- Elizabeth -
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Your job is waiting for you. Take as much time off as you need, and John will hear from me. Take care, Lizzie."
I stared at Stella's message, a warm glow blooming in my chest, oddly at odds with the ice forming around my heart. Here was my boss, who treated me more like her wayward daughter than my actual parents ever did. I mean, when was the last time my mother checked in on me? Probably she wasn't even informed about my battered face. I knew Stella wouldn't fire me for taking a break to nurse a black eye and a slightly swollen cheek. However, I braced myself for the usual motherly lectures about project delays and how I should delegate more tasks to my already overloaded colleagues. Perhaps she'd even request a detailed report on how long I coul
