I was still for a moment, then finally asked,
"What if I don't want to work there?"
His reaction was immediate—surprise, confusion, and then a forced composure. He coughed into his hand and leaned back in his chair, and his voice came out more carefully measured than before.
"Well, that would leave us in a bit of a tight spot," he said. "Since we don't have a place for you here anymore… this would be your last week. Unless, of course, you're willing to work for free."
"You mean volunteer?" I asked, half-joking—but also half-considering it.
Volunteer work didn't sound so bad compared to walking into Blackwell again. After all, like Mom said, I had money now. I could afford to stay somewhere safe, somewhere that didn't dig into old wounds.
He gave me a tight-lipped smile. "We'll give you the day to think it through. We need to get back to them by tomorrow. Please think about this carefully before you make a decision."
I nodded, about to turn and leave when he stopped me again.
"Casey, wait."
I paused, turning around slowly.
"I thought you'd be happy," he said. "This is a huge opportunity. If anyone else were offered this, they'd jump at it. Why are you refusing?"
His words stung. And gave me an idea.
"If everyone wants the position," I said cautiously, "why not give it to someone else? Let me stay here."
Hope flickered in me. Maybe there was a chance.
But he shook his head. "I'm sorry, miss moon. You just started working here. We can't do a swap. It doesn't work like that."
Of course not.
I nodded, forcing a small smile, then turned and walked out. I went to my desk, grabbed my things in silence, and headed for the exit.
I stepped outside, and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel.
Relieved? Betrayed? Angry? Lost?
Maybe all of them at once.
I walked a few streets over from the office with confusion in my head. I hadn't planned to leave work this early, so the driver didn't know I was out. But I couldn't sit with this—not the news, not the way it was delivered, not the unanswered questions...
I called Mom.
"Hey, sweetie," she answered, cheerful and warm. "What's up? You've never called me at this time before. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Mom."
But I wasn't. And she knew it.
"You don't sound okay," she pressed gently.
I took a shaky breath. "I just called to ask you… I don't know if Leonard told you, but I was just at work and—my boss told me they're transferring me to Blackwell."
"Transferring you?" Her voice sharpened. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. It's just… a whole thing." My voice faltered. "But I was wondering—does Leonard know? That they're transferring me to Blackwell? Because yesterday… it didn't sound like he wanted me there. Not after that fight with Cesar. And now this?"
There was silence on the other end of the line, then finally, "Wait. Let me call you back."
"Where are you right now?" she added quickly.
"I just left work. I think I'll walk around the city for a bit before heading home."
"Okay, but make sure you call Ted so he doesn't wait for you at work."
"I will."
She hung up.
The moment the call ended, the silence felt heavier than before. If Mom didn't know… then Leonard probably didn't tell her. Which meant this wasn't something they agreed on. And if Leonard didn't approve of this, then who was behind it?
When did this position at Blackwell suddenly appear? Did Cesar know?
He said he didn't want me to work there—and now they were sending me straight to his doorstep?
I kept walking, my thoughts spiralling in every direction until my phone rang again.
It was Leanna.
"Hello?" I said into the phone.
"Oh, Casey, I'm so sorry," Leanna's voice came through in a breathless rush. "I wanted to call you ever since I got back, but I've been so preoccupied with this whole engagement thing because—my fiancé," she said with a dramatic pause, "thought it would be fun to have this big, extravagant affair. I should've had a brain scan before I agreed to this."
I chuckled, already picturing her rolling her eyes and pacing the room.
"It's been flowers and seating charts and drama," she continued, exasperated. "If the engagement is this exhausting, what the hell is the actual wedding going to feel like? I swear, I'm about ready to elope. I keep trying to convince him we should just run away and come back married."
In the background, I heard a deeper voice—her fiancé, no doubt—then her giggling before the sound of footsteps.
"Anyway, as I was saying, that's why I didn't reach out earlier," she said, her voice light again.
"It's fine," I told her, and even I was surprised by the smile tugging at my lips. Something about Leanna always had that effect on me.
"Good, because as long as we're talking now…" she trailed off, then jumped right back in, her tone suddenly excited. "So, today my fiancé is going on a short business trip, and he'll be back tomorrow evening, which means I have the whole night to myself—and honestly, I need this, Casey. I've been drowning in lace samples and cake tastings and I swear if I hear the word venue one more time I might scream."
I laughed fully this time, the sound catching even me off guard.
"So I thought," she said, her voice dropping just a little, "what better way to spend my night of freedom than with my girls? Just us. Drinks, music, bad dancing—you in?"
She paused for a beat, then added in a sing-song voice, "And I might have your engagement invite ready for you…"
I didn't even think. "Okay, fine. Where do you want to go?"
"I'll send you the details. Let's say seven-ish? We're going to have so much to talk about," she said, drawing out the words, "and none of it will involve wedding drama. Promise."
"Okay, I'll be there."
"Yesss! See you later, babe!" she said before hanging up.
I stared at the phone screen for a second, still smiling.
Whatever was happening with Blackwell, with Cesar, with my job—it could wait. Tonight, I was going to let myself forget about it all. Just for a few hours. No decisions, no pressure.
Just a girl's night.
Determined not to let the day ruin my night, I decided to take myself shopping.
I walked through the boutique and found the perfect outfit—something sleek, effortless, something that said I'm not thinking about my ex or my job or my future.
I called Ted when I was done. He came to pick me up without asking questions, and when I got home, I headed straight for Victor's room. He was already back from school and flopped across his bed with a comic book half-open on his chest.
"Hey, Vic," I said, sitting at the edge of his bed.
"Hey, Casey," he grinned. "You're home early."
"Yeah, just missed you much," I said peppering him with kisses
We hung out for a bit, snacked in the kitchen, and worked through his math homework together—even though I was more guessing than actually helping.
Mom came in a little while later, slipping her heels off at the door with a tired sigh.
Of course, the first thing out of my mouth was, "So what did Leonard say?"
She gave me a look, the kind that meant she didn't know how to deliver whatever news she carried.
"Well," she said slowly, "you might want to sit for this."
I was already seated,
"Leonard was furious," she said. "The moment I told him, he stood up so fast I thought he was going to throw something. He was livid that Cesar did this."
"Cesar did what?" I asked, totally thrown off.
"The company you were working for is actually a subsidiary of sorts at Blackwell," she explained, her voice careful now as if trying not to set off a bomb. "And Cesar… well, he used his authority to have them remove you from your job and transfer you straight to Blackwell."
I blinked. "So… this wasn't the company's decision?"
She shook her head, gently patting my hand.
"No, sweetie. This was Cesar. Leonard was beside himself when he found out. He said Cesar is out of control, doing things behind his back."
I sat still, processing, trying to make sense of it. This entire situation—the sudden transfer, the awkward silence in the meeting room, the looks—I wasn't imagining it.
This was Cesar and Leonard's fight.
I was just the chess piece being moved across their board.
Used.
Sacrificed.
And it didn't feel good. It didn't feel good at all.