Chapter two
1183 Words
Yvonne
I was pretty sure the neighbors heard me screaming my lungs out. Madison, who had just walked through the door, stared at me like I had completely lost my mind.
"Are you insane? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she snapped, her brows knitting together in irritation.
She didn’t look frightened, just annoyed. Typical Madison.
"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry," I said, clutching my phone to my chest. "I didn’t mean to scream like that."
Madison dropped her bag on the couch and gave me a look. "Then what on earth has you grinning like a crazy person?"
I shoved my phone in her direction, unable to hide my giddy excitement. She squinted at the screen. "Wait. Your story got accepted?"
I nodded so fast my neck hurt.
Madison sighed, a sound that didn’t match the occasion. My frown deepened. Shouldn’t she be thrilled? After all, we worked on this together.
"Of course it was going to get published," she said flatly. "That’s major news. Nobody would waste something like this."
I studied her face. "You don’t look happy for me."
"I am happy," she replied quickly. "I just… already knew it would get published."
Her short tone made me pause. Something was off. Maybe she’d had a rough day. Madison wasn’t the type to hide her moods very well.
"Bad day at work?" I asked softly.
She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Something like that."
I wanted to press her for details, but she clearly wasn’t in the mood. "Alright. We’ll eat out tonight, cheer you up a bit," I promised. She only hummed in response.
Still, nothing could dampen my joy. I turned back to my phone, scrolling through the release. The story was live on Quill Media’s official website, and within minutes the comments and reposts started piling up. People were losing their minds.
This post had already shattered Quill’s records. More likes. More shares. More buzz than anything else we had ever released.
I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt. "This is it," I whispered to myself. "My big break."
Madison was already lost in her phone, not paying me any attention. "There’s food in the kitchen," I called out before retreating to my room. She didn’t answer, but she would eat eventually.
---
The next morning, I woke earlier than usual. Excitement thrummed through my veins, but before heading to work I had one important stop to make.
My mom.
I dressed quickly and checked Madison’s room, but she wasn’t there. Strange. Madison hated mornings. Where could she have gone this early? I brushed off the unease and texted her. She didn’t reply, but I decided to focus on my visit.
At the hospital, I greeted the nurses before entering my mother’s ward. She shared the room with another woman in a coma, someone I’d never seen get visitors.
"Good morning, Mom," I said softly, moving to her bedside. Her still figure lay against the pillows, and as always, the sight made my chest ache.
"I came with good news today," I said, pulling the chair closer. "My story got published. For the first time in three years, I actually made it. Can you believe it?"
My voice trembled. "I know you can’t hear me, but I hope somewhere deep down you feel it. Your daughter is about to have a good life. When you wake up, I’ll make sure you’re proud of me."
Tears pricked my eyes. Memories of the accident clawed their way to the surface, memories I never wanted to revisit. I had been so careless, so stupid. If I had made better choices, she wouldn’t be in this bed.
I pressed my hands together, forcing myself to breathe through the tightness in my chest. "No crying, Yvonne," I whispered. "Not today."
I brushed away the single tear that escaped and kissed her hand lightly. "Wish me luck, Mom. I’ll make you proud."
---
Walking into Quill Media that morning felt like stepping into a different world. Eyes followed me everywhere. Colleagues who usually pretended I didn’t exist were suddenly greeting me with smiles.
So this was what it felt like to matter.
Liam’s assistant summoned me, and I hurried into his office. My boss rarely gave anyone the time of day, so my nerves were on edge.
"Good job, Yvonne," Liam said, his deep voice calm. "This was a big hit for Quill Media."
I blinked. Did he just… praise me?
"You’ll be promoted to head journalist," he continued, shuffling through papers. "Your past work wasn’t bad, but this story is extraordinary. Quite a shocker that you uncovered something of this magnitude."
My knees went weak. The infamous Liam, actually complimenting me?
"Thank you, sir," I managed, my lips curving into the widest smile. "I really appreciate this."
"There’s a press conference at noon," he added briskly. "You’ll be speaking on behalf of the company. Don’t embarrass us. I expect you to handle it."
"Yes, sir. I won’t disappoint."
Leaving his office, I felt like I could float. All my doubts vanished. The guilt about Nathan Pierce melted into nothing. If this was the price of success, then it was worth it.
I threw myself into preparations, determined to nail the conference.
---
Hours later, I stepped off the stage, applause ringing in my ears. I had done it. I could see it in the nods from my colleagues, in the flashes of cameras, in the way people whispered my name with admiration.
For once in my life, I was someone.
I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the site. At the bottom of the article, there it was: Story uncovered by Yvonne Gates.
A thrill surged through me.
"Nathan Pierce isn’t the son of the Pierce family," the headline screamed. "He is a fraud."
The article included the doctor’s report, along with the evidence I had carefully pieced together. Proof strong enough to shake an empire.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Pierce," I murmured to myself. "But a girl has to survive."
---
That night, I could not sleep.
Not because of excitement. Not because of adrenaline. But because of Madison.
She hadn’t come home. She hadn’t answered a single call. My best friend, my partner in this discovery, had vanished.
Worry gnawed at me. Dark thoughts whispered that something might have happened to her. I forced them down.
"She’s fine," I muttered aloud in my empty room. "Maybe she forgot her phone. Maybe she crashed at a friend’s place."
But why hadn’t she told me?
By morning, my nerves were frayed. I got dressed for work, convincing myself that I’d see her soon. Yet, a tiny voice in the back of my mind whispered that something was terribly wrong.
When I entered the office, the stares returned. But this time, they weren’t admiring.
They were cold.
Confused, I walked into my brand-new office, the title Head Journalist still fresh in my mind. My phone rang, and Liam’s name flashed across the screen.
I answered quickly. "Yes, sir?"
His voice was like ice. "What the hell did you do, Yvonne?"
My blood ran cold.
- Writer
