“Don’t look at me like that,” I told Casey while I was carefully folding and packing my clothes into the suitcase. I had no choice but to agree to the ridiculous demand of Terrence Montemayor.

“I’m just worried about you,” she said softly, her tone laced with concern. “But I understand—your salary really is jaw-dropping, and with the hospital bills piling up, I know how hard it must be to walk away. Still, Bestie… are you sure you can handle it? What if that Terrence guy makes things difficult for you?”

I drew in a long breath and paused. That had been my fear too, but throughout the whole day yesterday, I hadn’t felt like he was taking things personally.

“I won’t tolerate being treated unfairly,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “And I’m sure he knows that, too.”

“Well, that’s true—you’re not exactly the type to back down. I mean, when God showered the world with patience, you must’ve been wearing a raincoat, an umbrella, and maybe even a full-on poncho. You didn’t catch a single drop!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her words because, well… she had a point. So if that arrogant man thought he could humiliate me, he was dead wrong.

Right now, I just have to swallow my pride and do my best at work. I’d make sure Terrence would never find a reason to criticize me. He was quick to fire people, after all. Imagine—yesterday, instead of explaining himself to me, he immediately ordered Warren to start looking for a new PA!

“Promise me you’ll text me every day, okay?” Casey said, her voice teasing but her eyes already glistening. “At least that way, if Terrence stuffs you in a sack and throws you into the Pacific Ocean, I’ll know where to start looking!”

I burst out laughing. She was always so dramatic, this crazy best friend of mine. But maybe that’s why we clicked so well—her sense of humor had carried me through the darkest moments of my life. After everything I’d been through, she was one of the few people who made things a little easier to bear.

“So, you’re moving into Terrence’s condo tonight? He actually gave you the whole day just to pack? Wow! Maybe there’s something wrong with him after all.”

“You already know there’s definitely something wrong with that arrogant man’s head. Let’s be honest, he just wants to enslave me. Can you believe it? He expects me to handle everything—his food, his clothes, his every need!”

She smirked. “You mean every need? Even the ones in bed—”

“Hey!” I cut her off quickly, pressing my hands over my chest. Not that it helped—there was quite a lot to cover.

“Oh please,” she said, cackling. “You should be covering your lady parts instead of those breasts! He could suck on those a million times and nothing would happen—except maybe you’d enjoy it too much. But if he gets a taste of down there, then boom! Say hello to a little Evelyn or a tiny Terrence!”

I immediately dropped my hands between my thighs, which made her laugh even harder. I rolled my eyes and went back to packing.

“You’re impossible! Whatever you and Orion have been doing, please don’t drag me into it. Unlike you, I’m practically a saint.”

“But you know what,” she said suddenly, her tone shifting to something more serious, “maybe this is all happening at the right time.”

My brows furrowed as I looked at her. “What do you mean?”

She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “I don’t know how to say this, but my two siblings are arriving next week. And honestly… I don’t think we’ll all fit here anymore.”

I saw the guilt written all over her face. It was clear she didn’t want to hurt me by saying that. I froze for a moment; just yesterday, when we talked, there wasn’t even a hint that she’d been worrying about this.

I smiled and reached for her hand, the one holding my folded shirt. “Thank you, Casey. For everything—for taking care of me all these years. I honestly don’t know where I’d be now if it weren’t for you.”

“Oh, come on. You’re my best friend,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “You know I’d never let anything bad happen to you. And besides, if it were me in your shoes, I know you’d do the same.”

I stood up and pulled her into a tight hug. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. The truth was, she had been my safe place after losing Dad—and after Mom fell into a coma, she was the only one who made me feel less alone.

We clung to each other and cried, loud and unrestrained, like children who didn’t know how to hold back their pain.

“I’m going to miss you!” she sobbed. “Who’s going to fold your clothes now, huh?”

That made me laugh through my tears. Typical Casey—always ruining emotional moments with her ridiculous humor.

Maybe this was really for the best. I’d been staying with her for two years now, and honestly, it was starting to feel unfair. I couldn’t even give her anything in return because every cent I earned went straight to the hospital.

She had paid for everything—rent, water, electricity, even food most of the time.

“Casey…” I said softly while folding the last of my clothes.

“Yeah?” she replied, glancing up.

“Someday, I’ll find a way to repay you. I promise.”

She smiled at me, her eyes warm. I knew she didn’t expect anything in return, but still—I wanted to give back somehow.

In the end, all my clothes fit into four suitcases. That was all I had left. Most of my expensive belongings were already gone; I’d sold them during Mom’s first week in the hospital. Before that, people had already come to our house—taking everything, claiming it was to pay for the money my father allegedly embezzled. Mom and I couldn’t do anything but watch as they stripped our home bare.

Now, all I had were my everyday clothes and a few work outfits. Nothing more, nothing fancy. I didn’t have the luxury to buy anything I didn’t absolutely need.

My phone buzzed.

“Ma’am, I’m already outside your apartment,” the message from Oscar read.

“Okay, I’m coming out now,” I typed back quickly before turning to my best friend, who was already on the verge of tears again.

I stood from the bed, fixed my clothes, and prepared to leave.

“Let me help you,” she said, grabbing two of my suitcases before I could protest. I let her—there was no way I could handle all four at once anyway. She stepped out first, and I followed behind her, dragging the remaining bags.

Outside, Oscar was already waiting by the car. He quickly walked up and began loading my things into the trunk. I took the moment to give Casey one last hug.

“Don’t forget to text me every day, okay? If not, I’ll worry myself sick.” Her lips jutted out in an exaggerated pout, and she looked like a child about to throw a tantrum.

“I will,” I said with a laugh. “Just make sure you reply, too.”

She nodded, still pouting, before stepping back. I climbed into the car, not wanting to keep Oscar waiting any longer—he wasn’t exactly my driver, after all.

As the car pulled away, I let out a deep sigh. I didn’t know how long I could endure Terrence Montemayor. But for Mom’s sake, I was willing to swallow every ounce of pride I had left.

If that arrogant man was the key to helping her… then so be it.

“You can do this, Evelyn,” I whispered to myself, as if the words could somehow summon the strength I would need for what was to come.