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Of Corporate Scandals
Chapter 29. After Hours
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"You're going to help me destroy Open Seas and Percy Jackson."
"What are you talking about?" Annabeth gaped, "I thought you and Poseidon were allies now."
Athena rolled her eyes, waving her hand, "As if I'd ever align myself with that oaf." She crossed the room and sat at Percy's desk, "I played nice and did what I needed to do to get you out of the press."
Annabeth scoffed, "I really think you should leave now, Mother—"
Athena abruptly cut her off, "Listen to me, Annabeth. I know you've been offered an executive position here." Her mother stared her down with those intense gray eyes that matched own, "And I come with a counter-offer."
"How did you know about that?"
"Because people are already talking, my dear. And not in a good way."
"I haven't agreed to it yet."
"Yes, but the fact that the CEO wants to appoint a 24-year-old to head their design department with no professional experience? It's laughable."
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mother," Annabeth muttered. But she felt the sting, Athena just confirmed all of her insecurities.
"No," Athena said, sharply, "What's laughable is that with the proper experience and the correct education, you'd be perfectly suitable for the job yet you're tarnishing your reputation by acting like a silly girl social climbing with her idiot boyfriend."
Annabeth gaped, "I—"
"Annabeth, I want you to join me at Wisdom Enterprises. Stop playing this house fantasy."
"I'm not playing house with Percy."
"Really? You've quit school, moved in with him, you're barely working, one-half of Manahttan's 'it' couple. I'm sure the real housewives will call you soon."
"Why do you care?"
"Because you're my daughter, and you're wasting your potential!" Athena clasped her hands on the desk, "You've made quite the impact after being in the press, of course my board discovered you were my daughter. And they are concerned that my eldest is working for our largest competitor. It's not a good look."
Annabeth crossed her arms.
"I know you can't be happy here, and if you're anything like me," Athena continued, "And I know that you are, you will not be satisfied with your new role that was handed to you by your boyfriend."
"And if I said no to the position? Why would I join you? Or help you ruin Open Seas?"
"What would you do if you didn't join me? Go back to school, and then what? Try to get another internship? Your name has been dragged through the papers and plastered all over magazines, what firm will hire you?" Athena looked at her, "I know I've made mistakes as a mother, but let me rectify then. I will put you through the rest of her masters, and then come join me."
"In exchange for what?"
Athena produced a plain envelope from her coat pocket, placing it in front of Annabeth, "All you need to do is plant these files here in this office. They contain invoices for fraudulent purchases Poseidon made in the past. If their newest executive were to discover these and bring them to light…" Athena's grin was cold.
Annabeth thrust the envelope back towards her mother, "Why would I ruin him? Why do you think I would destroy Percy? I love him."
Athena scoffed, "Annabet, do you hear yourself? You're not going to throw your future away for that boy. Open Seas is barely standing since Poseidon appointed that idiot as CEO. Perseus never wanted to take over this company for his father, and it's showing. This will just hurry them on a path they're already on."
Athena went in for the kill, "I know it's your dream to have your own firm, your father called me when he'd heard you'd stopped your studies. You think staying on this sinking ship with Opens Seas will get you there? Join me, your mother, join the family business and you can truly have your own firm, under your name. Not under Percy Jackson's."
The office was silent except for the distant noise of New York City traffic below on the street.
"I'll let you think about it," Athena stood, "I know you feel some loyalty to this man, but I wish you could see how they view you here. I see my strong, sensible daughter, but all you will ever be here is his consort. You will never gain their respect." Athena tied her coat.
"You're wrong," Annabeth said, still seated, her voice sounded like a smell, "He believes in me."
Athena said, smoothing her daughter's hair in a surprisingly affectionate gesture, "If he did, he wouldn't have sabotaged the applicant pool for this new position."
Annabeth felt like she'd been slapped, "You're lying."
"I have informants of my own, Annabeth. I'm not." Athena glanced around the office, "Look for yourself, I bet he wasn't clever enough to get rid of the evidence."
"You have my number, call me when you've come to your senses. With the swish of her designer coat, Athena was gone.
Annabeth turned back to Percy's desk, ripping over his drawers. She'd spent hours organizing his desk, and new every file. She yanked open his junk drawer. Nothing out of the ordinary.
She dropped to her knees next to the trash bin. It was full to the brim with papers. Annabeth dug through it, grabbing a stack and dumping it on the floor. She frantically searched and read through them.
A choke escaped her lips as she read through the papers; they were portfolios. And resumés. Dozens and dozens of applications for the architecture position. So many qualified, talented applicants were thrown out for her position — real experienced applicants.
Annabeth dropped the files and hastily shoved them all back into the trash bin. She scrambled to her feet, looking at the plain envelope her mother had left behind.
Calypso Atlas switched off the single desk lamp that was the only object illuminating the entire floor at Open Seas Inc as Athena Wisdom stormed by towards the elevator. Calypso was almost giddy with excitement as she witnessed the conversation that just unfolded before her.
She was still in happy disbelief with how utterly easy it was to get into this building at night after hours. She hadn't expected anyone else to be up in the office, especially Annabeth. She didn't even notice Calypso up there at all, and then her mother of all people showed up as well.
The two of them made Calypso's job a million times easier, basically begging for someone to overhear their conversation.
Calypso hid in the darkness behind a cubicle as she watched Annabeth finally exit Percy's office. She was too engrossed with staring at the pages within a small, manila folder to even notice she wasn't alone. Annabeth paused, scrutinizing the invoices before hastily throwing them in the nearest trash bin and storming out of the office.
Calypso wandered over to the bin and picked up the manila folder, grinning, "Oh my, Ms. Chase, what do we have here. Someone's being naughty."
Oh yes, it just got a whole lot easier.