Capitulo 11

Regina's initial reaction to Emma's question was confusion. She was too absorbed in her work to fully understand what Emma was talking about. "What?" she said, looking at Emma strangely. "What are you talking about, Emma? Don't you see that I am trying to work here?"

"I did that work for you," Emma replied, her frustration mounting.

Regina, still not fully comprehending the situation, responded, "Yes, I know you already told me. Now leave because we have to work."

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had put in so much effort and was hoping for some acknowledgment or appreciation. Feeling disheartened, she left Regina's office, anger and disappointment swirling within her. She felt that all her hard work had gone unnoticed.

Jefferson watched the interaction between Regina and Emma, his confusion growing. "But, Regina..."

Regina, still immersed in her work, interrupted him. "But nothing, Jeffy. Let's get working."

Emma reached the lobby, where Ruby and Ashley noticed her departure. They inquired about the situation, with Ruby cautiously mentioning if someone had seen something. Emma clarified, "No. Ms. Mills is so absorbed with the work I did for her that she hasn't seen anything going on around her."

The rest of the group, upon learning that Emma had been fired, invited her to lunch. Emma accepted the invitation, and they decided to wait until she returned.

In Regina's office, Jefferson managed to get through to her and reminded her of her intention to fire Emma. Regina then called down to the lobby to check on Emma's status. She was surprised to learn that Emma was still in the building and asked Ruby to send her up to her office. As she hung up the phone, she turned to her friend and realized her mistake. "Did I seriously just fire her? Emma left thinking that I fired her..."

Downstairs, Ruby informed Emma that Regina wanted to speak with her. Emma was initially puzzled by the call but decided to go upstairs to find out what Regina wanted. Her anger and frustration were evident, and she limped her way to the elevator, not hiding her emotions. She had nothing to lose; she was already fired, and she intended to express her feelings to her boss.

"I tried to tell you, but you were so damn hysterical you didn't let me tell you," Jefferson said to the frustrated brunette.

"Because I'm the only one that cares about this company but me," Regina insisted.

Jefferson shook his head. "Not true. It's evident that Emma does. She did all this work for you."

Just as they were discussing Emma's dedication, she stormed into Regina's office, anger in her voice and fire in her eyes. "Look, Ms. Mills, it's about damn time someone told you..." Her passionate speech faltered as she looked into Regina's eyes. She felt her heart race, cursing herself for this reaction. This crush was becoming a problem. Emma struggled to continue, "I was leaving because you fired me, so..."

Regina, her heart heavy with concern, paused, realizing that Emma seemed genuinely distressed. "What? What do you mean I fired you?" She turned to Jefferson, puzzled. "Did you fire her?"

Jefferson, exasperated, rolled his eyes. "No, Regina. I didn't. I don't have that authority."

Emma blushed, feeling a mix of emotions. "Oh, Emma, you're such a kidder," Regina chimed in, a teasing smile on her face. "Have a great lunch... and see you again in an hour."

Emma's mind was a whirlwind as she left Regina's office. The smile Regina had given her felt unusually flirtatious. She returned to her friends, still trying to process the situation. "How stupid could I be?" Regina muttered to herself once Emma had left.

Jefferson, ever observant, probed, "Did you notice the limp?"

Regina sighed, recognizing her oversight. "No, I didn't. I was too caught up in my work. I need to find her and apologize." She had let her ambition and frustration cloud her judgment, and it had hurt someone who genuinely cared about the company.

In the bustling Mexican Cantina, Tink fixed her gaze on Emma, her curiosity piqued. "Emma, what's the deal with Ms. Mills being so angry?"

Emma took a moment to explain, "Well, Lily was supposed to create a business plan, but she didn't get it done, and she was in a real panic, scrambling to finish it."

Ruby chimed in, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "Oh, I remember hearing her last night. She was talking to Jefferson, and she said she had loads of work to do, but if he helped her, they could go home together. And they call me a slut."

The revelation brought shocked expressions to the faces around the table, though Emma seemed less surprised, having observed the workplace dynamics.

As they strolled back to their office, the conversation continued. "You know, I think Lily and Jefferson make a good pair," Tinkerbell mused.

Mulan couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully. "Well, Mr. Hatter seems to get along well with just about every woman. That's the key difference between my boss and yours, Emma. He's a real charmer, but nobody can tie him down."

Ruby chimed in with a chuckle, "That's because no one's cracked the code on how to handle him yet."

Emma laughed along with Ruby, even if she didn't fully grasp the intricacies of their discussion. She was simply grateful to be part of this group of supportive women.

When they arrived at the office, they each went their separate ways to tackle their work tasks. Emma welcomed the familiarity of her cubbyhole, a respite from the workplace drama.

Regina's voice echoed through the office as she called for Lily, but there was no response from the young woman at her desk. Frowning, she turned to Jefferson, seeking an answer.

"Lilly!" Regina shouted again, her impatience clear.

Jefferson, initially taken aback by the use of "girlfriend," quickly dispelled any misconceptions. "Girlfriend? Don't scare me like that, Regina. You're making my skin crawl."

Regina couldn't help but tease her friend, knowing he deserved it. "Now that she's spent the night with you, she's going to think she's Mrs. Hatter. You're in deep, my friend."

Jefferson rolled his eyes, but Regina's words continued to flow. "You've shackled yourself. We have fraternization rules for a reason, Jeffy. These things can get complicated."

Jefferson countered, "So, are we going to fire our partners now?"

Regina chuckled, shaking her head. "Of course not. You've made it impossible for me to ever fire Lily."

Jefferson defended himself, saying, "Regina, I'm only human."

Regina's response was firm, "I've never been involved with any woman working in this company, nor will I ever be."

Jefferson, however, left her with a cryptic comment. "Never say never, my friend. You're marrying a high-level executive from this company, a stockholder."

Regina explained the difference, "That's different. He's my equal, and I have very limited power over him. Unlike my secretary, who clearly doesn't wield as much power as you."

Emma returned to the office with lunch and found Regina trying a bit too hard to make amends for her previous behavior. Regina's touch, the attention she was giving, left Emma's heart pounding with her hidden crush. She had never felt this way about anyone before.

Regina asked Emma to order lunch and then join them to explain her financial plan, acknowledging that they needed help understanding it. This marked a significant change in Regina's attitude from earlier. Emma nodded, agreeing to the request, and went into her office to place the order.

Jefferson leaned in, observing the dynamics between Emma and Regina. He whispered, "That girl's got a crush on you."

Regina, slightly taken aback, replied, "I'm getting married."

Jefferson seemed surprised and inquired, "Really?"

Regina explained, "Yeah, but we're only doing it at the courthouse. I'm not sure if Robin is the one I want to spend my life with."

As if on cue, Robin entered Regina's office, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. Regina, however, wasn't thrilled to see him and playfully complained, "Oh yeah, I feel realized and free. I'm dying of hunger, though, and I have to eat immediately."

Robin assured her, "No worries, love. Lily is going to take care of everything so that you don't get stressed. You won't even miss Emma."

Unknown to Robin and Lily, Emma had overheard their conversation. With a sly smile, she walked back into Regina's office "Ms. Mills I got two lasagnas from the Diner that you frequent, I hope you like it." Emma stated then glanced at Robin. Regina placed a friendly arm around Emma, and Emma's heart fluttered.

Jefferson, Lily, and Robin watched the interaction with varying degrees of surprise and discomfort. Regina explained that Emma had worked on the business plan, and Robin seemed taken aback, while Lily appeared shocked. Regina made it clear that Emma had delivered lunch, which was part of Lily's job description.

Robin swallowed his rage because he couldn't raise a stink after the little googly duckling showed Lily up again."Yes, I will leave you to it." He said and stomped out. As Robin left, Lily turned to Jefferson, flirted with him, and followed her friend out of the office

Regina watched the interaction and gave a low whistle. " If looks could kill… I think you are going to end up married faster than me."

"Regina, there's nothing there," Jefferson responded. "Let's just get to work okay?"

"It's about time," Regina said finally sitting. Emma looked between the two friends. Happy to be brought into their confidence that they could talk about such things in front of her. And she settled there. To work.

She explained but they didn't understand anything. She was saying "What does that mean.?"

"That means none of this in your plan is going to work and you need to start the projections all over again."

"No, Emma I can't start all over again. They will take the company right out from under me."

"Then we need A Finance person to give us a viable Plan for our goals Jefferson stated. But we need it fast."

Emma sat between the two friends and internally rolled her eyes. "If you want I could just adjust these so that we can reach your goals."

"Could you really?" Regina asked looking at the woman.

"If I understand it correctly, you just want to double your residual profit to the tune of 4 million dollars right?" the two nodded. "But you want to solidify the costs."

"Yes," Regina said.

Emma continued to explain that she had been studying the numbers as she put the plan together and it is a matter of variation. The two friends were completely lost in math then she got too busy to finish. But before she left Regina needed to confirm something. "Emma tell me the truth… did Lily really make the previous report?"

"Ms. Mills I told you once, that if she could bring you a concise business plan it would confirm that she had done the report," Emma answered. Regina could take from that phrase what she would. Emma was no snitch.

"But she didn't do the business plan," Jefferson stated. "Not well or badly."

Emma agreed. "This I know," Emma stated and stood up from the chair. She went into her office and prayed that Ms. Mills wouldn't say anything to Robin because He would have no problem firing her.

Regina signaled to Jefferson to walk with her, and she finally remembered that Emma could hear her. She turned to Emma and whispered, "You know she did that on purpose, don't you? Let Lily take on the business plan because she knew she had not done the report. That way she would fall into her trap."

Jefferson nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I mean, Lily is good at her things... but seriously, her head is kind of hollow. Emma's work is excellent and deserves every commendation."

Regina emphasized the importance of not letting Emma slip away again, and the two conspirators walked over to Lily's desk. When they confronted Lily, she looked guilty, but she feigned ignorance.

Regina continued, "Are you sure you don't? Is your conscience not telling you what you need to tell me?"

Lily stammered, "My conscience is clean."

Regina then asked about the food, making Lily even more nervous. Lily promised to have it sent to Mal's office, sighing in relief as Regina and Jefferson walked away, giving each other knowing looks.

Jefferson asked, "Way to make her sweat, Regina."

Regina chuckled and replied, "Just a little bit. But that confirmed it for me."

Jefferson questioned why Emma had given the report to Lily when she had worked on it, and Regina suspected that Robin might have had a hand in it.

"You think he took it from her to make his friend look good?" Jefferson inquired.

Regina explained, "Neither one of them wants to see some 'ugly' woman win over them, especially not one as talented as Emma."

In her office, Emma diligently worked on the new projections, but the lack of sleep began to catch up with her. She yawned as she continued her calculations. Just as she was engrossed in her work, her phone rang, and she picked it up.

"Hey, Mom," Emma greeted.

"Hi, honey," Mary said from the other end of the line, busy preparing dinner. "I'm just calling to check up. What's going on there? Did you get in trouble? Did your dad have a big reaction? What's happening?"

Emma inquired, "Isn't Dad home with Henry?"

Mary responded, "No, he's at the station. He left as soon as I got home."

"How's Henry?" Emma asked, concerned about her son.

Mary reassured her, "He's watching Bluey on TV. So, what happened at work?"

Emma explained, "Well... it turned out Henry had my flash drive, but it was too late because, by the time I was ready to share my work, I had already been fired."

"Fired?" Mary gasped in disbelief.

Emma continued, "But on my way out, I mailed it to Ms. Mills, and she's in a much better mood now. However, she forgot that she had fired me."

"Oh, Emma, what are we going to do?" Mary worried.

"No, Mom, I'm staying," Emma assured her. "The business plan saved my job. Ms. Mills is so happy with me."

Mary breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank God. I think everything will be fine from now on." Then, she noticed something in Emma's tone. "But what's wrong, Emma? You sound odd."

Emma tried to dismiss it, "Nah, Mom, I'm just dead on my feet. I hadn't slept all night, and as soon as I got here, I hit the ground running. There hasn't been a break."

Mary suggested, "Why don't you ask to go home early?"

"I'd love to, but I can't," Emma replied. "Ms. Mills asked me to restructure the financial projections, and it's urgent. Don't worry; I'll let you know when I leave here. I gotta go. Love you."

She hung up the phone and resumed working. Slowly, her eyelids grew heavy. Emma didn't see any harm in resting her head on the table for just a little power nap.

In Mal's office, Regina and Jefferson stood, examining the storyboards. Mal was proposing a location shoot, but Regina seemed skeptical.

"It's not one of my eccentricities, Regina. Look at my storyboards," Mal insisted.

Regina scrutinized the storyboards and then replied, "I'm looking, Maleficent, and what I see is a mountain. Nowhere does it specify that it has to be Mount Fuji."

Mal was adamant, "Well, I'm saying it must be Mount Fuji. Look, that hair dye commercial is going to be worldwide, and the world will know that I was the creator."

Regina acknowledged, "I understand that the prestige of High Concepts is also at stake here. But shooting at Mount Fuji could cost us a fortune."

Mal was resolute, "We either do it where I'm asking or I'm walking away from the project. I've already found the perfect model, and her hair is amazing."

Jefferson, intrigued by the dilemma, inquired, "Who is this model? Do I know her?"

Mal gave him a dismissive look and rolled her eyes, "Well, how about you find another director for your little commercial and leave me out of it, because I'm out." She began packing up her things and putting away her storyboards. "Eugenia, dear, please bring me my Xanax. These two idiots have given me major anxiety," she said into her phone.

Regina and Jefferson exchanged a glance, realizing that they needed to resolve this situation quickly if they wanted to keep Mal on board.

Zelena's arrival at High Concepts had been marked by an air of palpable superiority. She had brushed past Lily without a word, her focus set squarely on her upcoming meeting with Cruella DeVille.

Upon entering Regina's office, Zelena discovered an unexpected scene. Her piercing green eyes landed on Emma, who had inadvertently dozed off at her desk. The redhead wasted no time in voicing her displeasure.

"Ms. Swan!" Zelena's sharp tone roused Emma from her impromptu nap, causing her heart to race.

Emma quickly tried to explain herself, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anxiety. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep, ma'am. It's the first time it's ever happened to me."

Zelena, far from sympathetic, responded with a touch of sarcasm. "Yeah, sure. Is this where the employees come to nap?" She scrutinized the tiny cubicle with disdain.

Emma, determined to maintain her composure, corrected her. "No, this is my office, Miss Greene."

Zelena continued to press, incredulous about the situation. "Regina put you in here?" Her disgust was evident as she surveyed the modest workspace. "They ought to jail her for cruel and unusual punishment."

Zelena's primary concern, however, was Regina's whereabouts. "Do you know where my dear sister is?"

Emma remained respectful but unsure of Regina's location. "No, ma'am."

Zelena concluded the interaction by revealing the purpose of her visit and her expectations for the next day's meeting. "All I want to know is what you do all day. I just came to confirm my meeting with Regina tomorrow morning. Tell her I will be here at nine, and I want to see her business plan. Do you understand?"

With a composed demeanor, Emma replied, "Yes, Miss Greene." The encounter left her with a mix of anxiety and determination to prove herself in the upcoming meeting.

"We can't let Mal film the commercial as is; she is going to cost us a fortune," Regina expressed as she and Jefferson walked back to the office, deep in discussion about their ongoing project.

Jefferson nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and we have to absorb the cost because the publicity team wouldn't pay any more than what's budgeted."

Upon returning to the office, Regina inquired about any messages from Lily. The secretary had informed her about Zelena's visit but mentioned that Zelena hadn't spoken to her directly.

Emma proceeded to relay Zelena's message. Regina and she appeared concerned about the early morning meeting Zelena had scheduled. "Nine in the morning...," she muttered, then turned to Emma. "How are the balance sheets looking?"

Emma sighed and replied, "Not very well, Miss Mills. I still haven't slept, and I am super tired. I am not able to make progress. If I can just go home and sleep, then I can meet you in the morning, real early, and we can continue. Like 6 am?"

Regina considered the request and responded, "Make it seven." She then turned to Jefferson. "You think you can make it that early?"

Jefferson agreed, "Of course, I can," but his phone rang, and he was soon engrossed in a call with one of his girlfriends.

Regina glanced at Jefferson and shook her head in amusement. "My God, Regina, Angela has resurfaced!" Jefferson exclaimed. "I worked with her twice, and then she disappeared on me. But now she is back."

Regina inquired, "Does that mean you won't join us in the morning?"

Jefferson clarified, "I'm only going to dinner, take care of some duties, and I'll be good. You should find someone for tonight. Do it while you can before that man ties you down."

Regina chuckled at the suggestion. "Yeah... good luck with that. Lily is waiting for you outside," she informed him.

"Fuck I forgot about Lily," He said and pulled out his phone again. "Mulan, can you call my phone in one minute, please? Thanks " he said to his secretary and smiled at his friend.

" Sure," Regina said " Have a good night," she stated as he left. And Just as he did, Emma walked out of her office.

"Oh, Ms. Mills." She said on her way out. "Yes, see you tomorrow."

"Yes?" Regina said turning to her. "Hey Emma thank you for your effort, and Please let's get this done by tomorrow if we can. I am in your hands."

Emma smiled, she was happy to have her in her hands. She would show her that she would take care of her. "Everything is gonna be great."

"Emma is the greatest decision I have ever made," Regina commented as she gathered her things to leave, clearly content with the progress they had made together.