LOGIN(Amara)“O.M.G!”My head snaps up.Rita.She’s already staring at me, eyes bright with excitement. “Look who we have here.” She drops into the seat beside me like she’s been waiting for this moment all morning.I force a small smile, even as my mind drifts back to Rayner’s voice from yesterday.Make sure to come to the office today.I shake the thought away, about to respond—“Amara, my goodness, you’re here.”Olivia joins us, sliding her tray onto the table. Her eyes scan my face carefully. “Do you know how worried we’ve been?”She leans in slightly, lowering her voice. “Tell us… what’s really going on?”I pause.“We saw the company doctor go into Sir Rayner’s office,” she continues. “Did something happen?”“Oh please,” Rita cuts in, tapping the table lightly. “Something definitely happened. The way ma’am Helena marched into his office? It was terrifying. I’ve never seen her like that before.”Her gaze sharpens on me.“Did she hurt you?”Her spoon clatters softly against her tray.“W
(Amara)I slowly lift my gaze toward the room.For a split second… I see her.Walking toward me.A soft smile on her lips. My fingers tighten instantly, nails biting into my palm as my breath catches in my throat. My chest constricts, heartbeat spiking so fast it almost hurts. It feels real—too real—like the air itself has shifted around her presence.I shut my eyes.Hard.I draw in a slow, shaky breath, holding it like I’m trying to steady something breaking inside me. Then I open them again.Empty.Nothing.Just the same quiet room staring back at me.A hollow feeling settles deep in my chest, heavy and disorienting. My body is still tense, still braced like she’s standing there… but she isn’t. It was only my mind—twisting memories and fear into something that almost felt alive.A phantom.And for a moment, I almost lose myself in it.I swallow, grounding myself. She’s not here. She had left for an emergency trip back home.Good.Because if she were… I’m not sure I’d be able to han
(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)“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
(Amara)Rayner’s words keep replaying in my mind as I step back until the back of my knees hit the couch.You deceived us to bring your husband in.How dare you?You think an apology can fix this?My fingers tighten around the headrest. The leather creaks under my grip.He closes the gap between us







