Page 25 of Pucking Daddy

Then—

“I don’t have time to train someone from scratch,” he says, voice rising.

I stare at him. “Excuse me?”

“I need someone who anticipates,” he continues, like he didn’t just cross a line. “That’s what I’m paying you for.”

Heat flares in my chest.

“Anticipates what, exactly?” I shoot back. “Information you haven’t given me?”

“That’s not—”

“No, let’s be really clear,” I cut in, stepping closer. “You asked me about a tutor I don’t have contact details for, about a plan I haven’t seen, based on a timeline I was never told existed.”

His expression hardens. “This is important.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t,” I fire back. “I’m saying you don’t get to hold me accountable for something I was never included in.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw, but I’m on a roll now. “I can’t do my job blind,” I snap. I can’t even believe the audacity of this man.

“You want me to show up for Lily? Then you actually have to give me the information I need.”

His eyes narrow, something sharp flashing there. “I hired you to take care of my daughter, not question how I run my life.”

“And I’m trying to do exactly that. But I’ve been here exactly one day,” I say, incredulous. “One day.”

He looks like he’s about to say something, but I cut him off before he can. I don’t even care that he’s my boss right now. He’s being unfair, and I’m not letting him treat me like this.

“Figure out what you actually expect from me,” I say, grabbing my phone from the counter. “And maybe—just maybe—tell me next time.”

I turn before he can respond.

“Zara—”

I don’t stop.

The sound of my footsteps echoes just a little too loudly as I disappear down the hall, leaving him standing there in the kitchen.

***

By the time I pick Lily up from school, I’ve replayed that argument at least fifty times.

Each version gets worse.

Each version ends with me unemployed and back on a train home, explaining to Danny how I managed to blow up my “fresh start” in under forty-eight hours.

Cool. Love that for me.

“Zara!”

Lily barrels into me the second she spots me at the school gate, backpack bouncing, pigtails slightly crooked.

The sight of her knocks the edge off everything.

I crouch down just in time to catch her. “Hey, you.”

“You’re here!” she says like it’s a surprise.