"I'm sorry," I said carefully. "Did you saySterling?"
"That's right. Generous benefactor you've got there. The eviction notice is void, obviously. You're all set through the end of the year."
"I... see."
"Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Cross. Have a wonderful day!"
He hung up. I stared at the phone in my hand for a moment, trying to understand what just happened.
Sterling Family Trust.Nathaniel Sterling. The man I'd refused ten million dollars from approximately twelve hours ago had gone home and paid my rent anyway. For six months. Without asking. Without permission. He'd looked at my eviction notice, my empty cupboards, my threadbare life, and decided tofixme.
Like I was a leaky faucet. Like I was a problem on his to-do list.
"Are youkiddingme?" I said to my ceiling. Any neighbors hearing this would’ve thought I was crazy by now.
I was still sitting there, fury building like a slow-motion explosion, when my phone rang again. Unknown number with a 1-800 prefix. Probably a scammer. Or maybe Nathaniel Sterlinghad bought me a car, too. At this point, nothing would surprise me.
I answered with the calmest of manners I could muster, "Hello?"
"Is this Claire Cross?" A polite, professional female voice.
"That depends. Are you about to tell me something insane?"
A pause. "I'm... Sarah Jenkins, from National Student Loan Services. I'm calling to confirm that your federal and private student loan accounts have been paid in full as of 4:52 AM this morning. Your balance is now zero."
The phone nearly slipped from my fingers.
"I'm sorry,what?"
"Your loans have been satisfied in full, Miss Cross. You should receive official confirmation within seven to ten business days. Congratulations!"
"Wait… hold on. Who paid them? How is this possible?"
"I'm not authorized to disclose the source of payment, but the transaction cleared without issue. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
"I… no. Thank you."
I hung up and immediately wanted to throw the phone across the room.
My student loans. The mountain I'd been chipping at with a teaspoon for seven years. The thing that kept me up at night, that made me calculate every grocery purchase, that felt like a permanent weight strapped to my back.Gone.Erased at 5 in the morning by some man who apparently didn't sleep.
"This is insane," I muttered to myself. "This isclinicallyinsane."
I needed coffee. I needed to think. I needed to call Eleanor.
I was halfway through brewing the most aggressive cup of instant coffee my kitchenette could produce when someone knocked on my door. The mail carrier, a cheerful woman namedDeb who always commented on the weather, stood there holding a thick cream-colored envelope.
"Morning, hon! Express delivery for you. Sign here?"
I scribbled my name and took the envelope. The paper on this was better than on most paperback books you’d find. It was excessive. In the upper left corner was an embossed logo:Sterling Technologies.
"Of course," I uttered, closing the door. "Of course there's more."
I ripped it open. Inside was a formal letter on matching heavyweight stock.
Dear Miss Cross,
Sterling Technologies is pleased to offer you the position of Private Tutor for Millie Sterling. Compensation: $85,000 annually, plus full benefits including health insurance, dental, vision, and 401(k) matching.
