“He brought in someone new,” Esme said. “Wants to put her in my position. Some woman he worked with years ago.”
“He can’t fire you.”
“He can make my life miserable enough that I quit. But I’m not going anywhere.” Esme’s voice was steel. “I’ve been here longer than Derek Mitchell. He wants me gone, he’ll have to drag me out.”
Sarah’s throat tightened. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m fighting dirty.” Esme pulled out her phone. “I’ve been documenting everything. Every conversation, every decision, every policy change. When this blows up in his face, I want a record.”
“Stavros said he’d call you today,” Carlos added. “He wants to talk strategy. How to protect the staff while working toward getting you reinstated.”
“I’ll call him after this.” Sarah looked at them both. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. You shouldn’t be paying for my mistakes.”
“Your mistakes?” Carlos shook his head. “Your mother went to a newspaper. That’s on her, not you.”
Sarah was quiet for a moment. Then: “What about Lizzie?” The question hung in the air.
“She’s gone. Derek let her go the same day. She flew back a few days ago. And also…” Esme and Carlos exchanged a look.
“What?” Sarah said.
“I watched the security footage,” Carlos said. “From the front desk. The day the reporter called.”
Sarah went still.
“I could only hear Lizzie’s side. But from what I could tell, she tried to defend you. The reporter was pushing, accusing you of things, and Lizzie pushed back. She messed up, yes. But she was trying.”
Guilt reared its head. She'd made her peace with carrying it. That didn't make it lighter. “I was too hard on her.”
“You were. You lashed out because you were hurt. But Lizzie made a mistake, Sarah. That reporter trapped her.” Esme was never one to keep her opinion to herself.
“I know. I just—in that moment, I couldn’t—” Sarah stopped. “It’s over anyway. It’s better this way. Better for her not to be dragged into all of this.”
“Is it better?” Carlos asked. “Or is it easier?”
“It’s better,” Sarah said firmly. “Look at what happened. She got fired because of me. Her name is in the paper. She’sprobably lost internship credit, possibly damaged her reputation at NYU. And for what? Five weeks with someone whose life is a complete disaster?”
“Sarah—”
“No. I mean it.” Sarah stood and walked to the window. “I don’t have my job. I’m fighting a lawsuit that could take years. What do I have to offer her? What kind of future is that?”
“Yourself,” Esme said simply. “That’s what she wanted. Not the job, not the hotel. You.”
“She deserves better than this mess. She deserves someone who doesn’t come with tabloid headlines and a mother who sells stories to the press.” Sarah turned around. “She’s twenty-two years old. She has her whole life ahead of her. She should be focusing on finishing school, on her writing, on building a career. Not on waiting around for me to get my life back together.”
“That’s her choice to make, not yours.”
“I’m making it for her.” The words came out harder than Sarah intended. “She’ll understand eventually. She’ll move on. Meet someone her own age who doesn’t have all this baggage.”
Carlos and Esme were quiet for a moment.
“I spoke to Jasper,” Carlos said finally. “He supplies the hotel, Lizzie made it back to New York. She miserable. But Jasper’s there. He’s been checking on her. And her mom’s there, of course.”
Good. At least she had someone. At least she wasn’t alone.
“I was cruel to her,” Sarah said quietly. “When she tried to explain. But maybe it’s better this way. A clean break. She can be angry with me instead of heartbroken.”
“You need to stop,” Carlos said but she only shook her head.
