Chapter 3: Monday's Interview
Aaliyah stared at the woman.
“Who are you?””
The woman approached slowly.
“Dana Mitchell.””
Marcus's face hardened.
“Dana.””
Aaliyah looked between them.
“You know her?””
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
Dana held up the folder.
“I’m the head of recruitment at Carter & Associates.””
Aaliyah's stomach tightened.
She looked at Brianna.
Then Tasha.
Then her father.
“What does this have to do with them?””
Dana glanced at Brianna.
“Everything.””
Brianna shook her head.
“Ms. Mitchell, please.””
Dana ignored her.
She opened the folder.
“On Monday, your father came to campus to conduct final interviews for three entry-level positions.””
Aaliyah looked at Marcus.
“You never told me.””
“I was going to.””
“When?””
“After today.””
“Why?””
Marcus looked uncomfortable for the first time.
“Because I wanted your graduation to be about you.””
Aaliyah folded her arms.
“Okay. Then why does Brianna look like she’s about to faint?””
Brianna's eyes dropped.
Tasha whispered, “Because she knows.””
Aaliyah turned.
“Knows what?””
Brianna snapped, “Shut up, Tasha.””
Marcus looked sharply at both women.
Dana closed the folder.
“Let's go back to Monday.””
The memory came back to Aaliyah in fragments.
The career fair.
The crowded student center.
The long tables covered with brochures.
Brianna standing beside her in a navy blazer.
Tasha taking selfies.
Aaliyah carrying a folder filled with resumes.
She remembered seeing the Carter & Associates logo.
She remembered smiling.
She remembered telling Brianna:
“My dad's company is hiring.””
Brianna had laughed.
“Then you better put in a good word for me.””
Aaliyah had smiled.
“I don't control hiring.””
“But he listens to you.””
“Sometimes.””
“Then tell him I'm perfect for the job.””
Aaliyah remembered agreeing.
She had even introduced Brianna to Marcus.
“Dad, this is Brianna. She's in my program.””
Marcus had shaken her hand.
“Nice to meet you.””
Brianna had smiled brightly.
“It's an honor, Mr. Carter.””
Marcus had nodded.
“I'll see you in the interviews.””
Brianna had walked away glowing.
Now she stood in front of him, unable to meet his eyes.
Aaliyah whispered, “What happened?””
Dana answered.
“Brianna was one of the final candidates.””
Brianna nodded.
“Yes.””
“You were also one of the candidates?”” Aaliyah asked.
Brianna looked at her.
“I was.””
Aaliyah frowned.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I didn't want to.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew you'd tell your dad.””
“He already knew.””
“Exactly.””
Aaliyah stared at her.
Brianna's voice became defensive.
“I wanted the position because I earned it.””
Marcus spoke.
“And that's exactly why I interviewed you.””
Brianna looked at him.
“What?””
“I didn't know you were Aaliyah's friend until the interview began.””
Brianna looked confused.
“But you said—”
“I knew you were her classmate.””
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“That wasn't the problem.””
Dana opened the folder.
“The problem was your resume.””
Brianna's face went blank.
Aaliyah looked at her.
“What about it?””
Dana pulled out several pages.
“Three employers listed here said they had never employed you.””
Tasha covered her mouth.
Aaliyah's eyes widened.
“No.””
Brianna immediately said, “That's not true.””
Dana calmly replied, “We verified them.””
“I worked there.””
“You volunteered at one of them.””
Brianna shook her head.
“That still counts.””
“No,” Dana said.
“It doesn't count as employment.””
Marcus looked at Brianna.
“Why would you lie?””
“I didn't lie.””
“You falsified experience.””
“I was trying to compete.””
“You don't compete by inventing qualifications.””
Brianna's face reddened.
“I needed this job.””
“So did hundreds of other students.””
“My family needs money!””
Marcus's expression didn't change.
“So does mine.””
Brianna stared at him.
“What?””
Marcus pointed toward Aaliyah.
“You think because she's my daughter, she was handed everything?””
Aaliyah quietly said, “Dad…”
Marcus continued.
“She worked two jobs while taking classes. She paid her own tuition balance when her scholarship fell short. She came home exhausted and still studied until two in the morning.””
Brianna looked at Aaliyah.
Aaliyah said nothing.
Marcus's voice lowered.
“And she never once asked me to give her an unfair advantage.””
Brianna's eyes filled.
“I didn't know.””
“You didn't ask.””
Silence.
Then Dana said, “There was another issue.””
Brianna looked at her.
“What?””
Dana pulled out another document.
“This email was sent from your university account Tuesday morning.””
Brianna stared at it.
Aaliyah leaned closer.
The email was addressed to Carter & Associates.
The subject line read:
*Concern Regarding Aaliyah Carter*
Aaliyah's heart stopped.
She read the first sentence.
Then the second.
Her face drained of color.
“That's…”
She looked at Brianna.
“You wrote this?””
Brianna said nothing.
Tasha whispered, “Oh, God.””
Aaliyah kept reading.
The email accused her of receiving special treatment because her father owned the company.
It claimed Aaliyah had access to confidential interview information.
It suggested she had influenced the hiring process.
And at the bottom was a sentence that made Aaliyah's hands shake.
*I believe Aaliyah Carter should be disqualified from consideration because of her relationship with Marcus Carter.*
Aaliyah looked up.
“I wasn't even applying.””
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
Dana nodded.
“That's why the interviews were paused.””
Aaliyah turned toward Brianna.
“Why would you do this to me?””
Brianna's lips trembled.
“I didn't think they'd cancel everything.””
“You accused me of cheating.””
“I was angry.””
“You tried to destroy my reputation because you were angry?””
“I wanted them to look at me.””
Aaliyah's voice broke.
“They were looking at you.””
Brianna wiped her eyes.
“Not after they saw you.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“That's enough.””
Brianna looked at him.
“Mr. Carter, please.””
“No.””
He pointed toward the courtyard.
“You humiliated my daughter today.””
“I said I was sorry.””
“You weren't sorry when you said it.””
Brianna lowered her head.
Marcus looked at Dana.
“Is there anything else?””
Dana hesitated.
“There is one more thing.””
Aaliyah looked at her.
“What?””
Dana reached into the folder.
“This wasn't the first complaint.””
Marcus's face changed.
“What do you mean?””
Dana pulled out a second document.
“This one was submitted six months ago.””
Aaliyah stared at the signature.
Her own name was typed at the bottom.
But she had never written it.
She looked at Marcus.
“Dad…”
Marcus took the paper.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then he looked directly at Brianna.
“Where did you get my daughter's signature?””
Brianna backed away.
“I didn't.””
Tasha suddenly whispered, “Brianna…”
Brianna turned.
“What?””
Tasha's face had gone pale.
“You told me you deleted it.””
Marcus froze.
“Deleted what?””
Tasha covered her mouth.
Brianna stared at her in horror.
And Aaliyah realized, with a coldness spreading through her chest, that whatever had happened on Monday was much bigger than a job interview.
Then Marcus unfolded the second page.
At the bottom was a name.
Not Brianna's.
Not Tasha's.
Aaliyah's.
May you like
And beneath it was the name of the person who had apparently authorized everything.
*Marcus Carter.*