Page 84 of Apparently, I’m Torture

“It’s over, Shawn,” she mumbled between tears. “I’ve lost everything.”

I was going to kill him.

Chapter 31

Lilly

Friday Morning

Verra Convention Center

“Stacey, get in here now,” Shawn roared, and I winced.

Teachers were looking into the room. They could see me on the floor, red-faced and crying. I quickly wiped my cheeks on my wrists, took a breath, and stood. Breaking down wasn’t going to solve anything.

Stacey walked in, a look of indignation on her pretty face, and Mia followed, mad as I’d ever seen her.

The door shut and Mia let loose. “What’d she do? Go on, tell us.”

Stacey’s neck snapped in Mia’s direction, then back at Shawn. He was a mountain of a man, his face lined in a scowl, hands on his hips, shoulders broad and rigid. Angry Shawn was usually sexy, and he was, but he was also scary. I’d never seen him this mad before.

Stacey folded her arms. Her posture was straight and defensive as she asked, “What’s going on?”

“Your…” Shawn trailed off, took a breath, and let it out slowly. “Cousin. He’s been using Lilly’s computer at South Bronx to send emails.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your cousin is trying to get Lilly fired.”

Stacey scoffed. “Shawn, that’s crazy.”

“No,” he said, firm. “It isn’t. One of Lilly’s colleague’s saw him sitting at her desk.”

Her blue eyes narrowed. “So?”

“So?” Mia erupted. “So? He’s been fucking with Lilly’s email and messing up her orders. He’s trying to get her kicked off the fundraiser.”

“And he succeeded.” Shawn’s tone flattened out. Maybe watching Mia explode was sobering. It definitely had that effect on me. “He sent an email from her computer last night to the department heads.” He ran a hand through his hair, then down his face. “Everything was pinned on Lilly, and they’ve asked me to fire her.”

Stacey shot me a glance, like she just realized I was standing there. “But… what makes you think it wasn’t Lilly who sent those emails?”

He shook his head. “Lilly couldn’t have done any of it.”

“Well, why not?” She cocked her head, pushing.

“She wasn’t in the office or at her school.”

“Do you know where she was?”

“Oh, you evil, fucking bitch,” Mia barked, stepping close to Stacey, forcing her back. “You’re trying to protect your dickbag of a cousin, aren’t you? Well you can’t. Want to know why? Because Lilly wasn’t here or at the school. She was with Shawn.”

“Mia,” I panted as I laced my arms around her shoulders and dragged her back.

But Stacey wasn’t daunted. She turned to take in Shawn’s pinched… guilty face?

“Was she?”

Shawn didn’t say anything. The muscle on his jaw jumped as he nodded.