I double-click on the email, opening it up. It’s two thousand words of my boss saying the same thing. Unable to meet deadlines. Failing to reply to emails and attend meetings.
I click off the email, scrolling through three hundred others that basically say the same thing, warning me that I may have to be fired for being unresponsive. Nowhere in these emails can I see anything about anyone checking in, making sure I’m okay. I could be dead, and all my boss can think about are the missed deadlines.
“What is it?” Lila asks in a grave tone.
The tears start falling before I can get my words out. “They fired me.”
“Oh, Joy.” Lila wraps her arms around me, bringing me into a hug. “I was gone just over a fucking week, and she decided to replace me with someone more ‘reliable.’”
I slam the laptop lid, tossing it aside. My heart sinks into my stomach. Working for this magazine was keeping me afloat. It was my cornerstone. And when I wasn’t stressing out about the deadlines, it was my happy place.
“You don’t wanna work for people like that.” Mom sits next to me on the couch, rubbing my shoulder.
I sink into her touch. I poured too much time into working, and not enough time into them.
I was more interested in pleasing my boss, who never gave a fuck about me anyway.
I sit back into the couch. Life really does hit you all at once.
I miss what I had this past week. Being back in the city makes Valerian and all of the sunbathing feel like a fever dream.
And now I told Lila and Mom the truth, I want that life back. Even though there’s still a lot of uncertainty.
I rise from the couch.
“Please don’t tell me you’re going back there?”
“Someonewillfind me back in the city. And then they’ll find you.” I head to the bathroom and grab the pregnancy test fromthe basin. “I’ll be back when Valerian and Igor have stopped fighting.”
“And when will that be?” Lila raises her eyebrow.
“Soon. I hope.”
They’re both not buying any of it.
“I’m not losing you,” argues Mom.
“You won’t. But don’t you get it?” My voice scratches against the back of my throat. “I can’t lose the two most important people in my life.” I look at Mom. “I didn’t waste five years of my life working at a dead-end job just to lose you. I know Igor. His eyes fill with pure hatred every time he talks about his father. He won’t stop at nothing to destroy him, and if he can get hold of you to ruin Valerian, he will.”
“Hang on a second.” Lila frowns. “Why does he hate his father so much?”
Ah, shit. This won’t be pleasant for them to hear, but I’m over the lies and have to face the music.
“He had to kill his previous wife—Igor’s mother.”
Their eyes flare wide for the third time this afternoon.
“He had his reasons. Believe it or not, it makes sense.”
“No,” says Lila. “You’re just in love ignoring the red flags again.” She grabs me before I can make it to the door. “You’re staying here.”
My throat closes up. More tears start falling. “No. I can’t. Didn’t you just hear what I said about?—?”
“Valerianmurderinghis last wife? Yeah. We heard you.” Lila throws me onto the couch and sits on my calves.
“Lila!” I struggle against her.
Don’t they get it? This isn’t just about me anymore. Valerian knows I escaped. Igor will know soon.