112

112

Writer’s POV

Emily trudged into the main administration office, her shoulders heavy with frustration and defeat. The whispers, the stares, and the pointed laughter had all come to a head that day. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her chest felt tight as she handed the clerk her written complaint, explaining the baseless rumors circulating around her.

“They’re saying I bribed teachers with… favors,” Emily said, her voice cracking under the weight of her humiliation. “I can’t prove it’s not true, but it’s affecting my ability to study and… just to exist here.”

The clerk gave her a pitying look, skimming over the report. “We’ll pass this along to the board,” she said, her tone professional but distant. “But without evidence or a direct witness, there’s not much we can do. These sorts of things… well, they tend to blow over eventually.”

Blow over? Emily’s hands balled into fists at her sides. How was she supposed to wait for things to ‘blow over’ when her entire reputation was being torn apart? The frustration simmering in her chest burned hotter as she turned on her heel and marched out of the office.

The warm afternoon sun did little to ease her frustration. Emily sighed as she checked her phone, desperate for a distraction. She had been scouring job listings for days, hoping to find something—anything—that would take her mind off the mess her life had become.

Her phone suddenly buzzed with a new notification. An unfamiliar number flashed across the screen. Hesitant but curious, she swiped to answer.

“Hello, is this Emily ?” a professional-sounding man asked.

“Yes, this is she,” Emily replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

“This is Mr. Caldwell from Hamilton & Co. I came across your application and was impressed by your qualifications. Would you be available to come in for an interview this afternoon?”

Emily’s heart leapt. She barely remembered applying to Hamilton & Co., but the opportunity was too good to pass up. “Yes, absolutely!” she said, already calculating how long it would take her to get there.

“Great,” Mr. Caldwell said. “We’re located downtown on Maple Street. Can you make it by 4 p.m.?”

“I’ll be there,” she promised, ending the call with a burst of hope she hadn’t felt in weeks.

She had barely tucked her phone into her bag when Gretchen appeared at her side, her face alight with feigned concern. “Emily, hey!” Gretchen called out, quickening her pace to catch up. “I saw you leaving the admin office. Are you okay?”

Emily glanced at her briefly before replying, her tone clipped. “I don’t have time right now, Gretchen. I have a job interview downtown.”

Gretchen raised an eyebrow. “A job interview? Since when were you looking for work?”

Emily sighed, already feeling the pressure of the ticking clock. “Since I decided I needed something to take my mind off everything going on here. I’ll explain later, okay?”

Before Gretchen could respond, Emily was already moving, her bag slung over her shoulder as she headed for the campus gates. Gretchen stood there for a moment, watching her with an unreadable expression before turning and walking in the opposite direction.

Emily hurried down the sidewalk, her mind racing as she mapped out the fastest route to Maple Street. She had just reached the corner when a flash of movement caught her eye. A little girl, her bright pink dress fluttering in the breeze, darted past the crowd.

Emily froze, her breath catching in her throat. The child’s face, framed by dark curls, was unmistakable. It was her daughter.

And walking a few steps behind her, tall and broad-shouldered, was Chase.

“Leonie? Chase?” she called out, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Neither of them turned around. The little girl laughed as she skipped ahead, her father following closely behind with a gentle smile.

Emily’s heart pounded. What were they doing here?

She took a hesitant step forward, her eyes fixed on the pair as they disappeared around the corner. Her phone buzzed again in her bag, but she ignored it, her mind too preoccupied to check.

“Chase!” she called again, louder this time.

Still, no response.

Emily quickened her pace, weaving through the crowd as she tried to catch up. Her thoughts raced as she recalled her conversation with Chase the day before. He’d asked if she was okay, his voice full of concern. Could he have sensed something was wrong and decided to come here?

Her pulse quickened as she reached the corner and spotted them again, just across the street. Without thinking, she stepped off the curb, her eyes locked on their retreating figures.

The blaring sound of a car horn jolted her back to reality.

Emily turned her head just in time to see a black sedan barreling toward her, its tires screeching as the driver slammed on the brakes.

For a split second, everything seemed to slow down.

Then, out of nowhere, a firm hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back onto the sidewalk. The force sent her stumbling, and she landed hard against someone’s chest.

“Emily!” Gretchen’s voice was sharp, laced with both anger and concern. She held Emily tightly, her eyes blazing as she looked her over. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Emily’s breath came in ragged gasps as she stared at the car, now stopped a few feet away. The driver leaned out of the window, shouting something, but she couldn’t make out the words over the pounding in her ears.