LOGIN(Rayner)I’m still speaking with my mom when I feel it.Her hands on me.I still for a moment—but before I can process it, her body presses against mine.My eyes snap open wide as I turn.“Amara!”My voice rises as I reach for her, catching her just before she hits the ground.But the weight of her pulls me down with her.We fall.My arm wraps around her instantly, pulling her close, shielding her without thinking.“Amara…”My voice drops now, rough, urgent.I shift slightly, trying to steady us both, my hand coming up to her face, gently tapping her cheeks.“Open your eyes. Look at me… come on.”Nothing.The fear creeps in fast. Sharp. Unwelcome.I look up.“Call the office doctor,” I say, my voice tight, controlled—but barely.My mother doesn’t move.Instead, she stares.Like this is entertainment.“What?” she says after a pause. “You’re going to call the office doctor because of her? That’s unnecessary. It’ll draw attention. I’m sure she’s just pretending—”“You’re going to do as I
(Helena)“She’s settled in now, ma’am.”The voice fades as the call ends, but I remain still, fingers resting on the edge of my desk. For a moment, I just stare ahead, letting the silence settle around me.Good.Isha is where she needs to be. Away from here. Away from everything that could spiral out of control.I won’t allow another situation to slip through my fingers.I have worked too hard for that.The door opens.I don’t need to look up to know it’s Lydia. I feel her hesitation from the doorway, the careful steps, the way she breathes like she’s walking into fire.When I finally raise my head, my gaze sharpens.She knows.She knows exactly what she has done.But I am not in the mood to deal with her yet.“Ma’am,” she says quietly.“Yes.” My voice cuts through the air. “If it’s about Isha, I already know. You can leave.”“No, ma’am.” She swallows. “It’s about Amara.”My body stills.Something cold slips into my chest.“What about her?”“She’s… here. At the office.”For a second,
(Amara)The moment I step into the office, everything shifts.Conversations lower.Eyes turn.And just like that… I become the center of it all.I feel it before I even fully register it. The weight of their stares. The subtle pointing. The whispers that aren’t quiet enough.“That’s her.”“Amara Reid.”“I heard the couple’s award got cancelled this year because of her and her husband.”My steps slow.Then stop.My fingers tighten around the strap of my bag as their words drift toward me, each one landing heavier than the last.“Yeah. That’s bad. No one even knows what really happened.”“They’re definitely hiding something.”For a second, I just stand there.Frozen.Exposed.Maya’s hand slips into mine, warm and steady.“What are you waiting for?” she says with a soft smile. “Let’s go.”I turn to her.And I smile back.It’s small, but it’s there.Because I see it. The effort in her eyes. The strength she’s forcing into herself for me. Even now… even when this is everything she feared.
(Isha)I can’t take it anymore.It feels like everyone is against me. Like they’re all standing on the same side… and I’m the only one left out here.Alone.Hated.But Nathan… he was supposed to be different.I thought seeing me like this, seeing me being sent away, would change something in him. I thought it would remind him of us. Of what we had.Of what we meant.I was wrong.So wrong.Because he said it. He didn’t even hesitate.She means more.More than me. More than everything we shared.I stare at him, my fingers curling tightly at my sides, nails digging into my palm as my heart pounds against my chest.And then he just… turns.And walks away.Just like that.No pause. No guilt. No looking back.Like I meant nothing.A hollow laugh almost leaves me, but it dies before it can even form.Slowly, I turn.My mind feels blank, yet too loud at the same time. Thoughts crash into each other, messy and uncontrollable.It’s like I’ve been in a relationship with myself this whole time.F
(Amara)“Felix Reid,” I say, stepping up to the front desk. “I’m here to see Felix Reid.”The constable behind the desk looks up at me, his expression neutral, almost bored.“Give me a moment.”I nod and step aside, my fingers curling tightly at my side.He flips through a register, scribbles something down, then reaches for the phone beside him. His voice is low as he speaks into it, words I can’t fully catch.A few seconds pass.Then a minute.Each second stretches longer than it should.“Come with me,” he finally says, standing up.I follow him quietly.We walk past the front desk, through a narrow hallway. The air feels heavier here. Cooler. The faint smell of metal and disinfectant lingers, making my chest tighten.We pass a few closed doors. Voices echo faintly from somewhere deeper inside. A sharp metallic sound rings out in the distance and I flinch slightly, but I keep walking.We stop in front of a small room.He pushes the door open.“Wait here.”The door opens with a creak
(Rayner)I stare at her like I didn’t hear right.Like my mind is trying to protect me from the truth sitting right in front of me.She wants him freed.After everything he tried to do to her.Something inside me snaps.I don’t even understand why she’s doing this anymore, and maybe that’s what makes it worse. The not knowing. The way she stands there, asking this of me like it’s nothing.I can’t hold it in.Not anymore.And that’s when I say it.The truth about her divorce.I hate myself for it immediately.I was supposed to wait. Give her time. Let her tell me herself.But now it feels like she never would have.Her eyes lift to mine, wide with shock.“You knew?”I inhale slowly, steadying myself, then nod.“Yes.”I see the exact moment it hits her.Her hand runs through her hair, her fingers trembling slightly. For a second, neither of us speaks. The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating.Then she looks back at me.“Since when?”“Recently.” My voice is quieter now, controlled. “
(Amara)His hand clamps around mine before I can react.“Felix—”He drags me away from the corridor, down the stairs, his grip tight enough to sting. My heels almost miss a step and I struggle to keep my balance. By the time we reach the landing, he shoves me lightly away from him. I stumble, catch
(Amara)“What… what are you doing here?”The question slips out before I can stop it. My voice sounds smaller than I want it to, edged with something between shock and accusation.Selina smiles. Subtle. Polished. As if she doesn’t understand the weight behind my words. As if she hasn’t just walked
(Amara)It’s another day to face my troubles. Another day to pretend I am stronger than I feel.I stand outside Rayner’s office, resignation letter clutched in my hand. The paper trembles slightly. I tell myself it’s fine. I can do this. I have to do this.I knock gently and push the door open.He’
(Rayner)I watch Amara disappear out of the room.The door closes behind her just as Isha’s voice cuts through the silence.“Well? Do you mind explaining what that was all about?”I turn slowly, a short laugh escaping me as I walk back toward my seat.“You find this funny?” she presses, her voice r







