Chapter 4
My mother was waiting by the apartment door.
She was smaller than she used to be.
Illness had taken weight from her body and patience from her eyes.
The moment she saw my cheek, she covered her mouth.
“Mara.”
“I’m okay.”
She touched my face gently.
“You are not.”
My brother Jamie stood behind her, sixteen and furious.
“Tell me where she lives.”
“No.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
He paced the tiny living room.
“She hit you like you were nothing.”
I sat on the sofa.
“I know.”
Mom lowered herself beside me.
“Did your boss help?”
I thought of Alexander stepping between me and Tiffany.
“Yes.”
Jamie pulled up his phone.
“The video has two million views.”
I closed my eyes.
In the video, I looked frozen.
Weak.
Beautiful, according to strangers in the comments.
That word had followed me like a curse my whole life.
Beautiful.
As if it meant lucky.
As if pretty girls never had to swallow fear.
As if my face paid rent, bought medicine, kept men from cornering me, stopped women from hating me on sight.
Mom took my hand.
“You don’t have to go back there.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Mara—”
“We need the money.”
Her face broke.
That hurt worse than the slap.
“I was supposed to take care of you,” she whispered.
“You did.”
“Not enough.”
“You gave me everything you had.”
She looked around our apartment.
The peeling paint.
The old fan.
The stack of pharmacy receipts.
“It wasn’t enough.”
I squeezed her hand.
“It was love. That was enough to make me survive.”
That night, Alexander called.
I almost didn’t answer.
Then I did.
“Miss Ellison?”
“Yes.”
“This is Alexander Sterling.”
“I know.”
“I wanted to tell you personally. Tiffany Vale’s family has contacted our legal department.”
My stomach tightened.
“And?”
“They are demanding your termination, removal of the video, and a public apology from you.”
I laughed before I could stop myself.
“Of course they are.”
“I refused.”
I sat straighter.
“You did?”
“Yes. I also reviewed your personnel file.”
My heart jumped.
“Why?”
“Because your manager wrote three disciplinary notes about you this month.”
I froze.
“What?”
“One claims you were rude to premium clients. One says you accepted gifts from male customers. One says you created tension with female shoppers.”
My mouth went dry.
“That’s not true.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because the store cameras disagree.”
I could barely breathe.
Alexander continued.
“Mara, someone was building a record against you before today.”
The room went cold.
“Carl?”
“Maybe.”
May you like
He paused.
“Or someone who expected to need a reason to get rid of you.”
