10. Fired

My conversation with my mother was interrupted by a call and I watched Theo’s name light up the screen. That was a sign of bad news.

I hesitated, staring at my phone debating on whether to answer or not. But finally I gave in, excused myself and answered the call.

“Where are you?” Theo’s voice came sharp and angry.

“You left the office without permission.”

“I—I had an emergency,” I replied quickly. “Family. The hospital called and…”

“I don’t care.” His replied coldly.

“You need to be here. Now.”

My stomach twisted. “Can I have…just ten minutes? I’m still with my…”

“No,” he snapped. “Five minutes . Or don’t bother coming back.”

The line cut before I could say another word.

For a second, I just stood there staring at the phone. Five minutes. There was no world where that was possible. I hurried back into the room anyway.

My mother’s face brightened when she saw me, which only made everything inside me hurt more. “Sweetheart? Is everything okay?”

Sweetheart.

God.

That was enough for me to wish I could stay.

“I have to go,” I said, trying to keep my voice apologetic. “Work needs me back.”

Concern wrinkled her brow. “Already? But you just arrived.”

“I know.” I stepped closer and squeezed her hand. “I’ll come back soon. And I’ll take care of the bills, I promise.”

Her eyes softened. “You always take care of things. You’re strong like that but please take care of yourself as well.”

I forced a smile and hugged her again. “I promise I’ll be back and deal with the bills.”

I didn’t know how I would do it. I hadn’t even opened Sera’s accounts and did not know if she had any money on her. I was living in a borrowed life with no map.

By the time I reached the office, I was exhausted from all the half-running I had done. Mara sat at the desk watching me with a smirk the moment she spotted me.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” she drawled. “Theo’s been waiting. And trust me, he not in a friendly mood.”

“He never is,” I murmured, walking past her.

She smiled wider.

“He asked for you.” Then she leaned closer as I passed. “I told him not to bother. After all, you seem useless even when you’re here.”

Her words stung more than they should have with the kind of day I was having.

“I need to see him,” I said, hoping to end our conversation.

“Go ahead.” She flicked her wrist toward the office. “Just know he will probably fire you. I would.”

I didn’t look at her again.

My hand paused on the doorknob before I pushed Theo’s office door open. We had not seen each other since what had happened the previous night.

He stood behind his desk, jacket off, sleeves rolled to his elbows. His jaw was tight like he had been clenching his teeth for the last hour.

He didn’t look up immediately. When he did, the anger on his face hit harder than I expected.

“Where were you?” he asked.

“I told you I had a family emergency.”

“That doesn’t excuse disappearing on your first day.”

“ Second day,” I corrected under my breath.

His eyes hardened. “Are you correcting me?”

I swallowed. “No Sir.”

“You didn’t inform me. You didn’t inform Mara. You didn’t send an email. You simply left.” His voice left no argument.

“This is not how you keep a job, Miss Hale.”

Mara that snake lied. I had informed her. The best I could do was salvage the situation. “I’m sorry..” I began but Theo cut me off.

“Sorry doesn’t schedule meetings. Sorry doesn’t answer the phone. Sorry doesn’t do the job you’re being paid for.”

I looked down at my hands. “I… understand.”

There was a long pause, then he said the words I had been dreading.

“You’re done here. Clear your desk.”

Everything stopped.

Not because I loved this job. Not because I wanted to work for a man who barely liked me. But because losing this job meant losing the only income I had. Losing the ability to help my supposed mother in the hospital. Losing the small sliver of stability that had kept me from completely falling apart.

I blinked hard and nodded. “All right.” I was not going to cry or beg. That was going to be humiliating.

I turned toward the door.

My legs felt oddly light, like they didn’t belong to me. My vision blurred not from tears, but from shock.

I opened the door and stepped outside.

Mara saw the expression on my face and smirked before I even said a word.

“Told you,” she whispered. “Still useless.”

I didn’t respond. I just kept walking and took the elevator down to the lobby.

People passed by me going on about their lives, laughing, joking and I felt like I was watching them behind a screen.

Once outside, I sat on a cold bench and finally let myself breathe. I didn’t cry. I was too tired to cry.

What was I going to do with my life? I sat there for what felt like forever but it had been less than five minutes.

Then the glass door of the building opened and Theo stepped out.

At first, he didn’t see me. He looked tense then his eyes found mine.

He stopped and stood there for a while, staring at me like he was trying to make sense of something he didn’t want to understand.

I stood slowly, unsure if he wanted to call security to chase me away.

“I’m leaving,” I whispered. He let out a hard exhale and walked toward me.

When he stopped in front of me, the air between us was tense.

“Miss Hale,” he said, his voice a bit softer than before. “Get up.”

“I am up,” I replied.

“Good.” He glanced away for a split second, as if frustrated with himself. “You are coming back.”

My breath caught. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Why?” My voice shook despite my effort.

He looked down at me with a stare that felt like it pinned me to the ground.

“Because I’m not done with you.” He stepped closer, close enough that the cold wind stopped reaching me.

“And for the record,” he added, voice deepening, “I am not doing this because of last night. That meant nothing. It could have been Mara for all I cared.”

Point taken.

“I thought you fired me?” I asked.

“I changed my mind.” He shrugged like it had been a joke. There was no apology.

“Now,” he continued, stepping back just enough for me to breathe again, “go back to work and don’t make me repeat myself.”

I was a beggar. And beggars crawled back when told to. I returned to my desk because I had nowhere else to go.