Ten times better

First crack

Billie didn't go back to the empty garden. She walked the streets until the neon lights of the city blurred into a watercolor of reds and blues, and the first place she thought of was Sierra's tiny apartment. Sierra had always been the one who could make a storm feel like a summer drizzle—quick, fierce, and over before you could even grab an umbrella.

The door swung open before Billie could knock. Sierra's smile was a thin line, the kind that said she'd been waiting for this moment.

"Girl, you look like you've been through a tornado," Sierra said, pulling Billie inside and slamming the door shut behind them.

Billie collapsed onto the couch, the weight of the morning still pressing on her chest. She tried to speak, but the words tangled with the taste of bitter tea still lingering on her tongue.

"It's Lena," Billie finally managed, voice hoarse. "She... she's with Alex. Mom and Dad... they want them to get married"

Sierra's eyes narrowed. "I told you that girl was trouble. Remember when she.... She's a snake, Billie. You have to fight back."

Billie shook her head, the motion slow and deliberate. "I don't want to fight, Sierra. I just... I want to be happy for them. If Alex truly loved me, he wouldn't have... I don't know. I just want to let them be"

Sierra let out a sigh that sounded like a gust of wind through a cracked window. "You're too good for this, Billie. You're letting them walk all over you."

Before the argument could go any further, Sierra grabbed Billie's coat. "Come on, we're going out. You need a distraction."

The night air was sharp, the city humming with the promise of something new. Sierra led Billie to a rooftop party where the skyline glittered like a field of broken glass. Music thumped, laughter floated, and for a brief moment Billie felt the knot in her stomach loosen.

She found a quiet corner, leaning against the railing, watching the city breathe. Her phone buzzed in her hand, a low vibration that seemed to echo the beat of the bass.

It was her boss.

"I'm sorry, but we have to let you go. Effective immediately. The board made the decision. I'll send you the paperwork."

The text hit harder than any of the city's gusts. "What? Why? I—" she tried to text back but her fingers felt numb

Billie stared at the screen, the bright numbers of her termination notice blinking back at her. She felt a cold hand on her shoulder.

"It's your dad, isn't it?" Sierra whispered behind her, eyes fierce. "He's the one who pulled the strings. He got you that job, and now he's taking it away because of... because of Lena?"

Billie's throat tightened. The party swirled around her, but all she could see was the silhouette of her father's office door, the one she'd walked through countless times, always with a smile and a promise.

Without a word, she turned and fled, the night air slashing at her face as she ran down the stairs, down the street, and straight to her parents' house.

The front door opened before she could knock. Her mother stood there, a porcelain cup of tea in her hand, the steam curling like a question mark.

"Billie, you're back," her mother said, voice calm but eyes flickering with something Billie couldn't read.

Before Billie could speak, her father appeared in the doorway, a folder clenched in his hand. Beside him lena stood looking smug in a crisp new suit, something she'd never worn all her life

"You gave her the job," Billie said, the words spilling out raw and ragged.

"Yes darling" her mother said trying to hold her hands with understanding "the Don's family is coming and we don't want your sister to look... dependent, we want them to see that she's got something doing for herself"

Her father's eyes softened for a fraction of a second before hardening again. "It was urgent, Billie. The Don's visit is in two days. We needed to show a united front"

Billie's gaze darted to Lena, who met it with a practiced smile. "What about me? What about my project in Paris? I have two weeks left—"

"Lena can finish the project for you" her mother interrupted, setting her cup down with a soft clink. "We need you to find something else. The market is tough, but you're resourceful. You always land on your feet."

Billie felt the floor tilt beneath her. The room, once a sanctuary, now felt like a cage. She looked at the folder her father held, the paperwork that would seal Lena's promotion.

"Fine," she whispered, voice barely audible over the hum of the house. "I'll find another job. I'll leave."

She turned on her heel, the click of her shoes echoing as she walked out, the night swallowing her silhouette. The front gate swung shut behind her, the soft thud a final punctuation to a chapter that had broken her in ways she never imagined.

Outside, the city's lights flickered like distant promises. Billie pulled her coat tighter around herself, feeling the chill seep into her bones. She didn't know where she would go, but for the first time, the uncertainty felt less like a threat and more like a blank page—one she would have to write on alone.