CHAPTER 3
1467 Words
Annie didn’t stop running until she got outside.
Her heart beating too fast.
Check your mother.
Those words kept repeating in her head.
“No… no… no…”
Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone.
She called, No answer.
She called Again, still nothing.
Her chest tightened more.
“Mum… please pick up…”
Her voice broke.
“Stop.”
Her body froze.
Slowly…She turned.
It was Stephen.
Her chest rose and fell quickly.
“I need to go,” she said fast. “Something is wrong”
“I know.”
She froze.
“…you know?”
“Your mother is fine.”
Her breath caught.
“What…?”
“I already checked.”
Her heart skipped.
“You, how?”
“She’s at home.”
Silence.
Her body went still.
“…what?”
“She didn’t go anywhere.”
“That message…” she whispered.
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
“…then what was that?”
Stephen didn’t answer immediately.
He then replied “A distraction.”
Her stomach dropped.
“For what?”
His eyes didn’t leave hers.
“For you.”
“What do you mean…?”
He stepped closer.
“You ran exactly how they expected.”
Her chest tightened again.
“They?”
“Yes.”
“…who are ‘they’?” she asked quietly.
He didn’t answer.
“You don’t leave like that again.”
Her brows pulled together.
“What?”
“You don’t panic.”
Her chest tightened.
“Next time,” he continued, “you confirm before you move.”
Her fingers curled slightly.
Anger mixing with fear.
“I’m not used to people sending me messages about my mother like it’s a joke!”
Her voice cracked. Her eyes burning.
“I don’t live your kind of life!”
Stephen just looked at her.
“You do now.”
Her breath caught. Her heart skipped.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she said softly.
“No.” His voice was calm.
“You caused it.”
She swallowed hard. “…so, what happens now?”
He didn’t hesitate.
“You go back inside.”
Her head snapped up.
“What?”
“You signed the contract.”
Her chest tightened. “You didn’t give me a choice”
“You still signed it.” “Work starts now.”
Her fingers tightened around her bag. Her body still shaking a little. But she didn’t argue this time.
People still looked at her and whispered.
“That’s her”
“The one that posted”
“She has guts though”
“Or she’s just stupid”
Annie’s chest tightened. Her fingers curled slightly.
“I didn’t even say anything wrong…” she whispered under her breath.
But no one cared. Truth didn’t matter here. Only perception.
And right now, she looked like a problem.
“Annie.”
She froze again and turned.
Stephen was already inside. Standing near the glass wall.
“Come.”
She walked toward him slowly.
Her heart not steady. Her mind still spinning.
He handed her a file. “Read this.”
She took it. Her hands still slightly shaking. Her eyes scanned the pages.
Things she didn’t fully understand.
Her chest tightened.
“I… I don’t think I can handle this yet”
“You will.”
She swallowed.
“I might make mistakes”
“You will.”
That answer made her pause.
Her brows pulled slightly.
“…you already expect me to fail?”
He looked at her.
“No.”
Her breath caught.
“I expect you to learn.”
Her chest tightened.
She nodded slowly.
“okay.”
Hours passed And Annie struggled Badly.
She made mistakes. Small ones. But many.
Her hands kept shaking, her head started hurting, Her chest tight from the pressure.
“Wrong.”
She flinched.
Stephen was behind her again.
She didn’t even hear him come.
“I, I’ll fix it”
“You should have checked it first.”
Her fingers froze.
“I did…”
“No.”
Her throat tightened.
“I tried”
“You didn’t understand it.”
She didn’t understand it. She was trying to keep up. Trying not to fail. Trying not to embarrass herself again.
But it wasn’t enough. It never felt like enough.
Her eyes burned slightly. But she didn’t cry.
“I’ll redo it,” she said quietly.
Her voice smaller now.
He didn’t respond immediately.
“Sit properly.”
She blinked.
“what?”
“You’re tense.”
Her breath caught.
“I’m fine”
“You’re not.”
She swallowed. Her body stiff.
“I’m trying…”
Her voice cracked slightly this time.
“Stop trying.”
Her brows pulled together.
“What?”
“Just Focus.”
Her breath slowed slightly.
“Look at it again.”
She looked at the file again.
Her hands still shaking a little.
But this time, she slowed down.
And slowly… She started seeing it she started Understanding it.
Her heart skipped.
“oh.”
She corrected it. Then looked up at him.
“It’s this, right?”
He looked at it.
“Yes.”
Her chest lifted slightly. Just a little Relief.
And she didn’t expect how much that small “yes” would matter.
By evening, Annie was exhausted. Her body felt heavy. Her mind full.
She packed her things slowly.
Her phone buzzed.
She checked.
It was Sophia.
Sophia:
Girl… are you okay? That thing online is crazy
Annie typed slowly.
I’m okay… just tired
Sophia:
Are you still going there? That company?
Annie paused. She looked back at her phone.
Yes… I started today
Sophia:
Hmm… just be careful. People like him don’t just help for no reason
Annie stared at that message. Her chest tightened slightly.
Because She already knew that.
She locked her phone. Picked up her bag and Turned And froze.
Stephen was right in front of her.
Her heart jumped.
“I, I was just leaving”
“I’ll drop you.”
Her eyes widened.
“No, that’s not”
“It’s not a request.”
She hesitated. Then nodded.
“…okay.”
Annie sat still. Her hands on her lap. Her mind loud. Her heart not steady.
Stephen was driving.
“You panic too easily.” He said
Her heart skipped.
She turned slightly.
“What?”
“You react before thinking.”
Her chest tightened.
“My mother”
“was fine.” He said
Her lips pressed together.
“I didn’t know that.”
“You will learn.” He responded
“…why do you care?” she said
The question came out before she could stop it. The car went quiet.
Stephen didn’t answer immediately.
His eyes stayed on the road.
“I don’t.” he replied
“I care about control.”
Her breath caught.
“And right now…” His voice dropped slightly.
“…you’re unpredictable.”
Her heart skipped. She didn’t know why that word hit her the way it did.
Unpredictable. Like she was a problem.Something he needed to manage.
“I’m not trying to be” she said
“I know.” He replied
“That’s why I’m watching you.”
“…watching me?” she said
He didn’t look at her. But his voice was steady.
“Yes.”
The car slowed Stopped, they had gotten to Her house.
Annie didn’t move immediately.
“…thank you,” she said softly.
But he didn’t respond
She opened the door and Stepped out.
She Walked inside.
Closed the door. Her chest rising and falling.
“…what is happening to me…”
Her voice was barely there. Upstairs, she dropped her bag and Sat on the bed, Her body finally relaxing a little.
Her phone buzzed again. She picked it up slowly.
A new notification.
It wasn’t from Sophia. And it wasn’t from him.
It was from her anonymous account.
Her heart started beating faster.
Slowly…
She opened it. A new post. From her account.
But she didn’t write it.
Because the post said
“You think you’re in control, Stephen? You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Annie’s heart slammed hard against her chest. Her hands started shaking.
“No… I didn’t” Her breath got stuck.
Because suddenly, it looked like she had just attacked him again.
Without even touching her phone. Her chest tightened painfully.
Her mind racing.
“What is going on…?”
And before she could even process it, her phone started ringing. Her heart jumped.
She didn’t need to check. She already knew it was Stephen
Slowly…She lifted the phone to her ear.
Her voice barely there.
“Hello?”
“Explain.” He said, sounding cold
Her breath stopped. Because this time, Even she didn’t have an answer.
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