THE CLAUSE ( Truth Cost Millions and Love Comes With Conditions)

Estella’s POV *The Crossroad* The cold metal bench beneath me felt unforgiving, but I couldn’t move. I sat there, staring up at the towering glass walls of Fernandez Corporation, the place I’d called my second home for five years. Now, it felt like a cage I was locked out of. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep the wave of memories from drowning me. Mom’s soft voice is calling us for dinner. Dad’s warm laugh filled the small house. Their endless love for me and my three younger siblings — even when times were hard, they made sure we never went without. Now, all of it was gone. Mom and Dad — gone. And I was left alone, holding a family that was barely holding together. I swallowed hard, blinking away the tears threatening to fall. I couldn’t cry here, not in front of strangers. Not in front of my siblings when I got home. They needed me to be strong. But inside, I felt shattered — broken beyond repair. --- An hour ago, everything changed. The clock had just struck noon when I walked into the conference room, heart pounding but hopeful. I thought it would be about the upcoming audit. Maybe even the promotion I’d worked towards for months. But the look in James Carter’s eyes told a different story. “Estella,” he began, his voice flat and cold. “There have been unauthorized transfers from company accounts. Nearly three million dollars.” I froze. “What?” My voice came out in a whisper. He adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable. “You’re in charge of those accounts. The money wasn’t invested anywhere. It’s… untraceable.” My throat went dry. “You can’t be serious. There must be a mistake.” James didn’t blink. “We traced the transactions back to your authorization codes. Your digital signature appears on every transfer.” “That’s impossible,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’ve never seen those transactions. I would never—” “—steal from the company?” he finished, cutting me off. “ We have evidence, S Estella. ” He slid a thick folder across the table. “You might want to take a look.” The folder hit the polished wood with a dull thud. My fingers trembled as I flipped it open — and there it was. My name, my signature, stamped across pages of fraudulent authorizations. “No,” I whispered. “No, no, this can’t be right. Someone forged this. I didn’t do this!” Gilbert Fernandez, the CEO, had been silent until now. His gray eyes met mine with quiet disappointment. “It’s your responsibility to know every transaction that leaves the company’s account.” “Yes, sir,” I said quickly. “It is. But this… this isn’t me. I swear it.” James leaned forward, voice low. “You expect us to believe someone hacked your system and forged your approvals? You think this company is that careless?” “I don’t know what to think!” I shot back. “But I do know this — I’m being framed.” Gilbert sighed, rubbing his temple. “Until proven otherwise, your employment is terminated. And the authorities have been notified.” My heart stopped. “Please, Mr. Fernandez. Don’t do this. Let me help you find who did it.” “Security will escort you out,” he said simply. I turned to James, desperation cracking through my voice. “You know me, James! We’ve worked side by side for years. Do you really think I’d do this?” He looked away. “I’m sorry, Estella.” The words hit harder than the accusation itself. Two guards appeared, waiting. I didn’t resist. I couldn’t. My badge was clipped off my shirt, my access revoked, my career erased in a single afternoon. --- Now, sitting on the bench outside, I felt invisible. People passing by averted their eyes — the disgraced employee, the fallen star. My phone buzzed. *Maya*. My closest friend at the company. ‘I heard what happened. Are you okay?’ My fingers hovered over the screen. I wanted to tell her everything — the fear, the humiliation, the disbelief — but all I could type was: ‘I’ll be fine. Just need time. ’ A lie, maybe. But the truth was too heavy to type. --- The afternoon sun glared off the glass tower, too bright for the mood I was in. I looked up at the building — the place I’d given my youth, my trust — and felt my chest tighten. Footsteps approached. “Estella?” I looked up. It was Maya— breathless, worry etched into her face. “I thought you’d gone home,” she said softly. “I didn’t know where else to go.” She sat beside me, silence stretching between us. “They said you transferred the money,” she whispered. “I told them it wasn’t you. That you’d never—” “I didn’t,” I cut in. My voice broke. “But they don’t care. They already made up their minds.” “Maybe… maybe we can prove it,” Maya said quickly. “If you still have your login records or—” “They deactivated everything,” I said bitterly. “I don’t even exist in their system anymore.” Maya clenched her fists. “Someone inside did this. I’ve seen people covering tracks before, Stella. Maybe it’s not over.” Her words lit a tiny spark in me — faint, but alive. “I don’t know who,” I said, shaking my head. “But whoever they are, they wanted me out.” Maya touched my shoulder. “Then we’ll find them.” I gave her a weak smile. “Thanks, Maya. But this fight might be bigger than both of us.” “Then it’s time to fight smarter,” she said. --- As the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the plaza, I finally stood. My legs felt heavy, but there was something fierce stirring beneath the pain. I crossed the street without noticing the honking car until it screeched to a stop. “Hey! You want to die?!” the driver yelled. “Why don’t you jump in front of a train instead of my car?” I turned slowly, anger flashing through the haze. “Maybe I’m not done yet,” I said under my breath. The man muttered and drove off, leaving me standing there in the middle of the road — my crossroad. I looked up at the sky, wiped my tears, and whispered to myself: “This isn’t over.”