Chapter 3 - The Summons
Friday morning arrived with an overcast sky that blanketed Chicago in an oppressive gray light.
Lily woke up at six, her stomach knotting the second her eyes opened. She stayed in bed for a few minutes, listening to the radiator clank against the wall, before forcing herself up to make coffee. Mason was already gone; he had left at five thirty to stand in line at the downtown day-labor staffing hall.
By noon, Lily had submitted nineteen applications online for everything from hotel maid service to fast-food cashiers. Her hands felt heavy on the keyboard. Every time she reached the section asking for Reason for Leaving Previous Employment, her throat tightened. If Greg listed her suspension as an insubordination flag on her record, she was effectively blacklisted across every corporate restaurant chain in the city.
At three in the afternoon, her phone buzzed on the kitchen table.
She picked it up, expecting her landlord or a automated debt collection warning. Instead, the caller ID displayed the corporate header of Calder Hospitality Group - Executive Offices.
Lily took a breath to steady her shaking hands. “Hello?”
“Is this Mrs. Lily Carter?” a crisp, professional female voice asked.
“Yes, it is.”
“Mrs. Carter, my name is Eleanor Vance, executive assistant to Mr. Julian Calder. I am calling to inform you that your presence is requested at The Meridian Room tonight at six thirty p.m.”
Lily’s heart dropped into her shoes. “I... I was suspended by Mr. Holloway last night. He said my status was pending review.”
“I am well aware of Mr. Holloway’s actions, Mrs. Carter,” the assistant replied, her tone completely unreadable. “This summons comes directly from the Chief Executive Officer’s desk. A private vehicle has been scheduled to pick you up at your residence at five forty-five.”
“A vehicle? Wait—is this regarding my termination paperwork? Because if Mr. Holloway filed an insubordination report, I have a right to explain what actually happened—”
“Mr. Calder requires your presence in person, Mrs. Carter,” Eleanor interrupted smoothly. “Please dress in formal attire. The car will be outside your building at five forty-five sharp.”
The line went dead.
Lily sat frozen in her chair, staring at the screen. Formal attire? She didn't own formal attire. She owned two work uniforms, three pairs of thrift-store jeans, and a dark navy dress she had worn to her mother’s funeral four years ago.
When Mason returned home at four fifteen, his coat wet with sleet, his eyes wide with worry, she showed him the call log.
“Julian Calder?” Mason repeated, rubbing his stubbled jaw. “That’s the CEO. He’s Charles Price’s boss. Lily, why would the billionaire head of the entire conglomerate call you back to the restaurant?”
“To cover their liability,” Lily said bitterly, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. “Vanessa Price probably realized I could file a wrongful termination claim or go to the labor board about customer harassment. They want me there to sign a non-disclosure agreement in exchange for a tiny severance check so I don't make a scene.”
Mason’s jaw set hard. “I’m coming with you.”
“Mase, the assistant said—”
“I don't care what the assistant said,” Mason declared, his voice filled with an immovable resolve. “I am not letting you walk into a room full of corporate lawyers alone. Put on your navy dress. I’ll wear my funeral suit. If they want you to sign anything, they’re going to have to talk through me first.”
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At precisely five forty-five, a long, black luxury sedan pulled up to the curb outside their dilapidated apartment building, its engine humming smoothly against the howling wind. A driver in a sharp suit stepped out, holding a large black umbrella, and opened the rear door for them without a word.
Lily looked up at the rusted fire escapes of her building, swallowed her fear, and held Mason’s hand tightly as they stepped into the vehicle.
