I stared at my reflection in the restroom mirror for a long time.
At first, I was curious.
What if someone set me up?
But slowly… that thought changed.
It turned into something heavier.
What if I really messed up?
The question didn't accuse anyone else.
It accused me.
I swallowed hard and leaned both hands on the sink. My reflection looked pale. Smaller than usual. Not confident. Not strong.
Just tired.
I closed my eyes and forced my brain to rewind the past two weeks.
Paper by paper.
Detail by detail.
Signature by signature.
I tried to remember everything.
Every document I touched.
Every approval I signed.
Every instruction I followed.
I cracked my head trying to find something wrong.
But nothing came.
Nothing.
That scared me more.
If I couldn't remember a mistake… did that mean I was careless? Or that someone was careful?
I exhaled slowly and left the restroom.
Not to Victor's office.
To mine.
If there was an answer, it would be in my system.
I sat down and began opening files one after the other. My hands moved quickly over the keyboard. Searching. Clicking. Opening past emails.
Cross-checking timestamps.
I had to find something.
Anything.
The door opened.
"Here you are, darling sister-in-law."
Loretta's voice.
Sweet. Mocking.
I didn't look at her.
She walked in like she owned the place and sat on my desk, crossing her legs.
"Poor Alyssa," she continued. "You've created such a mess and now you're sitting here pretending to work."
"Please," I cut in sharply, finally looking up at her. "Think before you talk."
My voice surprised even me.
For a split second, something crossed my mind.
Fast.
Sharp.
What if…
My eyes widened.
I stood up so suddenly my chair rolled back.
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her arms.
"I know you did this!" I shouted. "You set me up! I'm sure of it!"
She gasped. "Ouch! Are you crazy?!"
She shoved me away immediately.
"How dare you touch me?" she screamed. "Have you lost your mind?"
I froze.
Reality hit me instantly.
What was I doing?
I quickly adjusted my chair and sat down, pretending to focus on my computer again.
Loretta was shaking with anger now.
"Just because you're Elena's sister doesn't give you the right to act insane!" she yelled.
"You think you own this company?"
I ignored her.
My eyes were glued to my screen, but my heart was pounding.
Staff had gathered outside.
Whispers.
Movement.
Then—
Victor's voice.
"What is happening here?!"
The hallway went silent instantly.
People scattered like they'd been caught stealing.
"Both of you. My office. Now."
His tone wasn't loud.
It was worse.
Controlled.
Inside his office, the air was heavy.
"Are you both crazy?" he exploded.
Loretta sat down immediately, legs crossed, looking offended but calm.
I remained standing.
Arms folded.
Eyes on the floor.
"Your loving sister-in-law started this," Loretta said dramatically.
I stayed silent.
"Don't you both think we have enough problems today?" Victor continued angrily. "We already have issues with those signatures. The company is under pressure. And you have the energy to create a scene?"
"I am not the one who committed fraud," Loretta snapped, glaring at me.
Victor turned sharply. "I told you not to repeat that word until everything is cleared!"
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Ouuu… sorry," she said sarcastically as she stood up and walked out.
Now it was just me.
And him.
The silence was suffocating.
I could feel the disappointment in his stare without even looking up.
"I swear," I whispered, my voice breaking, "I read every document before signing."
He didn't respond immediately.
He walked to the window.
Hands behind his back.
"This is very serious, Alyssa," he said finally. His voice was calmer now. Too calm. "If the board finds out officially before we fix this… there will be no saving you."
The words landed hard.
No saving you.
I looked up at him.
There was something in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Pain.
And disappointment.
I wanted to defend myself again.
To explain.
To promise.
But he cut me off.
"Just leave."
That was it.
No reassurance.
No comfort.
Just dismissal.
Something inside me cracked.
I turned quickly before he could see the tear that slipped down my cheek.
The rest of the day was quiet.
I was quiet.
I had no energy.
No fire.
No desire to work.
All the effort I had put in… suddenly felt meaningless.
Loretta sat a few seats away, chewing gum slowly like she was enjoying a movie.
This was entertainment for her.
She always wanted me out.
To her, it was about shares. Inheritance. Control.
I never even cared about that.
Not like I stood a chance anyway.
The whispers followed me as I left the office.
The stares.
The pity.
The suspicion.
When I got home, I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling.
That ceiling had become my safe place.
My thinking place.
My hiding place.
What would my mum think if she heard about this?
Maybe this is why they loved Elena more.
She never made mistakes.
She was perfect.
And Victor…
My mind raced through the phone call. A staff member, Luciana, had handed me files to sign that day. So what exactly went wrong? I paced the room, biting my lip.
Maybe I'd been too caught up in my enthusiasm to actually review the files. Maybe… maybe… maybe…
A soft knock interrupted my endless maybes.
It was Elena. She had let herself in before I even asked.
"I didn't notice you leave," she said, cutting through my thoughts as she settled on the edge of my bed.
I didn't reply. I sat silently, ashamed. I wasn't ready to face her warmth—it only deepened my guilt.
She reached out, placing her hands softly on my cheeks. I flinched slightly, ashamed of the trembling that betrayed me.
She opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden honk outside made her pause—probably Victor's car, the gates slamming shut almost immediately.
"You don't have to worry, dear sister," she said softly, her eyes locking onto mine. "Victor will make sure this doesn't get out. We'll handle this… as a family."
I swallowed hard, my shame threatening to crush me.
I couldn't answer.
Words failed me. I didn't want comfort. I wanted punishment, blame—anything but gentle reassurance.
After a long silence, Elena rose, adjusted her gown, and said quietly, "You know you can count on me."
I managed a small nod. She sighed deeply and left the room.
I hated always receiving sympathy. I hated that chaos seemed to follow me wherever I went. Why couldn't my life be perfect like my sister's?
Why did I seem to stumble at every turn, creating messes I never intended?
I drifted to the window, staring out, seeking some escape.
Aaron had left me countless messages. Today was the day I was meant to reply, to tell him I wanted to give us a real chance.
But now… now I didn't even have the energy to face him. I wanted to retreat further into my shame.
Then I saw his car outside. My chest tightened. I had been so deep in thought I didn't notice him waving.
I hurriedly checked my messages.
Aaron 7:03 PM: Hi Lys, I'm outside.
I froze.
The disappointment on his face—he probably thought I wasn't interested anymore—made me ache.
He buzzed me with messages I didn't respond to. After a while, he tried to enter, but the gateman stopped him. Victor, no doubt. I knew how he felt about Aaron.
A single tear slid down my cheek as I sank onto my bed, clutching my pillows tightly.
How would I face the office tomorrow?
How would I face anyone?
My body felt heavy, my chest tight, my thoughts tangled in guilt, fear, and shame. Every mistake, every small lapse, now seemed monumental. Every glance I had given the wrong way, every laugh at the wrong moment—it all weighed on me like stones in my stomach.
I buried my face in the pillows, wishing I could disappear. Wishing the chaos, the mistakes, the expectations, the endless scrutiny, would vanish. Wishing… I could somehow be perfect.
But I wasn't.
And tomorrow, I had to go back.That look he gave me.
It twisted something deep inside me.
How long would this investigation take?
Would the truth ever come out?
Or would I fall before it did?
I closed my eyes.
Then suddenly—
A memory hit me.
Last week.
I had been on the phone with Cynthia.
Laughing.
Talking.
And at the same time…
Signing documents.
My eyes snapped open.
My heart started racing.
I sat up abruptly.
"What if…" I whispered in horror.
"What if I really messed up?"
And for the first time since this started…
I wasn't sure I was innocent anymore.