Chapter 6

I barely remembered walking back to my desk.

The world felt muffled, like I was hearing everything from underwater. My vision had gone a little hazy too, though I couldn’t tell if that was from unshed tears or the way Matteo’s voice sharp and merciless kept replaying in my head on a cruel loop.

“You’re a replaceable piece of shit who got lucky…”

Every word lodged deeper than the last.

Not because I believed him deep down, I knew I was capable, I worked hard but because some small, fragile part of me had hoped I meant something more. Something real.

And that part? It was bleeding.

I stared at the glowing screen of my monitor. The blinking cursor on the open email mocked me.

I couldn’t type. Couldn’t move.

I just sat there, letting the echo of his voice unravel me in silence.

The worst part wasn’t even the insult it was the fact that he’d meant it. Every word. Cold and deliberate.

He’d looked me in the eyes like I was nothing.

And for a terrifying moment, I’d almost believed it.

Hours p