Roberta stood frozen in place, her expression a tangled mess of guilt and relief. For a moment, she just lingered there, torn between feeling exposed and oddly at ease. After a few awkward seconds, she gathered up her books and mumbled, "Well… you look busy. I’ll head over to the library."

“Okay,” Ivy replied simply.

Roberta didn’t wait for another word. She hurried away, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Ivy didn’t have time to dwell on it. She pulled her suitcase out from under the bed and started packing up her things.

The chore stretched on until nearly noon, but at last everything was neatly packed away. Ivy sat down for a breather, just as her phone started to ring.

She assumed it was Jamison, but when she glanced at the screen, an unfamiliar number flashed across the display.

A sinking feeling crept into her chest. She masked her concern and answered, “Hello?”

The voice on the other end erupted, shrill and furious. “Ivy, you’re unbelievable! You’ll never get away with this! Is ruining me the only thing that’ll satisfy you? You think Jamison will adore you forever? Men aren’t loyal–don’t kid yourself! Just wait until he dumps you. You’ll end up worse than I am!”

Emma’s tirade was unhinged, her voice so sharp and frantic that Ivy had to hold the phone away from her ear. She waited for the storm of insults to subside before replying coolly, “If you’ve lost your mind, Emma, maybe you should check yourself into a hospital. Stop lashing out like some rabid dog before someone puts you down.”

Emma was undeterred. “Yeah, I’ve lost it! And I’m not scared of anything anymore. If you want to destroy me, then I’ll take you down with me!”

Ivy blinked, completely thrown off. She hesitated, then asked, “Did the Windsors kick you out? Are you living on the street now?”

What else could explain this sudden, manic call?

“Don’t play dumb! You’ve got people watching me–everything I do is under your control! You knew I got thrown out by the Windsors last night, didn’t you? And you had to butt in when I went to see Micah! You’re the most manipulative, vile person I know, Ivy! Karma’s coming for you!”

The rant was deafening, but one word rang out clear as a bell–Micah. Ivy’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You went to Micah again? Are you two back together or something? Or did you drug him to get him back? How does he keep getting tangled up with you?”

The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. What kind of person chases after every ex like this? Did he really believe it made him seem loyal or romantic?

Emma was still screeching. “What happens between me and Micah is none of your business! You’re a psycho, interfering in everything!”

Ivy’s patience ran out. She cut in, “Whatever’s going on between you and Micah, I haven’t got the slightest clue. Believe what you want.”

Without waiting for another word, she hung up.

Well, that was uncalled for–a random verbal attack out of the blue. Still, for Emma to lose it like that, something serious must have happened. But whatever it was, as long as Emma was the one suffering, Ivy couldn’t help but feel a little pleased. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

Later that evening, Boyd arrived at campus to help her move. As they loaded the car, Ivy thought back to Emma’s meltdown and suddenly asked, “Did Jamison have you put someone on Emma?”

Boyd slammed the trunk shut, brushed off his hands, and slid into the driver’s seat. “Yeah. Don’t worry, Ivy. Emma won’t get another shot at hurting you.”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Ivy said from the backseat, straightening up to peer at him in the rearview mirror, a slight frown creasing her forehead. “I want to know–did Emma and Micah get back together?”