Chapter 2 : An Unexpected Candidate (Sharon's POV) Part 1 :
The silence in our small business, Best Auto, feels heavier than usual. Since Madeline's sudden resignation, everything seems slower, more fragile. We lost our right hand.
I sip my vanilla coffee, glancing at the empty desk where our secretary used to sit. She left without explanation. Two years working with us, and she just vanished. I thought she saw us as family... but maybe I was wrong.
But the strangest part is... she disappeared.
Liam, sitting at his desk at the back, seems relaxed. Maybe too much. He just shrugged when Madeline quit, preferring to focus on finding a new recruit and keeping our business running.
— What time is the interview again?
he asks, not looking up from his screen. He's always focused at a thousand percent—I've always found that attractive about him. —
In ten minutes, liam.
I don't know why, but I feel uneasy. Something about this whole situation makes me nervous.
The Interview with Letty Prescar Scott
The office bell rings. I look up at the front door, and a young woman with long black wavy hair, deep black eyes, and pale skin stands behind the glass.
She pushes the door open confidently and steps inside. She's beautiful. Too beautiful. A cold, controlled charisma.
— Good morning, I'm Letty Prescar Scott. I'm here for the secretary position at Best Auto.
Her voice is soft, almost gentle. She hands me her resume with a polite smile.
Something about her bothers me already. Her name sounds strangely familiar. And her gaze... there's something unsettling about it.
We sit down, and the interview begins. Letty answers every question effortlessly. She knows everything.
She understands Best Auto's operations, our work style, our suppliers. As if she's been here before. It's impressive... and eerie.
At one point, Liam asks her about client confidentiality. She smiles.
— You don't have to worry. I'm a vault.
A chill runs through me. Why does that sentence unsettle me so much?
Liam, however, looks convinced.
— Are you available immediately?
— Of course.
I cross my arms, my stomach tightening. This is too fast. Too easy.
A Troubling Discovery
After the interview, Letty leaves, letting Liam and me discuss her hiring.
But an idea won't leave me.
I get up and walk over to Madeline's almost empty desk. Since she left, I haven't had the courage to go through her things. But today, something pushes me to.
I open the drawers, finding nothing unusual. Until the last one. Locked.
I search through the pen holder and find a small golden key. I hesitate but slide it into the lock.
Click.
The drawer opens smoothly.
And there, among a few notebooks and pens, a phone.
I pick it up carefully. A notification pops up.
💬 1 unread message from Marc: Madeline, answer me. I'm scared. Where are you? Is it because of our fight?
My heart skips a beat.
Why is her phone still here if she left?
I turn to Liam, who looks at me, intrigued.
— It's Madeline's phone. It was hidden in her drawer.
A heavy silence falls between us.
I unlock the screen, my hands sweaty. If she left it behind, it means she left in a hurry... or that she never left on her own.
And if something happened to Madeline?
Part 2 – Ten Years Ago Scarlett POV :
Scarlett, 16 years old – 2015
The morning cold bites my skin as I stand frozen in front of the school gates. My heart beats too fast, my throat tightens. The air around me feels heavy, as if the building itself is trying to swallow me whole.
I lower my gaze to my worn-out " not white anymore " sneakers and adjust my oversized hoodie, trying to hide my body as much as possible. My long curly black hair falls in unruly strands around my round and chubby face. I know what others see when they look at me: a fat girl, insignificant, an easy target. THEIR TARGET...
Like every morning, I always pray to be invisible.
But prayers are never enough.
— Hey, bestie!
A sickly sweet voice makes me jump. its was Sharon.
Before I can even look up, a thin, cold arm wraps around my shoulders. The sugary / stawberry scent of her perfume makes me nauseous. I already know what's coming. I always do...
— We're going to the music club studio as usual, right? Liam, Jason, and Lana are waiting for us!
It's not a question. It's never a question.
I want to say no, to run away, to disappear. But my legs won't move. My whole body is paralyzed by a fear that has been eating me alive for months. Sharon grips me tighter, dragging me along without giving me a chance to escape.
In the hallways, I hear nothing but the blood rushing in my ears. Everyone knows. Everyone sees. But no one ever does anything.
When Sharon pushes open the door to the studio, my stomach clenches.
Lana is the first to speak, a cruel smile on her lips.
— Look who's here... our favorite panda!
Laughter erupts in the room, sharp as knives.
Sharon shoves me forward. My heavy body collapses onto the hard floor. My palms burn from the impact. Before I can react, a sharp kick lands on my ribs.
— Did you think we forgot about you? Lana sneers, kicking me again.
I bite my lip to keep from screaming. I know that making a sound will only make things worse.
Jason stands there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Silent. He doesn't laugh. He doesn't speak. But he doesn't stop them either.
Then comes Liam. My breath catches when I see him approach. I want to believe he'll stop Lana. That he'll say something. But instead, he chuckles softly... and then I feel it. Something warm running down my body.
That day i promised myself to never forgive what liam did to me .
Humiliation. Complete and total.
Laughter fills the room, distorted, monstrous.
Even monsters are better ...
This type of human-kind : sharon liam lana and even jason ... are the monsters that we need to fear .
I close my eyes.
I tell myself that if I stay still, if I pretend I'm not here... maybe they'll finally leave me alone.
Maybe one day, I'll disappear for good.
or maybe not ...