Derek sat in his office all day, the air heavy with silence. His coffee went cold, was replaced, went cold again. Every five minutes, he refreshed his email, waiting. It wasn't until late that night that the "read" receipt popped up.
He lunged at the screen, heart racing, only to find a single, icy line: Rachel's resignation, redirecting him to her assistant. When he tried to reply, the system pinged back—her email was deactivated.
His phone buzzed. Alyssa's sugary voice came through. "Derek, why aren't you home yet? I made that soup you love…"
Derek opened his mouth, but no words came. Alyssa kept talking, but a sharp ringing drowned her out, his ears buzzing with it. A strange panic gripped him, clawing at his chest.
He hung up slowly. As the screen went dark, his pupils shrank. Rach
