OUT OF HIS SIGHT (2)

IVY’S POV

The air completely left my lungs as my eyes widened to the size of giant meatballs. "What? Fired? Why? I’ve never been late! I work extra shifts whenever anyone asks and I—"

"It has nothing to do with your work ethic, Ivy," her voice dropped low. "It’s about your ex-boyfriend's mother, Helen Carter."

I froze and my breath caught in my throat at the mention of that name.

"She visited my main corporate office this morning," Mrs. Gable continued, looking at her perfectly manicured fingers instead of directly at my face. "Apparently, her son's new fiancée is Clara Vance and the Vance family owns a huge part of the supply company that funds this diner and three other businesses I own. At first, she said some silly things about you and when she saw I didn’t believe her, she made it very clear that if you keep working for me, the Vance family will pull all their money. That means I would lose everything."

“What did she say about me?”

“That you tried to poison her once because she didn’t like you”.

Jesus.

My palm grew sweaty as they rested on my thighs. I couldn’t even say anything. I just sat there, completely stunned as everything started to make sense to me. Helen wanted me out of Ethan’s sight forever and she was ready to say or do anything to achieve that. She was worried that if he kept seeing me around, he might change his mind about dating Clara. But that wasn’t true. I myself had seen the cold look on Ethan’s face yesterday. He was completely done with me.

"I hope you understand that I have no choice, Ivy.” Mrs. Gable took my silence as a chance to keep explaining herself probably because of the guilt she felt. “I’m a single mother. I have a family to feed. I can't sacrifice the wellbeing of my own children for one worker, especially since my husband divorced me and said he wants nothing to do with them."

Tears filled my eyes as I slowly nodded in understanding. She was right. She owed me nothing. Nobody did. I learned that the hard way after my parents died.

“I understand, ma’am,” I managed to say through my tears. “I'll find another job. I can check the bar down the street, or maybe the grocery store, or—”

“Ivy, let me also add this to save you the stress," Mrs. Gable sat straighter in her seat. "Mrs. Carter didn’t just stop at me. She told everyone in this street that she will ruin the business of anyone who hires you. She is using the power of the Vance family to make sure you can't get a job anywhere near here.”

The anger I’d been holding back suddenly exploded in my chest. “But this is unfair! Why is she doing this to me?! I didn’t do anything to her. She's the one that insulted me!"

"People like that don’t need a reason, Ivy. Once they decide they don't like you, they will do anything to bring you down. With the Vance family backing her up, there’s nothing a regular girl like you can do. You just have to do what they want.”

The pure helplessness of my situation crashed down on me. I was entirely trapped. Where could I go? I had no money, no family, and my dreams of going to college were gone. With Helen trying to frustrate me into leaving this town, my life was totally over.

But I had no choice. I couldn't stay here or else I would starve to death.

I stood up from the chair, my knees shaking so badly I could barely stand straight. "I'll pack my things from my locker now."

I turned around and walked toward the door with tears rolling down my cheeks. I had just turned the doorknob when she stopped me.

"Ivy, wait."

I paused, my hand resting on the knob but I didn't turn around. I didn’t want her to see the tears on my face. “What else do you want to say?”

A long silence filled the room. When I finally turned my head, I saw Mrs. Gable looking at me with real sympathy. It was the exact same look she gave me five years ago before she gave me a job.

"I feel terrible for doing this to you," she sighed. "You’re a good girl and you’re very hardworking. I don’t know what happened between you and Helen Carter but I think her punishment is too cruel. While I can't keep you here, I think I have a way out for you."

I wiped my tears with my hands and turned fully to face her. "A way out? What do you mean?"

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a clean, shiny black business card with silver lettering.

"A man is currently searching from a nanny. I got to hear it from his current house keeper who is my aunt," Mrs. Gable said. "The man tragically lost his wife a month ago and he is looking for someone trustworthy to look after his one-year-old girl because my aunt is now too old to do the job and she wants to retire.”

“So he needs a nanny?” I asked, moving closer to her desk.

She nodded. “Because of his status, the hiring is being done in secret. I think it’s something you can do and the pay is extremely high. Plus, the Vance family is nothing compared to him. If you get this job, Helen Carter won't be able to touch you. She wouldn't dare try."

I had never taken care of a baby before but I was desperate. It was either this or I would have to leave the city and starve.

A part of me also felt terrible for the poor child who would now be growing up without a mother. That was something I could relate to and it wasn’t fun. Like yesterday, I badly wished my mother was still alive so I could cry on her chest like I always did.

"About his wife’s death, that’s awful," I murmured. "The poor baby and the husband must be completely heartbroken."

"He is a very private man so no one knows if he’s heartbroken but I’m sure the child is," Mrs. Gable said, sliding the card to the edge of the desk. "But I’m also sure he needs help. He just lost his wife after all. Take the card, Ivy. Call the number tonight and tell them I sent you. I’ll also talk to my aunt."

I stared at the black card for a moment before I finally reached out and picked it up. The paper felt thick and expensive.

I flipped the card over to read the name printed in sharp silver letters.

DAMIEN BLACKWOOD

CEO, Blackwood Global Enterprises

Blackwood.

That name sounded awfully familiar. I kept staring at the silver letters as my brain searched through my memories, trying to remember where I had heard it before.

Suddenly, the answer hit me hard.

This was the exact name Ethan had mentioned last week when he happily announced his promotion to me. I could still hear his excited voice echoing in my head: “Babe, I’m now the manager of the Telecommunications branch of the Blackwood Global Enterprises!”

Before he got that promotion, Ethan used to talk about his ruthless boss all the time and how he always prayed to never get on his bad side.

He even told me a story about how the last employee Mr. Blackwood yelled at was so scared that he literally pissed his pants right in the middle of the boardroom.

I stared at the card in total shock as the memories flooded back.

And now the personal card of that Ethan’s ruthless boss was right here in my hands.