Hannah said nothing, but there was sympathy in her eyes.
“This is the part where you tell me I’m wrong,” Beth said in a small voice.
“You’re not wrong.”
Posy tried to soften it. “She could be wrong. She doesn’t know for sure.”
“I know for sure,” Hannah said, and Posy felt an ache in her chest.
This night was turning out to be worse than any of her most grueling rescues out on the mountains. She felt battered and bruised.
Beth had been so excited about the job. She didn’t want to see her hurt. “Look on the bright side—you got all those free samples. Although not Everyday Red, because that is mostly on the kitchen wall.” Deciding that humor might not be the way to go, she gave Beth’s arm a squeeze. “There are other jobs. Better jobs.” Were there? She didn’t know, but she thought it best to sound encouraging.
Beth stared at her phone without touching it. “She invited me in because I’ve been at home with kids for seven years. I’m not her top pick for her new team, I’m her market research project. I’m a lab rat.”
“I don’t see you as a rat.” Posy gave Hannah a desperate look. She’d started this, and now she needed to shut it down in a way that didn’t leave Beth feeling awful.
Beth put her phone back in her bag. “Goodbye, dream job.”
“Working for Corinna is no one’s idea of a dream job.” Hannah was brisk. “She has no idea how to manage people. Never work for a bully, especially when they own the company.”
This time Beth didn’t argue. “You’re right. She is a bully. I knew that, but I tried to forget it because it seemed like an easy way back into work and hearing that she wanted me for her new company boosted my confidence when I was feeling low. But she doesn’t really boost your confidence—she destroys it because you never quite measure up.” Her voice faltered. “She has this way of making you feel that if you’re not bringing your A game to every conversation you’re a failure. When I w
orked for her before, I spent my whole time waiting to get fired. She makes you feel so useless you become convinced no one else will ever want you. And when anyone did find the courage to leave, she gave them a lousy reference.”
“So I ask you again,” Hannah said. “Do you really want to work for her?”
“No, but no one else will take someone with my profile. I’ve been at home for seven years. My confidence is rock-bottom because I haven’t been working.” She glanced at Hannah. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Your confidence is at rock bottom because the last person you worked for was Corinna and she left you feeling as if you didn’t measure up. The worst thing you could do is work for her again. You want an energetic, positive work environment where your skills will be valued.”
“Do I have skills?”
A smile spread across Hannah’s face. “You do. All the qualities that made you good at your job before you had kids are still there. You’ve been focusing on different things, that’s all. So you need to shift the focus back.”
“I’ve lost my contacts.”
“Which you built up from nothing in the first place and can undoubtedly do again. You need some coaching to work out what you want and how to best use the skills you have.”
Beth stared miserably at the fire. “And who is going to do that for me?”
“I am.”
“You’d coach me?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to bill me?”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.”
“I know how busy you are,” Beth muttered. “I’d owe you, big-time.”
“There is no owing between sisters. And I’m sure there will be a time in the future when I’m going to need your help, too.”
Posy wondered if Hannah was thinking about the baby, and what lay ahead for her.
“You’re going to make me cry, and my mascara isn’t waterproof.” Beth rummaged for a tissue. “You really think someone else will want me?”