Isabella’s POV
My throat dries instantly. “No, please, Carla. You can’t fire me. I’m not lying. I swear to God, I’m telling the truth!”
Carla shook her head with a bitter scoff, turning back toward her desk. “You could’ve made one phone call. One. I gave you time off—generously, I might add—and you ghosted. No call. No email. Do you know how many clients I had to personally handle because of you?”
“I didn’t even want to go on vacation!” I cried out, stepping closer, desperation cracking through my voice. “You told me to take days. You insisted. Remember? I picked the shortest stretch I could and planned to go home, just for a breath—just for some air.”
Her arms remained folded. Her expression? Unforgiving.
Tears pooled in my eyes, but I forced myself to hold her gaze. “I didn’t even g
