Chapter 2

Her mother's brows drew together, and only then did she speak. "Nora already told me everything!"

"You schemed, you pulled every trick, and that's how you got yourself named project lead!"

"With you out of the way, the project would go to Nora, no question!"

Listening to her, I laughed, furious.

I looked at her, and all that was left in my eyes was disappointment.

I had never imagined this was how my mother saw me.

In her eyes, I was the kind of person who clawed her way up by playing dirty.

And the one who had coaxed her into destroying her own daughter, that one she believed without a shred of doubt.

"Mom, this is a setup!"

I looked at her, my eyes full of disappointment. "I'm your daughter!"

"And yet, for the sake of someone else, you'd frame me!"

I looked at her, and nothing was left but disappointment and cold distance.

The mother who, just days ago, had lovingly promised to cook something nice for me was now, for Nora Gilbert's sake, ready to send me away.

And in that moment, I understood. A few days ago, I'd eaten the food my mother made me, and my stomach had ached.

So there had been something in that food.

If I hadn't taken medicine and pushed through the early work half-sick, I might never have landed the project at all.

But now I had it, and it made no difference.

"Ava, how many times have I told you?"

At my words, her expression only grew angrier. "If you'd just handed over the position, I wouldn't have had to do any of this!"

"Don't worry. You'll be in there a week, and after that week I'll come get you out!"

"During that week, Nora will take over your work!"

"Nora already said it herself. Even after she takes over your work, you'll still have a share in this project!"

"She's far more sensible than you'll ever be!"

Listening to her, all I had left was disappointment.

I was plainly better than Nora Gilbert, yet in my mother's eyes I fell short of her.

And she actually thought the company would still take me back, with a record hanging over me.

Just as I was about to argue with her, several officers arrived, moving fast.

The moment she saw them, she called out loudly, "Officers, we're over here!"

"Officers, this is my daughter!"

"I wasn't feeling well today, so my daughter drove me to the hospital even though she'd been drinking!"

"But I know drunk driving is against the law!"

"My daughter meant well, but I still have to report her!"

"She needs to learn a lesson!"

When she finished, the officers all froze.

None of them had expected a mother to say something like that.

After all, I'd gotten behind the wheel for her sake.

Still, they didn't press for more. They came straight over to me.

In their hands was a breathalyzer.

"Ms. Dickerson, please cooperate."

I nodded helplessly and blew into the device.

The next instant, the light on it flashed red.

I stared at that red light, and nothing was left in me but despair.

"Officers, it's not like that at all!"

"My mother is framing me!"

"I didn't drink. It's just that once we got here, she handed me a bottle of water and told me to drink, so I took one sip!"

I pointed at the water bottle beside us. "Look, the bottle's still right here!"

The words had barely left me when my mother cried out, beside herself, "Ava, how can you lie like this?"