“how’s it going,” pat asked as i entered the coffee shop at the open book.
“the only thing that could possibly make today worse is if i went home and found my cats dead,” i said.
“the stupid monkey?”
“no, she’s the least of my problems. they’re gonna hire someone above me.”

it seems as though my fears were not unfounded.

the bossboss had the decency to warn me. i had the courage to tell her i was upset, insulted, and demoralized by such a thing. i have no idea what will happen. i’m still pretty stunned by the turn of events. i think that i will, of course, fight for it and see what happens. i can’t let them get me down, right? i worry that they’ve already got someone in mind and i don’t stand a fighting chance. she’s insinuated that i have a chance, and maybe we can work something out. but there was talk of tied hands and corporate policy and some such nonsense that sort of sounded like a line of bull. but i don’t know. right now i’m too emotional to think rationally about it.