For years, every time Bertram hit a dead end, he'd come crawling to me like a spineless wreck, begging me to cast the cups and divine a way out.
When he needed me, I was a living goddess. When he didn't, suddenly he wanted to talk about logic and reason?
"Bertie, look at her. You've already exposed her, and she's still running her mouth." Tamara sauntered over and draped herself against Bertram's chest, her voice syrupy sweet.
"Why don't we call in Robin Lambert and the others for a face-to-face? That way she can't accuse us of ganging up on her."
Bertram pressed the intercom without hesitation.
Less than two minutes later, Robin Lambert walked in with several senior employees trailing behind him.
The moment I saw Robin, a flicker of hope sparked in my chest.
Two years ago, he'd been framed and saddled with tens of millions in bad debt. He'd been so desperate he was standing on the rooftop, ready to jump.
I was the one who cast the cups, unraveled the scheme within the scheme, and saved his life and his family.
The others, too. It was my guidance that pointed them to new clients, helped them put down roots in the Capital, buy homes, buy cars.
I thought they would at least speak up for me. Say one honest word.
But the second Robin Lambert walked through that door, he pointed his finger straight at my face, his expression blazing with righteous indignation.
"Mr. Delgado, Director Cooley is absolutely right!"
"Philippa Sullivan didn't just peddle superstitious nonsense in the office. She forced us to buy her Protection Charms at outrageous prices."
"And if we refused, she'd pull her mystic routine and spiritually bully us. We were too afraid to speak up."
I froze. "Robin, you..."
Beside him, a woman I'd once guided away from a fatal car accident stepped forward and began piling on the lies.
"Exactly, and those big deals of hers weren't even clean. I saw her with my own eyes going into a hotel with a client in the middle of the night."
"Who knows what kind of disgusting tricks she pulled behind closed doors."
"Right? She's an absolute disgrace to the Delgado Group."
"You— all of you—"
I stared at these people, the same ones who used to call me "Philippa" this and "Philippa" that, now tripping over themselves to stab me in the back just to curry favor with the new director.
All I felt was a bone-deep chill and revulsion.