The Jupiter Fund

Bullies

At 10:25 Margery's G Wagon pulls up to the electric gates of her large two story red brick home. The gates open and the two Towncars follow behind.

Fear had squeezed the last bit of air from her lungs, her cheeks burned, she worried about her blood pressure. Max parked up right at the front door, just the way she liked it and behind his eight year old Chevrolet Traverse

"Max, may I ask you to wait with me until I see who's in those cars. If it's fine I'll tell you to leave, otherwise could you perhaps wait inside" she pleaded.

"Of Course he states as he turns off the engine. Margery gathers up her phone, handbag, laptop bag removes her seatbelt and gingerly alights the SUV. She stands nervously watching the town cars, hoping that they couldn't see her legs trembling behind her matching suit trousers. Her five foot three frame felt frozen.

The front door of the first Towncar opens, out steps six foot three fifty nine year old deputy chief executive Morgan Hess, his skin golden from sun and his greying hair marinated in hair wax. He extends out his hands "You've a beautiful home Margery, it's big, we obviously pay you too well!", he joked.

Margery squinted, blinded by the lights of the cars, she places her right palm over the top of her glasses as she tries to make out the passengers exiting the cars. There is five foot seven Human Resource Director Henrietta Brown "Oh my God, your landscaping is gorgeous" her voice sounded like she had a mouthful of marbles in her mouth.

Also is five foot nine Steven Lee, director of security and communications "You could have parked closer to the door" he sarcastically stated in his strong texan accent.

Finally dressed in a one piece sleeveless grey pinafore is five foot one Terrier Diane Powerkin. Margery pursed her lips at the sight of her, she was feisty, worked out daily, her arms were small but muscular.

"Can you please switch off those car lights I can barely see" moans Margery "I was in the office up to forty minutes ago, we could have met there".

"Guys", shouts Morgan into the car drivers "Turn off your lights she's as blind as a bat as it is!"

Margery turns to Max "It's okay Max you can go now, see you in the morning".

He smiles with relief "see you then as he heads towards his car".

Margery pulls out her house keys from her bag and unlocks the front door, the alarm beeps which she deactivates " OK, come in".

They all come in they enter into a black and white tiled seven foot by three hall way. "Your house is gorgeous" proclaims Henrietta, as she selects a door to the upper left leading to the kitchen and walks right in. Everyone follows her in.

"Where's your husband tonight" asks Steven with a sneery grin on his face. Margery gasped in horror "You know quiet well we're separated, so I don't know where he is".

"Probably in a brothel, surrounded by hot women with physiques like mine" boasts Diane "I won't mind giving him a rattle, let him experience a sexy vixen!"

Margery places her handbag and laptop on a kitchen Island as they all swarm around her she wags her right index finger at Steven and Diane "If you have come here to belittle me, leave!!"

Morgan extends out his hands "Margery!! lighten up, I'll cut to the chase, we can't let you leave and ask you to reconsider your resignation".

Margery adjusts her glasses on her nose "seven months ago, everyone of you conspired against me on the board, EVERYONE OF YOU"

She begins numbering instances with her fingers "You accused me of being not medically up to the job" She takes a deep shallow breath, grinds her teeth and raises her voice more "you accused me of incompetence, you accused me of improper conduct and a multitude of other scurrilous lies. I had to attend endless inquiries, endlessly watching my back in the office"

She stops momentarily to catch her breath, her chest and broad shoulders were tight with tension "You all caused me copious stress, I gained twenty pounds that I haven't being able to lose"

She extends out her left hand to Steven her voice gaspy with rage " All because the blonde skinny minnie he was seeing, had ideas about herself and they thought they could push me aside and she get my job". She takes two shallow breaths and fans her burning face.

Steven looked on in anger, she begins pointing at them one by one, her voice getting more gaspy as she got more angry "Not one of you, not one of you!! backed me only for my team and Clive backing me I would still be fighting my case. Vicious lies!"

Morgan clasps his hands together "C'mon Margery, nothing personal just business, you're in business a long time, you should now that".

"If I can just say" interrupts Henrietta "I find it ironic that you say you can't lose twenty pounds, because pounds also represents money and we all know Margery is all money!!. So we're offering an additional one million salary and two million bonus minimum"

Margery grimaced as pain began to shoot from her ankles up through her lower back, a consequence of the load they carried, her face burned, her chest dug deep to get air into her lungs. She takes a huge gasp "How dare you" she shouts, "How dare you!, I work hard and earned every nickel, you can keep your offer" she snaps at Henrietta.

Henrietta grunts through her nose "If you think you have a choice your very much mistaking!"

Diane slams her hands off the countertop and glares at Margery "WE ARE NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU DO, GET THAT INTO YOUR FAT HEAD,BEFORE I RAM THOSE THICK GLASSES DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT!!"

Margery stared back at her, trying not to reveal her fear, hairs stud up at the back of her neck. If Diane jumped on her there would be nothing she could do to defend herself, she wasn't a fighter, never was and was raised with the belief the pen is mightier than the sword.

Steven clears his throat "Margery, the truth is Diane has put together a fund for a select clientele its called the Jupiter fund, obviously you're the tax expert, the market expert, actuary expert, they as well as us want you onboard".

"It was Diane whom demanded that remuneration package for you Margery so show some gratitude" barks Henrietta in a matter of fact tone.

Margery bit her lower lip, "Clive, never mentioned such fund to me, he mentioned several other funds but not Jupiter, so whatever you're all up to I don't want to be part of it!".

Morgan tuts "Don't mind that old fart, he's excluded from this, we're plotting his removal as we speak and I'll be the CEO, THE BIG CHEESE!". His narrow face widens with the thought.

Diane smacks the countertop again "YOU UNGRATEFUL FAT BITCH, WE AREN'T LEAVING UNTIL YOU AGREE"

Margery's heart pounded her chest, she extends her left hand towards Diane and turns towards Henrietta "Are you going to let her speak to me like this, threatening me in my own home, your human resources, deal with it!!"

Henrietta makes a flicking gesture with her right arm "Diane has every right to be angry, you have proven to be ungrateful for all that she has done!".

"Okay Okay Okay" repeats Steven "Thing is Prudence the clientele won't take a no and neither will we and why put added pressure and stress on yourself, I mean setting up a business at your age and in your physical condition, you're hardly a picture of health?"

Margery glared at him open mouthed "How dare you" she squealed "How dare you!, I am a capable well respected businesswoman inside and outside of industry,I want to also manage my health better and my own business will allow it, HOW DARE YOU" she bellows gasping deeply, pain cut through her chest like a knife.
"Oh Margery please!" Laughs Henrietta "look at you, you're the poster child for capitalist greed. You've always been about the wealth never the health"

Margery's face burned, she worried about her blood pressure, getting this angry and this afraid wasn't helping it and the pains on her joints were getting sharper "I don't care what you or anyone else thinks of me, I am sticking with my plans now please leave!"
Diane moved herself right in front of her "You have thirty seconds otherwise I will have you doubled over in the tightest fucking headlock and I'll keep you there until you agree, even if it means your big red head pops off"

Margery shook with fear, she takes two steps backwards with her palms extended outwards, she had no doubt Diane would carry out the threat "You keep your hands off me, amazing how you never matured beyond the schoolyard bully!". She had no doubt that Diane would follow through, the thoughts of struggling to breath in a headlock, along with the pressure and pain it would cause her back and joints being doubled over, bending was one task she could no longer do without severe pain.

Morgan coughs "Margery, as terrifying as Diane's headlock is for you, let me spell out to you what's worse M-A-F-I-A. You see Diane has put together quite an impressive network of individuals that let's just say industry ignores, we'll make a lot of money, you'll make a lot of money, they'll make a lot of money".

Henrietta opens her laptop bag and pulls out a document "Now sign this, withdrawing your resignation!"

Margery could feel her aching legs now shake, she drags out a high white leather bar chair and gingerly sits down, she makes waving gestures with her palms "No way!! No way!!, this is signing my jail term" She took a deep gasp as pain sliced through her chest "I won't be part of this".

Morgan smiles briefly "mmmm, Mafia is one of the many clients that won't take no for an answer, that road your nephew cycles to University of Massachusetts is very dangerous, so easy to be hit by a truck mirror or someone just sticks a hand out and knocks him off!"

Fear squeezed the air out of Margerys lungs even more. Her heart pounded.

Henrietta pushes the document and a pen right before her on the counter top "Now sign, if not for us, or yourself but for your sister that lives on 56th avenue off Queens Boulevard. The Gallo family run there of course, not nice people!!. You really won't want to get the wrong side of them and someone else suffer".

Margery rests her right hand on her chest and begins massaging it, she felt paralysed with anxiety.

"You've gone very quiet Margery" proclaims Steven delight etched all over his face "I drove by your other sisters house in Logan Square in Chicago recently, so nice, she's such a pillar of the community there".

"Tell me??" asks Henrietta "How's your aunt in that beautiful nursing home in Bennington up in Vermont, for her age she is still very sharp, I have been promising to bring her out for a day, poor woman still thinks I am the daughter of her old school friend Dot Boyers"

Margery listens shaking with fear "Of course your her Goddaughter Margery, her favourite niece"

"You bitch!" cries Margery tears roll down her flush burning cheeks "Anything happens her..."

Henrietta interrupts "It will be entirely your fault Margery, entirely yours!"

Margery wipes away tears and fans her burning face.

Diane Throws a packet of tissues which smacks off her right lens slides down the lapel of her suit jacket onto the ground."Dry your eyes cry baby. let's not forget to mention your physco brother John and that conspiracy theory junkie wife of his, yep the ones you've a barring order against, we will give them all your personal information" she begins to jab her in the centre of her tummy "DRIP, BY DRIP, BY DRIP BY DRIP, NOW SIGN THE FUCKING SHEET, BEFORE I RAM THOSE THICK GLASSES DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT AND HAVE YOU DOUBLED OVER IN THAT HEADLOCK I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO GIVING YOU!!"

Margery wipes more tears from her eyes "You bastards, you absolute bastards"

Diane reaches over for her brown designer hand bag and pulls out a cell phone places it in her left and and rests her right arm on Margerys beefy shoulders. This gives Margery the heebie Jeebies. Her lungs worked frantically to draw air, while her stomach churned. Diane was her willing executioner.

Diane jammed the phone right up to her eyes, on it was another cell phone with a scrambled number "See that green button, it's the call button, that number belongs to the biggest drug dealer in this region. I can call him right now and he'll have some individuals not as nice as us here in ten minutes and they'll make you sign in ways you didn't think were humanly possible!"

Margery trembles as she places the pen in her hand and signs. Whether she liked it or now she was in.