Chapter 5

The supply closet fell into a dead, suffocating silence. The only sound was the low, mechanical hum of the air conditioning vent above them. And Celeste's soft, mocking laughter on the other side of the door.

Hamilton stared down at Aimee. His eyes searched her pale, resolute face, looking for a crack in her armor, a sign that she was bluffing. He found nothing but cold, hard certainty.

His massive ego could not handle the rejection-or the humiliation of being caught by Celeste. He abruptly released his clenched fists and took a step back, putting an inch of space between them.

Hamilton let out a dark, cruel laugh. He reached up and meticulously adjusted his left cufflink, re-establishing his facade of untouchable wealth.

"Fine," Hamilton said, his voice dripping with venom. "If you want to go play poor in the slums, I won't stop you."

He reached behind him and grabbed the metal doorknob. He paused, looking over his shoulder with eyes as cold as ice. "When you can't make rent next month, don't bother calling me."

He yanked the door open and strode out. Celeste was standing there, her hand still on the key, her smile razor-sharp. She looked past Hamilton and locked eyes with Aimee.

"Good luck, sweetheart," Celeste purred. "You're going to need it."

Then she slipped her arm through Hamilton's and led him away.

Aimee slumped against the metal shelving unit behind her. The adrenaline crashed, and her knees suddenly felt like water. But she didn't have time to fall apart.

She closed her eyes and inhaled the sharp, chemical scent of the bleach. She forced her lungs to expand, pushing the weakness out of her muscles.

Aimee pushed herself off the shelves. She walked out of the closet, completely ignoring the two nurses who were peeking around the corner with wide, gossiping eyes.

She walked straight down the corridor to the Human Resources department. She pushed open the glass door to Ms. Evelyn Pierce's office without knocking.

The HR manager was on her desk phone. When she saw Aimee, her eyes darted nervously. She quickly mumbled an excuse and slammed the receiver down.

Aimee walked up to the desk and placed the yellow sticky note directly in front of Ms. Pierce. "I need my exit paperwork processed right now."

Ms. Pierce swallowed hard, looking at the note. "Aimee, I just received a call from upper management. We've been instructed to put a hold on your file."

Aimee pulled her phone from her pocket. She opened her browser and pulled up the New York State Department of Labor website.

"New York is an at-will employment state," Aimee said, her voice ringing with absolute authority. "I have the legal right to terminate my employment at any second. If you attempt to hold my file or delay my final paycheck to appease a donor, I will file a formal complaint with the labor board before I leave this room."

Ms. Pierce flinched. She let out a defeated sigh. She turned to her computer, her acrylic nails clacking rapidly against the keyboard. She pulled up Aimee's digital file.

The printer whirred, spitting out a standard termination agreement. Ms. Pierce slid the paper across the desk and handed Aimee a black pen.

Aimee pulled the cap off the pen. Without hesitating, she signed her name at the bottom of the page in sharp, aggressive strokes.

She reached up and unclipped the plastic ID badge from her collar. She dropped it onto the signed paper. It landed with a satisfying plastic clack.

Ms. Pierce stamped the document with the official HR seal and handed Aimee her carbon copy. "You are officially terminated."

Aimee folded the paper carefully and slid it into her backpack. She gave Ms. Pierce a brief, polite nod.

She turned and walked out of the HR office. She marched through the pristine lobby, her eyes fixed straight ahead. She didn't look back once.

Aimee pushed through the heavy revolving glass doors and stepped out onto the Manhattan sidewalk. The midday sun hit her face, bright and blinding.

She raised her hand to shield her eyes. She took a deep breath of the city air, thick with exhaust and hot asphalt. Her bank account was nearly empty, and she had no safety net-but her chest felt incredibly light. She was free.

She pulled out her phone and opened her email app. She had drafted several applications to public hospitals the night before. Standing on the street corner, she hit 'Send All.'

She shoved the phone into her pocket, merged into the rushing crowd of pedestrians, and headed toward the subway station.

She didn't notice the black sedan parked across the street. Or the man inside, who watched her every move through a telephoto lens. His phone buzzed. He answered with a single word: "She's on the move."