The day dragged on, with Sandra doing her best to irritate Evelyn. She hovered, offering unsolicited advice, acting overly friendly with staff, and flashing Evelyn fake smiles whenever their paths crossed. But beneath Sandra's thinly veiled hostility, Evelyn sensed something more sinister: Sandra was looking for a chance to steal her phone.

Evelyn kept her phone close all morning, knowing that leaving it unattended would give Sandra an opportunity to snoop. She kept it either in her pocket or locked securely in her drawer. She even caught Sandra glancing at her desk when she thought Evelyn wasn't looking. Every time Evelyn left her desk, she felt Sandra watching, waiting for a mistake. But Evelyn wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

By mid-afternoon, Evelyn needed to use the restroom. Tucking her phone into her pocket, she headed there, trying to shake off the mounting tension. She refused to let Sandra control her.

Inside the restroom, Evelyn entered a stall, grateful for a moment's peace. She was about to relax when she overheard some staff chatting at the sink, fixing their makeup.

"Did you hear about Evelyn?" one whispered.

"Oh yeah," another replied. "I heard she got fired from Empowered for being incompetent. Imagine, she came back here like nothing happened. Must be nice to have the family company to fall back on." Evelyn rolled her eyes, silently listening. She suspected Sandra was behind these rumors.

The first woman chuckled. "That's not even the best part. I heard she leaked those stories about Derek Stone online because she was jealous of her sister's relationship with him."

"And," the second woman added in a hushed tone, "apparently, she ran away on her wedding day. Can you believe it?"

Evelyn, not usually one for gossip, found a strange satisfaction in eavesdropping, especially since the gossipers were so clueless. The first woman gasped. "No way! What a mess!"

The gossipers continued to snicker, oblivious to Evelyn's presence. But Evelyn wasn't hiding. She flushed the toilet and, as she stepped out, the women froze, their faces paling.

Evelyn walked to the sink, washed her hands, and smiled at them through the mirror. "You know," she said calmly, "I don't care about your rumors, or where you heard them. What I do care about is that you're being paid to gossip in the restroom during work hours."

The two women stammered apologies, avoiding her gaze as they grabbed their things and fled. Evelyn shook her head, dried her hands, and returned to her office.

Just as she settled back at her desk, her phone buzzed with a text from Derek: [I gave my mom your number. She'll probably call you soon. I'll call you when I'm less busy.]

Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. [Why would you give her my number?] She started to reply, but her phone rang—an unknown number. Was it Derek's mother?

Hesitating, she took a deep breath and answered.

"Hello?"

"Evelyn?" a soft, tentative voice replied. "It's Derek's mother. I'm sure Derek told you everything, but I just wanted to… I was hoping you'd meet me. I know I made mistakes, and I don't expect forgiveness easily, but I'd like to apologize. That's all."

Evelyn's grip relaxed. She heard the nervousness in Mrs. Stone's voice, and despite everything, felt a flicker of empathy.

"Okay," Evelyn said. "We can meet during my lunch hour."

Relief flooded Mrs. Stone's voice. "Thank you, Evelyn. You pick the place."

"Café Limca? It's quiet and near my office," Evelyn suggested.

"Sounds fine," Mrs. Stone replied. "I'll see you then."

At lunchtime, Evelyn went to Café Limca. Thoughts of the meeting swirled in her mind. Despite Mrs. Stone's apology, Evelyn felt anxious, remembering their last encounter in Derek's suite and the resulting job loss. However, she reminded herself that Derek wouldn't have given his mother her number if he didn't trust her. She pushed aside her worries, determined to clear the air and make a good impression.

At the café, Evelyn spotted Mrs. Stone at a table by the window. She looked slightly anxious but composed, with an iced coffee in front of her. Evelyn approached with a polite smile. "Hello, ma'am," she greeted warmly.

Mrs. Stone returned the smile, though it was tinged with nervousness. "Evelyn, thank you for meeting me. Please sit down."

Evelyn sat, noticing Mrs. Stone's carefully chosen outfit. Neither spoke until they had ordered.

"I'm ashamed of how I acted last time," Mrs. Stone began, her voice low. "I misjudged you. I should never have spoken to you that way."

Evelyn nodded, her expression neutral. "As much as it hurt, I understand why. I've tried to see things from your perspective. You reacted based on misinformation."

Mrs. Stone leaned forward. "I don't think everyone would have reacted like I did. I didn't know the details of what happened between you and Michael, and I reacted to his lies, but I shouldn't have treated you that way, regardless. I'm so sorry. I don't want to make excuses. I want a fresh start, if you'll let me."

Evelyn considered her words. "I appreciate your apology. And honestly, I don't hold it against you. If you'd known the full story and still sided with Michael, that would be different. But you didn't."

Mrs. Stone's shoulders relaxed, but her gaze remained earnest. "Thank you, Evelyn. But I want to do more than apologize. I want to make it up to you. If there's anything I can do—if you want your job back at Empowered, or even a promotion, I can help."

Evelyn shook her head, smiling slightly. "I've moved on from Empowered. I'm where I need to be now, with my family's company. You really don't need to do anything. I believe everything happened as it should have. I have no regrets."

Mrs. Stone seemed surprised but nodded. "I understand."

After a pause, Mrs. Stone pulled a photograph from her handbag and slid it across the table. It was a picture of Derek as a child.

Evelyn smiled softly, her heart warming. "Samantha looks just like him," she observed, surprised by the resemblance.

Mrs. Stone's eyes glistened. "The moment I saw her, I knew she was Derek's, even though he tried to deceive me."

Evelyn laughed softly. "He didn't mean to deceive you. He wasn't sure how you'd react knowing who she was. And everything they told you was true. They met and became friends before he realized she was his" Evelyn said, watching as Mrs. Stone's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" she asked. Evelyn nodded.

Although not usually talkative, Evelyn wanted to put Mrs. Stone at ease, so she told her everything.

"I was surprised myself. I never knew about their friendship," Evelyn said, explaining how she had thought "Rek" was a child until she discovered he was actually Derek.

Mrs. Stone laughed as Evelyn recounted everything, then shared more about Samantha. Soon, they were chatting like nothing had ever come between them.

"She's priceless, Evelyn. I can't imagine how tough it must have been, yet you did such a wonderful job raising her," Mrs. Stone said.

"Seeing the praise I've received, I guess it was worth it. I'll send you more pictures next time we meet," Evelyn promised.

"I'd love that. And I want to be part of her life, too, if you'll let me."

Evelyn met her hopeful gaze with a wide smile. "Of course, she's your granddaughter; you have no choice!" Mrs. Stone smiled.

It was always easier to spot a fake after seeing the real thing, and now, having met Evelyn, Sandra seemed a complete sham. Evelyn's grace and beauty were effortless, her warmth and kindness radiating. Derek had clearly made the right choice. Michael's loss was Derek's gain.