Chapter 8: The Library Incident
311 words
The next morning, Elena moved like a ghost through the children’s section of the library. Her eyes burned from lack of sleep; every sound was essentially a needle to her brain.
“Hey! Lady!” A kid, maybe ten, slammed a stack of books onto her desk. “I said I want the comic book.”
“Inside voice,” Elena murmured, rubbing her temples.
“You look like a zombie,” the kid laughed, poking her arm. “Zombie lady!”
“Stop it!” Elena snapped, her voice cracking like a whip across the quiet room. She slammed her hand on the desk. “Just stop!”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Ten minutes later, she was in the branch manager's office. Her boss wouldn't meet her eyes.
“The board received a complaint, Elena. From a very influential parent.”
“It was one outburst,” Elena pleaded, her hands shaking in her lap. “I’m under so much stress. I need this job. I’ll look into wrongful termination lawyer rights if—”
“The complaining parent was dining with Marcus Thorne last night,” the boss interrupted softly. “Don’t make this harder. Pack your things.”
Elena stood outside the library doors ten minutes later, clutching a cardboard box containing a succulent and her vividly painted mug. The unemployment benefits application would take weeks. She had hours.
Rain began to fall again, relentless and cold.
A low purr of an engine drew her gaze to the curb. A silver Bentley idled at the red light. The window rolled down just an inch.
Marcus Thorne didn't look at her. He just watched the traffic light. But as the light turned green, he swerved slightly—just enough to send a tidal wave of gutter sludge arching into the air.
The dirty water slammed into Elena, soaking her cardigan and ruining the contents of her box. As she gasped, sputtering, she saw the taillights fade into the mist.
End of Chapter 8
