◆◆◆ Chapter 5 ◆◆◆HR’s investigation took three weeks. Three weeks of uncertainty, of me on forced leave, staring at the same four walls while anxiety gnawed at the edges of every thought. Evan showed up every morning with coffee, black for him, caramel latte for me, and sat with me on the couch, hand on my knee, reminding me we’d figure it out.“Whatever happens,” he’d say, voice steady, “we figure it out together.”Then the call came.My supervisor sounded lighter than I’d ever heard her. “You’re cleared. They reviewed all the call logs, confirmed you maintained professionalism throughout, and acknowledged that the relationship developed after the client assignment ended. You can come back Monday.”Relief hit me so hard I nearly dropped the phone. “Thank you. Thank you so much…”“But Aria?” She paused, half-laughing, half-serious. “Maybe don’t date any more clients, even former ones. You’ve used up your one free pass.”I laughed through sudden tears. “Trust me, I’m done with that.”
Last Updated : 2026-05-20 Read more