Chapter 59

Grace frowned. Was Sean asking about Jay? Regardless of why or how he'd seen her, she didn't owe him an answer. She owed him nothing.

"Mr. Stevens, why are you meddling in other people's business? Do I have to report to you whenever I'm with my brother?"

"Brother? Since when do you have a brother?" Sean asked. He only knew she had a younger sister.

Grace didn't intend to reveal much, but she knew Sean. He was relentless.

"I took him in as my younger brother. Can't I do that?" she asked.

Sean stared at Grace, scrutinizing her expression for any sign of a lie.

At that moment, Claire, sweeping the street across the road, saw the commotion and ran over. "Mr. Stevens, please calm down. Don't use violence."

Claire recognized Sean as the man who'd accompanied Lily when she apologized at the Sanitation Service Center. According to the workers there, he was Grace's ex-boyfriend.

"Mr. Stevens, if you don't let go, aren't you afraid someone will take your picture? If that happens, you'll have to explain yourself to Miss Atkinson," Grace said.

Sean's face changed. He released her hand and left.

Claire looked at Grace worriedly. "Why did he come looking for you?"

"Who knows what he wanted? I'm alright!" Grace said. She didn't think Sean's question about the man she was with stemmed from lingering feelings. However, it was undeniably strange. Goodness knows what he was thinking!

Couldn't she be left alone? She realized she might need to leave the city—the country—entirely for some peace.

"By the way," Claire said, glancing away, "you should ask the director for leniency at lunchtime. I heard Farah Steele is collecting signatures to get you fired." Claire winced.

Grace frowned. It seemed Farah was pulling out all the stops, but… "If the director wants to fire me, asking him will be useless. If it comes to that, I'll find another job."

What other choice did she have? Maybe it would be better. Then Chase would have peace, and she could do something else. But she felt helpless. She'd worked so hard at this job, and finding another wouldn't be easy.

Claire sighed. They both knew that if Farrah made a big deal of it, there would be no saving Grace. Farrah was in management; Grace was an hourly employee, easily replaceable. The director's decision was predictable.

After work, they encountered Farah at the Sanitation Service Center. Farah looked at Grace smugly. "I think you'd better get ready to leave. We don't want to work with a criminal."

Grace remained calm, refusing to show the fear Farah sought.

Farah, unhappy with Grace's lack of reaction, said, "Act tough all you want. The director will call you into his office later!" She snorted. Collecting those signatures hadn't been easy. She was certain the director would fire Grace.

A moment later, a human resources staff member called, "Farrah, the director wants to see you."

"He's asking for me?" Farah was surprised. She'd been very thorough, even digging up Grace's trial information and negative news articles online.

Farah went to the director's office.

Claire's face reflected her worry. "Okay, when you see the director, explain your situation. Maybe he'll sympathize and won't fire you."

"We'll see," Grace replied.

Her colleagues' gazes ranged from sympathetic to disgusted.

No one expected Farah to emerge from the director's office looking distraught and defeated.

"Farrah, why did the director call you?" her colleagues gathered around, asking.

Farah wanted to cry, but she couldn't. It felt like a dream. How was this possible? She had been fired. Why? Wasn't Grace supposed to be the one fired? The director's words still echoed in her ears.