Susan Gibbons wiped another tear from her eye as she worked at her desk. The fifty-two year old secretary watched as the workmen continued to come and go from her boss's office.
Seventy-two hours earlier Susan had just shared a joke with her boss, Robert Prescott, owner, and Managing Director of Prescott Transport operating out of Bristol in the UK before leaving for home. Now Robert was in a hospital recovering from a suspected heart attack. The Board of Directors moved swiftly to appoint Robert's twenty-three year old son Edward, as acting Managing Director.
Susan Gibbons had worked for Prescott Transport for more than thirty years. Now her whole world was about to change and in ways she could never have foreseen.
Just hours after his appointment Edward gave orders that his father's office was to be refurbished. What shocked Susan more though was that Robert Prescott's name was replaced by his son's.
The following Monday morning Susan arrived at work to see the office refurbishment completed. She was sitting at her desk and working on the paperwork when Edward arrived. He was tall, over six feet tall and lean. He was certainly not the boy Susan remembered who ran around the office all those years ago. She was about to greet him when he spoke.
"Coffee, black," was all he said before disappearing behind the door before closing it.
Susan returned with the coffee and gently knocked at the door.
"Yes?" answered Edward and she opened the door and placed the coffee on the desk before her young boss whose eyes were peering at the latest reports. He looked up. "Close the door," he ordered.
Nervously Susan obeyed. This was the moment she dreaded. The moment she was about to find out her fate.
"How long have you been working here, Susan?" he asked.
"Thirty-one years, sir," she responded respectfully. In her mind though, Susan resented the fact that she had to speak like that to him. She was old enough to be his grandmother after all.
"Mmm, it's like this Susan, as you know I'm taking over. I'm putting a new team together. I'll need a secretary with energy and willingness to do what is expected no matter what. Frankly, I don't think you have what it takes or what I need."
It wasn't too much of a surprise for Susan. However, she was still surprised at the young man's manner.
"You mean you're firing me?"
"Well, like I said, Susan. I need someone who is young, dynamic, and willing to obey orders, responded Edward.
"But I can do that, Mr Prescott. I've always worked hard for your father...."
"He's no longer in charge," cut in Edward sharply.
Susan decided to go on the offensive. "You can't fire me. That's ageism and there are laws..."
Edward slammed his fist on the desk and Susan was startled.
"How dare you threaten me? You speak to me of law when you embezzled this company of over seventy-five thousand pounds."
Susan was stunned. "That money was a loan from your father. I've slowly begun to pay it back as he and I agreed," she said.
Susan was telling the truth. When her daughter Barbara was in trouble with her mortgage Robert had given Susan the money to help her out.
"There's no paperwork. There's only a gap in the accounts that the auditors will soon discover. I'm afraid I will have to let you go," answered Edward.
Then Susan did something she was not accustomed to, she begged. "Please, Mr Prescott. I need this job. My husband Frank has been unemployed for over a year now and at his age it is hard for him to find employment. I still have two college going children. Please, Mr Prescott, please." Susan's stomach churned at the thought that she had just begged this young man for her job, remembering him as the little boy he had often looked after while his father was at meetings.
Edward sighed. "But Susan, can you obey all my commands without question?"
"I can. I swear I can," was Susan's desperate reply.
"We'll see. Take a step back," ordered Edward.
Puzzled and unsuspecting, Susan obeyed. Then she realised what was happening as the young man was eyeing her up and down. She felt he was undressing her with his eyes.
