Chapter 4

The voice on the walkie-talkie belonged to someone I'd never heard before.

They must have heard a woman's voice and mistaken Jessie for me.

I tried to speak up, but Jessie cut off the walkie-talkie. "Like I'd let a bitch like you ruin my big chance?

"All right, sign it."

I looked down.

A hastily drafted resignation agreement had been pushed in front of me.

"We can't let someone like you ruin the reputation of the whole company."

"I can sign it, but whether it's legally binding is another story."

My file wasn't even here, so this piece of paper meant no more to me than scrap.

"Besides, when it comes to dismissing me..." I looked at the two of them and shook my head. "Even combined, you two don't have the authority."

Jessie and Rhonda were so angry they were panting. "Fine, so we don't have the authority. How about this, then? We'll go live and let the whole internet judge your shameless homewrecking!"

My heart lurched.

The charges were made up in the first place, so I wasn't afraid of them.

But once a livestream started picking up traction, my family would see it.

The truth would turn into lies, and lies would turn into the truth.

"I have to warn you. Don't keep digging yourselves deeper. What you're doing is illegal! It'll hurt the company too!"

Jessie saw me dodging the camera.

She was clever. She didn't go live.

Instead, she pointed her phone at my face and recorded a video.

Even with my face blurred out, the friends and family who knew me would recognize me at a glance.

This wasn't just a slap in my face. It was a slap in the face of the entire industry.

Just then, another urgent message came over the walkie-talkie.

Jessie studied herself in the mirror for a long time.

Her makeup was flawless, and she'd already changed into her uniform.

If I remembered correctly, she wasn't even on the schedule today.

I gave a soft laugh.

That meant she'd come fully prepared to go after me. She'd planned to board in my place all along.

But that little scheme of hers... wasn't going to be so easy to pull off!

Jessie left, leaving just me and Rhonda in the office.

Rhonda's face was cold as she demanded I sign the resignation agreement right away.

This time, I didn't refuse.

Fine.

Like I'd said, if this was how their company treated a captain on temporary transfer, I didn't mind experiencing it firsthand.

As long as they could take responsibility for it.

Rhonda moved back to the dorm fast.

All my luggage was dumped outside the dorm like garbage.

Among it was a photo of my grandmother, Kayla Robertson.

When I was little, Grandma Kayla loved taking me out to look at the stars.

She loved it, and so did I.

Back then, I promised her that one day I'd fly her thirty thousand feet into the sky so she could touch the stars herself.

But a child's promises always end up as jokes.

Grandma never got to touch the stars, and she never rode in my plane thirty thousand feet up.

I reached out to pick up Grandma's photo.

But Rhonda stomped on the back of my hand.

Excruciating pain ripped through me, and my bones gave a sickening crack.

"My hand... No..."

I still had to grip the control yoke!

Rhonda ground her foot down even harder and barked at me, "Stop playing the victim. A homewrecker like you has it coming from everyone!"

But the next instant, someone flung the door open.

Jessie didn't notice me sprawled on the floor in a sorry state.

I had no idea what she'd just been through, but she looked panicked as she grabbed Rhonda. "Where's Cher Robertson?"

Rhonda looked confused. "Aren't you supposed to be on the plane by now..."

Before Jessie could answer, Rhonda switched gears, practically angling for praise. "But that contract flight attendant Cher is such a joke!

"I stomped her hand to a pulp, and she's still acting all high and mighty! Ha! Let's see her seduce men now!"