Emmerson's words gave me pause. "Thank you," I said softly, touched by his concern. "Thank you for thinking of me. That means a lot. But I still want to work with my team."
Emerson frowned slightly but stayed quiet as I continued. "You know, one of the reasons I quit before was because of how people looked at me. How they talked behind my back. It wasn’t the main reason, not even close, but it was there too. And now I’ve realized... I need to put on my big-girl pants on and face it. They’re not going to stop talking, Emerson. They’ll always have something to say. But that’s their problem, not mine. I can’t let them win. I am going to rise above it all "
He sighed heavily, his expression a mixture of concern and reluctance.
"I just don’t want anyone to hurt you, Mina," he said quietly.
