Two.

The air in the lobby felt too thick to breathe. I stared at my mother. She looked so happy. She looked like she had just won a prize. But the prize was a man who belonged to the family I hated.

"How could you do this?" I whispered. My voice was shaking.

My mother blinked. She smoothed out her red dress. "What do you mean, Ava? This is a miracle. Leo is rich. He is powerful. We won’t have to worry about money ever again."

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. "Money? Is that all you care about? Dad is in the hospital! He is hooked up to machines. He is fighting for his life, and you are out here dating the CEO of my company!"

"Your father and I are over, Ava," she said. Her voice went cold. "He can’t provide for us anymore. He is a burden. Leo is a fresh start."

"A burden?" I stepped closer to her. My eyes filled with tears of rage. "He is your husband! You are still married to him. You are supposed to love him, not replace him with a billionaire because things got hard."

My mother sighed. She looked at her manicured nails. "Don't be so dramatic. You should be thanking me. Once I marry Leo, your career will be set. You won't have to work in a tiny cubicle anymore."

"I don't want a hand out from the Stones," I snapped. "And I don't want you near that man. Break it off, Mom. Please. For Dad’s sake."

She laughed. It was a dry, cruel sound. "No. I’ve worked too hard to get this close to the top. Get used to it, Ava. Leo is coming over for dinner tonight. Be there. And be nice."

She turned on her heels and walked away. I watched her go. My heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces. My own mother was choosing a stranger over my dying father.

I couldn't go back to my desk. I couldn't sit there and pretend to work. I headed toward the breakroom to get some water. My head was spinning. I felt like the world was closing in on me.

I wasn't looking where I was going. As I turned the corner, I slammed into something hard. It felt like walking into a brick wall.

"Whoa! Watch it there," a male voice said.

I stumbled back. I looked up and saw Mark. He was one of the senior designers. He was also Derick’s best friend at the office. They were always together, laughing and acting like they owned the place.

Mark smiled at me, but it wasn't a kind smile. It was the same arrogant look Derick always had. "Careful, Ava. You wouldn't want to ruin this suit. It costs more than your monthly rent."

That was it. That was the final straw.

"I don't care about your stupid suit!" I screamed. The words poured out of me like fire. "I don't care about you, and I definitely don't care about your smug little group of friends. Move out of my way!"

Mark’s smile vanished. He looked surprised. "Hey, calm down. It was just a joke."

"It’s not funny!" I yelled. People were starting to stare. I didn't care. "You and Derick think you can treat everyone like trash just because you have money. You are all pathetic. You are hollow, mean, and I am sick of looking at your faces!"

"Is there a problem here?"

The voice was deep. It was calm. It was a voice I knew all too well.

I turned around. Derick was standing there. He had his hands in his pockets. His dark suit was perfect. His hair was perfectly styled. But his eyes were dark and dangerous.

Mark looked at Derick. "She just went crazy, man. I bumped into her and she started screaming about how much she hates us."

Derick looked at me. He didn't look angry. He looked amused. That was worse. It made me feel small.

"Is that true, Ava?" Derick asked. He stepped closer. I could smell his expensive cologne. It smelled like sandalwood and power. "Do you hate us that much?"

"I hate you more than anything," I said. I didn't back down. I looked him right in the eye. "You are a spoiled brat who took what belonged to me. You don't deserve that promotion. And you don't deserve to be in my life."

The office went silent. No one ever spoke to Derick Stone like that.

Derick leaned in. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off his body. He whispered so only I could hear.

"You have a very loud mouth, Ava Michaels. It’s a shame. It’s such a pretty mouth, but it says such ugly things."

"Get lost, Derick," I hissed.

He straightened up. He gave me a slow, chilling smile. "You disrespected my friend. You made a scene in my lobby. And you think you can just walk away?"

"What are you going to do? Fire me?" I challenged. I knew he couldn't. His father liked my work.

Derick chuckled. It was a dark, low sound. "Oh, no. Firing you would be too easy. I have something much better in mind for you."

"What does that mean?" I asked. My heart started to beat faster.

"You’ll find out soon," Derick said. He turned to Mark. "Come on. Let’s leave the lady to her tantrum."

They walked away, laughing. I stood there, trembling with rage and fear. I wondered what he meant. How could he get back at me? He was just a project manager. He didn't have that much power over me.

Or so I thought.