Page 57 of The Wrong Husband

"My wife, Emilia Archer resigned from her job last Friday."

The room remained silent. Everyone knew she was gone. Hell, these people had made sure of it.

"Emilia is a fantastic art restorer. Am I right, Jimmy?"

"Ah…yes…yes," Jimmy stuttered.

"She's a damn good artist. I think my mother called one of her paintings magical."

Everyone gasped. Marcela Archer was not known to give out compliments.

"I have seen the emails you've sent her, and Pablo here has briefed me on the conversations he had with all of you about how Emilia was treated." I stuck my hands inside my slacks, so I didn't hit someone.

"We never treated her badly," KK, a blonde with big tits and big hair who was an average artist at best remarked.

"I saw the email you sent her," I shot out. "Something about cleaning up. That didn't sound professional."

"Her leaving a mess and expecting someone—"

"If Emilia wasn't my wife, would you have emailed her the way you did?"

KK's back went back. "Yes."

"No," this came from Eldon, one of the senior-most artists on the team. "Look, man, she was fine at her job, pretty good but that doesn't change the fact that she got her job because she married you. And you were dating Bianca first. Emilia stole you from her own sister. Say what you like, but this isn't someone we want on our team."

"She didn't steal me from anyone," I bit out. But I could see no one believed it. They thought I was pussy whipped. And they couldn't understand how Emilia, the way she looked could do it, so they were branding her as some conniving witch who cast a spell on me. Very Salem of the Witches of them!

"And even if she did, it's none of your business," Pablo interjected. "Let me be very clear, this is now how we treat anyone at Archer Galleries."

The leadership coaches say that leaders are supposed to be vulnerable and authentic; I've been the latter but never the former. Being an asshole always came naturally to me.

"Emilia quit her job and was so upset that she collapsed due to exhaustion. She was on an IV to heal. Whatever you may think of her, remember that she's a person with feelings; that you had no business hurting." Cause I was already doing a bang up job, I didn't need the extra help, guys.

"Is she okay?" Jimmy looked troubled. Like I said, he wasn't a bad guy.

"Yes. She's working at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, started there today. She's contracting with them on restoring a Cassatt painting."

People immediately started to talk around the table.

"Not The Boating Party?" Serena, another artist's eyes were as large as saucers.

"Could be." Damn it! I hadn't asked her. I just hadn't bothered.

"That's the only Cassatt they’ve acquired in the past year," someone else said.

"Wow! That's impressive. Joachim De Jong is a lecherous pig, but he only hires the best. He gave her the Cassatt?"

This was a big deal, obviously. I just hadn't been paying attention. I had some recollection of the museum acquiring a Cassatt but didn't connect the dots.

The Boating Party was considered a significant painting by the artist, focusing on her distinct style and perspective. Mainstream wouldn't care but the world of art history would genuflect.

"Consider all of you put on notice, especially you, Jimmy." I looked at the man in my crosshairs and he nodded, regret in his eyes.

"The other thing I want to discuss is that Devi Rao is leaving Archer Galleries to pursue opportunities outside the company."

Duncan didn't show much emotion, but I saw him stiffen. He knew something must've gone very wrong for me to let Devi go.

The whole team turned to look at Devi who had tears in her eyes. They all knew why she was being let go—because she'd been the one to talk trash about Emilia with them. She'd fed them Bianca's lies.