Chapter 8

Ivy's POV

Mrs. Dorsey stood behind the counter, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her expression unreadable, but her eyes… her eyes already told me everything I needed to know.

Still, I forced a small, hopeful smile.

“Good morning, ma’am.”

She didn’t return it.

Instead, she picked up a file from the counter and flipped it open, barely glancing at me.

“You didn’t show up for work for two days,” she said flatly.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. “I… I can explain… ”

“I’m not interested in explanations.”

The words landed like a slap.

“I was in the hospital,” I said quickly, my voice coming out more desperate than I intended. “I collapsed on my way home. I didn’t have my phone with me, and when I…”

“You expect me to believe that?” she cut in, finally looking up at me.

Her gaze was harsh.

“It’s the truth,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “You can even check the hospital records, I…”

“I don’t have time for stories, Ivy.”

My throat tightened, but I forced myself to keep going.

“I’m sorry I didn’t inform you,” I said, lowering my head slightly. “But I really need this job. It won’t happen again, I promise. I’ll work extra hours, I’ll…”

“You’re fired.”

For a moment, I thought I didn’t hear her properly.

My head snapped up. “…what?”

“I said, you’re fired,” she repeated, her tone completely indifferent. “You’ve been nothing but a problem since you started working here. Slow, distracted, always looking like you’re about to fall apart.”

Each word hit harder than the last.

“I’m trying,” I whispered.

“I don't need any excuse.”

Silence fell between us.

“I just need another chance,” I said, stepping closer to the counter. “Please. I won’t miss work again. I swear. I really need this job.”

She let out a small, humorless laugh.

“Everyone needs something,” she said. “That doesn’t make them worth keeping.”

My chest tightened painfully. “I can do better,” I insisted. “I’ll prove it. Just give me one more…”

“Ivy,” she interrupted, her voice firmer now. “This isn’t a charity.”

My hands trembled slightly at my sides. “I’m not asking for charity,” I said, even though it felt like I was. “I’m asking for a chance.”

“You already had one.”

Her eyes hardened.

“And you wasted it.”

The finality in her voice made something inside me crack.

“No… I didn’t waste it,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “I was sick. I didn’t choose to collapse…”

“And yet you did,” she said coldly. “And now you expect me to adjust my business because you can’t handle your own life?”

I had no answer to that.

Because how do you explain something like this to someone who doesn’t care? How do you make them understand that you’re trying… when all they see is failure?

“I’m begging you,” I said quietly.

“I’ll do anything,” I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. “Please don’t fire me.”

For a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes.

“I don’t need someone who ‘does anything,’” she said. “I need someone who can actually do the job.”

My heart sank. “I can…”

“No, you can’t.”

“There are plenty of people out there who are stronger, faster, and more reliable,” she continued. “People who won’t disappear for two days without notice.”

I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. “I didn’t disappear,” I said softly. “I almost lost my baby.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Mrs. Dorsey blinked once, then her expression shifted… but not in the way I hoped.

Her lips curled slightly. “And yet you’re here, standing, talking, begging,” she said. “So clearly, it wasn’t that serious.”

Something inside me shattered completely. I stared at her, unable to believe what I had just heard.

“Please leave,” she added, already turning away. “You’re no longer needed here.”

My throat burned, but I refused to cry.

Slowly, I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered.

She didn’t respond.

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and turned around, forcing my legs to move even though they felt heavy.

Each step felt unreal.

Like I was walking through something I couldn’t fully process.

I had just lost my job. The only source of income I had. The only thing keeping me afloat.

Gone… just like everything else.

****************

The moment I stepped outside, the world felt too big. People walked past me like nothing had happened, while mine felt like it had just stopped.

I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, even though it clearly wasn’t. “You’ll figure something out.”

I had to, because I wasn’t alone anymore.

My hand moved to my stomach again. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” I murmured softly.

Even if it meant starting over again. Even if it meant struggling twice as hard. I would survive for this baby.

“Miss.”

The voice made me pause.

I frowned slightly and turned around.

That was when I saw him. A man stood a few steps away, his gaze fixed on me.

For a second, everything else faded.

Because there was something about him that didn’t belong in my world. The way he stood. The way he carried himself.

His clothes were simple, but not cheap.

His presence? Overwhelming..

My brows furrowed slightly. Was he talking to me?

I glanced around briefly. My heart beat a little faster, though I didn’t know why.

“Are you… talking to me?” I asked cautiously.

He didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at me, like he was observing something. And that made me slightly uncomfortable.

I tightened my grip on my bag. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you,” I added quickly.

Still, he didn’t respond, and that unsettled me more than anything else.

“I have to go,” I said after a moment, turning away.

I took a step forward.

“Wait.”

My feet stopped before I could think.

My breath caught slightly. I turned back slowly, and this time, he was closer.

I hadn’t even heard him move.

My heart skipped. “Do I know you?” I asked again, my voice softer now.

He took another step toward me, closing the distance completely.

He looked at me for a moment with his ocean blue eyes, then he said slowly. “I'd like to take you out for lunch.”