~~ETHEL~~
Taking in my father's serious expression, I forced out a nervous laugh that sounded hollow even to my own ears. "Why so serious, Dad? Is everything okay?"
My eyes darted to Anna, who was still standing beside me, wondering whether she had picked up on the tension too.
"No, Ethel. Everything is not okay. That's why I need to talk to you." His tight voice made my stomach knot. "I called you several times, but you didn't pick up. That's why I had to come here."
My phone. I'd forgotten to pick it up from my desk before the meeting. During everything that happened after.
Heat crept up my neck as I became acutely aware of Anna standing there, watching this unfold. And worse, Jennifer, the secretary who'd been gossiping about me in the break room, was pretending to organize files a
