Monday felt different.
Not because anything had changed—but because something was about to.
The message from the weekend lingered in my mind as I stepped into the building. A change in assignment. No explanation. No details. Just instructions.
It didn't sit right with me.
"Freeda."
I turned at the sound of my name. A supervisor stood a few steps away, holding a file.
"You've been reassigned," he said. "You'll be working from the executive floor today."
Executive floor?
My brows pulled together slightly, but I nodded. "Alright."
As I followed him down the corridor, I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't random. Something about it felt… planned.
And for a brief second, a familiar face crossed my mind.
Mrs. Charlotte.
She had been the one who introduced me to HC Group in the first place. The one who saw something in me before anyone else did.
If I was here this early…
Then this wasn't luck.
The atmosphere shifted the moment I stepped onto the executive floor.
Everything felt quieter. More controlled. Like every movement meant something.
A few staff members glanced at me before returning to their work.
And not far from the cabinets, Becky stood, her attention already fixed on me.
Her lips curved slightly. "Well, this is new. You move fast."
"I was reassigned," I replied calmly.
"Of course you were," she said, her tone light—but not kind.
Something underneath it felt sharp.
I ignored it.
My task was simple.
Sort through a set of files, arrange them properly, and submit them to the inner office. Nothing complicated.
I got to work immediately, focused and careful. One file at a time. No distractions.
I checked everything twice.
Then again.
No mistakes.
Not here.
"Need help?"
Becky's voice came from behind me.
"I've got it," I said without looking up.
"You're new," she continued, stepping closer. "It's easy to mix things up here."
"I said I've got it."
A pause.
Then her footsteps faded.
An hour later, I carried the files toward the inner office, confident in what I had done.
But the moment they were opened—
"This isn't correct."
My head lifted. "What?"
"These are out of order. And some documents are missing."
My stomach dropped instantly.
"That's not possible. I arranged everything myself."
"Well, something clearly went wrong."
I stood there, my thoughts racing. I knew what I did. I knew I didn't make a mistake.
Which meant—
When I stepped back into the hallway, my eyes found Becky almost immediately.
She was watching.
Waiting.
"Well?" she asked.
I walked up to her slowly. "You touched the files."
Her brows lifted slightly. "Excuse me?"
"You changed them."
For a second, she said nothing.
Then she smiled.
Not friendly this time.
"I was trying to help," she said softly. "But I guess you couldn't handle something that simple."
My jaw tightened.
"So this is how you do things?"
She shrugged. "This is how things work here. You either keep up… or you don't last."
There it was.
Clear.
Intentional.
I took a slow breath. "You won't get me sacked."
Her eyes flickered briefly.
"We'll see," she replied.
I turned away, but this time, my thoughts weren't scattered.
They were sharp.
Because now I understood something important.
This place wasn't just about work.
And Becky wasn't acting alone.
Somewhere behind all of this… someone was watching.
Testing.
Waiting.
By the time I left the building, exhaustion had already settled into my bones.
The day had taken more out of me than I expected.
I just needed to get home.
The door opened quietly as I stepped inside.
Liam was in the living room.
For a brief second, I thought he would look up.
Say something.
Anything.
But he didn't.
His eyes stayed glued to his phone, his expression distant, like I hadn't just walked in.
Like I didn't exist.
I paused, waiting.
Maybe he'd notice after a moment.
Maybe he'd say something.
Nothing.
A quiet breath left me as I dropped my bag.
It shouldn't bother me.
After everything that happened between us, maybe this was expected.
And yet…
It didn't feel right.
"Liam," I called softly.
No response.
Not even a glance.
I swallowed, forcing the feeling down.
"Fine," I muttered under my breath.
I walked past him toward my room, my steps heavier than they should have been.
Maybe he was still upset.
Maybe I had pushed too hard.
Or maybe…
Something was really wrong, and I just didn't know how to fix it.
As I closed my door behind me, the silence in the house felt louder than it should have.
And for the first time that day—
Work didn't feel like the hardest part anymore.