Chapter 9

Madison

I trudged down the dimly lit street toward my apartment, my heels clicking against the concrete. My feet ached, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional exhaustion weighing me down.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Hazel’s number.

“Mads, where have you been?” Hazel’s voice burst through the speaker. “I’ve been trying to reach you all day!”

“Yeah, about that...” I dodged a guy walking his chihuahua. “Remember those side gigs you helped me get?”

“Yeah, what about them?”

I winced. “Mr. Knight found out.”

“WHAT?” Her shriek made me pull the phone away from my ear. “How? Please tell me you didn’t use the office computers.”

“Um...”

“Madison Harper, you did not.”

“Look, I was desperate and short on time!” I kicked a pebble, watching it skitter across the sidewalk. “And in my defense, I thought I’d cleared everything.”

“Honey, nothing is ever really cleared from a computer. Like, ever.” She s