Chapter 3

I pushed through the pain and dragged myself up off the floor.

My whole body hurt so badly I swayed, nearly going down again.

Boris and Emmet just watched me, blank-faced.

I looked down at my palm. Blood ran off my fingertips and dripped onto the floor, one drop after another, a red so bright it hurt to see.

The hurt and the misery inside me were completely drowned out. For the first time, I wanted to fight back.

I lifted my head and looked at Libby.

“Are you the Fox heiress?”

Libby’s face stiffened. Her eyes darted, and then she threw it back at me.

“Don’t tell me you think you’re the Fox heiress.”

I nodded, took out my phone, and pulled up my dad’s number.

The call connected almost at once.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

The moment I heard my dad’s voice, my eyes stung all over again.

In a shaking voice, I softly called out, Dad.

Before I could say anything more, Emmet lunged over and knocked the phone right out of my hand.

“Enough, Ellie. Haven’t you caused enough of a scene?”

The phone hit the floor.

The call was still connected.

Boris glanced at the screen.

The unfamiliar number on it settled it for him all over again.

He gave a cold little laugh.

“Ellie, do you even bother lining up your lies?”

“I have Mr. Fox’s number. That isn’t it.”

He and Emmet were both poor students my dad had put through school, so of course they had my dad’s contact. But what he didn’t know was that my dad had another number, one only my mom and I could reach.

I stepped forward to pick up the phone.

But Boris got there first and ground his foot down hard on it.

“Enough, Ellie.”

He pushed his glasses up.

“Everyone knows Mr. Fox’s daughter studies abroad.”

“And you graduated from a school here at home.”

“On top of that, I’ve seen your employment file. Both your parents are just workers.”

Emmet let out a sneer. That voice of his, usually so sunny, was all venom now.

“Not only vicious but a compulsive liar!”

“I must have been blind, treating her so well before!”

Then Emmet turned to Libby, all eager to please.

“Libby, don’t lower yourself to her level.”

“I’ll make the company fire her, I promise.”

“You don’t need to trouble yourself with something this small.”

Libby covered her mouth and laughed softly.

“All right. Thank you, Emmet.”

She came toward me slowly.

Seeing me still reaching for the phone, she kicked me square in the body.

Then she stomped the phone, once, then again.

Until the screen cracked and the whole thing went black.

Only then did she smile, satisfied.

Libby leaned down and spoke in a voice only the two of us could hear.

“Ellie, impersonating the Fox heiress, really.”

“The Foxes have kept their daughter studying abroad this whole time. What makes you think someone like you could pass for her?”

“Walking around every day with that slutty face of yours, throwing yourself at men. I’ve had my fill of you for a long time.”

“Why should they all circle around you when they’re so far above you? Today I’m going to run you out of this company for good.”

I glared at Libby like a cornered little beast, fury in my eyes.

“My dad won’t let you get away with this!”

Libby laughed, all contempt.

“That working stiff of a dad and mom of yours?”

“They couldn’t even get through the front doors of the Foxes!”

The second Emmet heard me, he charged straight over.

“Why waste so many words on her? I’ll throw her out of the company right now!”

He grabbed me by the collar and started dragging me toward the door.

The tear at my chest split open, and I couldn’t spare a hand to struggle, clutching at it in a panic.

Libby spat out one venomous word.

“Slut!”

Just then, the office door opened again.

Winston James walked in.

He stepped forward, putting himself between me and Emmet, and helped me up.

“What do you all think you’re doing?”