Page 87 of Apparently, I’m Torture

“You know exactly how they are,” I spat as I lifted from my bed and started pacing.

He feigned confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Did something happen?”

“As if you don’t know I’ve been fired.”

I could hear him breathing. I could hear the smile in his voice as he asked, “You’ve been fired? Why? What happened?”

“You know what happened,” I snapped, wiping the mucus that dribbled from my nostril. I felt unhinged. Like I could climb through the phone and rip his gangly limbs from his torso.

“I don’t.” He could barely cover the glee in his tone. “I was calling to talk to you about Mrs Hernandez. I know you gave her your phone number. But I, oh what’s this? I just received an email from the Department of Education. You’re under investigation apparently.” He clucked his tongue. “Mrs Hernandez was one thing, but I don’t know if your career can survive this.”

Despair pressed into me as I sank onto the bed. “Why are you doing this to me, Trevor? What’d I do to make you want to get rid of me so badly?”

“Lilly, Lilly, Lilly,” he chided. “We might not always agree, but I’ve given you nothing but support.”

“That’s such a lie.”

He tsked at me, then said, “What about the module I signed you up for? And the fundraiser? I was trying to help you.”

My anger rose, and I scoffed. “By sending me to Stacey? So she could give you access to my computer?”

“Why would you think either of us had anything to do with your computer troubles? It’s not as if we planned to block your access to the server, or uninstall your email each time it was fixed. I definitely didn’t have anything to do with sending that forged invoice to the merchandiser. And I certainly, certainly didn’t send an email confessing everything to the heads of the education department. Why would Stacey and I do any of that to you? What you’re accusing me of makes no sense.”

Right then and there, as his words worked into my brain, everything paused. I held my breath. Investigation reports were confidential. Even head teachers didn’t have the right to view the details behind them. He was rubbing everything he did in my face without directly admitting it, and still, I couldn’t do anything to prove it.

“Ah, Lilly, I just don’t understand why you decided to do this.” His tone shifted. “And poor Shawn, having to pick up the pieces of the mess you made. I hope his initiative pans out. After all, my cousin staked her career on following Shawn’s genius. And to think, you could’ve ruined that for them. But then there’s your career, torn at the seams.” He sighed. “It’s a shame you blew it, it really is.”

Tears stung my eyes. “You’re horrible,” I choked out, my throat closing.

Satisfaction was rife in his voice as he purred, “I wish I could help you, Lillybug.” My stomach turned at hearing his old nickname for me. “But it is what it is. I warned you of what would happen if you failed. I wonder what your mother would think if she knew you were fired from her school.”

He hung up and I threw my phone to the ground, watching it bounce along the carpet as my shoulders shook. With my head in my hands, my elbows digging into my knees, my chest, throat and eyes burned as more tears tore free.

I cried. I cried and I cried and I cried. Until I couldn’t take it anymore.

As the sun lowered over the Manhattan skyline, I wrapped myself in my blankets, shut my eyes tight, and waited for sleep.

Four Years Ago

Chapter 32

Lilly

South Bronx Classical

“He tried to kiss me,” I winced. “In the library.”

Mia let out a noise of disgust. “In front of the students?”

Grimacing, I answered, “Like a dog marking his territory.”

Mia’s lips twisted. “When are you going to dump him? It’s already been too long.”

I lifted a shoulder, then took another sip from the warm teacup in my hand. Mia and I were sitting in our staffroom. The students left for the day, and we were settled at our desks, ready to mark our latest round of assessments.

“I just don’t want to hurt him. He said he loves me.” I couldn’t repeat those words with a straight face. My nose wrinkled and my lips bunched on their own.

“I think it’s worse to keep the poor sod on the hook like you’re doing now. You should just end it and let him deal with it. Sooner is better than later.”