printed before leaving.
From Lauren to Delaney.
NICOLE IS BECOMING A PROBLEM. WE NEED TO DOCUMENT HER OUT.
My anger went cold.
This wasn’t about old high school cruelty anymore.
It was a pattern.
“Why didn’t you send this to Charles?”
“I did this morning.”
Good.
I refused to become the private collector of evidence. If Pierce had a compliance process, the evidence needed to go there.
Nicole looked relieved.
Then embarrassed.
“I also came to apologize.”
“For what?”
“In school, when Lauren went after you, I laughed sometimes.”
I sat back.
“Why?”
“Because I was afraid if I didn’t, she’d pick me next.”
For a moment, we were both teenagers again.
“I remember,” I said.
Nicole’s eyes filled.
“I’m sorry.”
I believed her.
That didn’t erase anything. But it mattered.
After she left, Ethan called.
“Our cybersecurity team traced one of the spoofed emails.”
I stood.
“To Lauren?”
“No.”
“To who?”
“A laptop assigned to Mark Delaney.”
I exhaled.
Then Ethan added, “Maya, the laptop was reported stolen yesterday.”
“After the investigation started?”
“Yes.”
“And guess where security says Delaney was last night.”
May you like
I already knew I wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Outside your restaurant.”
