[menace]

"You heard me." I said with a genuine smile. "I am thanking you for what you did. If you hadn't..." I nod towards her "It would of been me sitting in that chair." That was my real vengeance. The fact that I succeeded while she failed miserably. Lisa must feel humiliated about that.
"What, did you think I spent all these years plotting to get back at you? Sorry to break it to you hun, but I had better things to do with my time." A pun with a smug grin. "Seriously, getting sacked from IDS was the best thing that could have happened to me. When I changed my name and got back into the game it was just the right time to go up quickly. One thing led to another, and here I am. Running an empire instead of a company."

I sat back and continued recanting with a gloat. "Instead of a preppy girl that thought she knew what she wanted, I'm now married to a former model. And who needs friends that will bail when you actually need them? And for all this, I have you to thank. For showing me the error of my ways." I didn't tell Lisa my wife was actually a former adult model. She can find that out on her own if she really wants to. Grace won't care if she does, and frankly neither will I. Grace is someone I know I can trust unconditionally. If Lisa does try to get to me through her, she has a nasty surprise coming.

Though it seems Lisa is more adamant about steering the conversation in the direction of her future. Very well. I turn serious and point the revolving chair diagonally again. It doesn't fail to register with me that she made a couple of seductive movements when she began talking about it. Sorry Lisa, those buttons don't push that easy anymore.

"When it comes to your employment with IDS, public perception is key. There is a reason I axed the entire board on the spot. Our clients and investors need to be assured that previous... Practices by the top brass will no longer continue." I look at Lisa squirming in her chair while folding my hands into a triangle. "You haven't been implicated in any wrongdoing personally, and I'm confident you will not." Translation: You've gotten slightly better at hiding the bodies. "However, nobody will believe you knew nothing of what was going on. So as far as making examples go, you are the number one example." The axe has struck, and I watch Lisa's hopes go rolling down the gallows.

Or do they? "However..." Her sombre air flashes with a hint of hope. "There is also a small matter of finance. A good deal of board members will be cheap to fire in the long run, as much of their bonuses and severance packages can be reclaimed by lawsuits. Their cooking of the books is becoming quite blatantly obvious. You will be a slightly harder pill to swallow." Here's your lifeline Lisa. Grab it... "So, your suggestion of taking a lower rank position is most welcome."

"As you can guess though, it will have to one that is less client facing. Appearances, you see." A sly smile escapes me as I come up with a new position for her. "I happen to have something in mind for you."
I open a drawer and pull out a thick file from it. It's her new role profile and contract amendments. "You can read this if you like, but we both know you got no better offers, so you might as well sign." To her quizzical look, I give her the summary. "HR, grievance committee. You'll be dealing with employee complaints of discrimination and harassment." A coy smile curves my lips. "With your experience in sexual harassment cases, you will certainly be an asset to the company." The pun is both intentional and true. Who better to spot a scammer than another scammer?

"Unless you have questions, that will be all. Have a nice evening." I dismiss her completely deadpan. As she leaves my office, I stop her one more time. "Oh and by the way, you can call me 'Sir'."