A Night Before Ruin

I

did not touch it. I just looked. My name glared at me i

I remembered locking it. I remembered everything about last n

ker than normal. Fancy. Rich. I did not open it. Not yet. Not

ce came through the doo

the envelope under my b

enough, it would not exist. Then I pulled on a sweater,

nd brushed mine for a second. "Ma

"I need to apply.

tepped outside before he could say more. The air bit my ch

My fingers were already pulling up the job listings again. Sam

otel front desk. Concierge assistant. Event coordinator. All under dif

Not a full minute after I had applied. I blinked. Then another pi

t align with our internal conduct standards. I read it three time

name had been flagged in red. Like someone had deci

kedIn. And then I froze. My profile picture was gone. My end

profe

hire someo

the top and still g

d screenshots. Blurry ones. From the hallway camera. Me leav

ed. "How-how di

der. I jumped. It was t

s. Sorry. I just-spill

ure? You look like

I grabbed my phone and shut the laptop. I had to leav

could stop myself. She was my old cow

oice was caut

is going on. My job applicat

sighed. "I heard something

did th

That you tried to extort him.

ue," I snapped.

ey said there was security footag

"Tanya, I did not

d. They think you brought drama. That the man wa

eartbeat. "So they ar

wer. But the si

against the brick wall beside the bus s

y name autofilled. I hit submit. Less than ten seconds later, a red ba

hing, but it felt like it came from underwater. I stared at

again. Another a

d have st

gripped it harder. I was not crazy. I was not stupid. A

ional. I clicked the careers page. Every listing said t

trying to shut itself. An invitation. That was rich.

The one from this morning. I p

scared of what it might say. Maybe I was

ered. Then I b

. My name was printed at the top. The

ar for a private conversa

ning. No guests

No name. But I knew. I

y eyes blurred. Then folded i

e sky was start

above me, Damon