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Giles James and I had been together eight years, and he always said the best thing about me was how understanding I was.
So when my grandmother was dying, when I needed to go home right away to see her one last time, he still blocked me at the airport.
He shoved a file into my hands.
"Judy Coleman's thesis just needs this one classical-text translation."
"Her advisor is my most important diplomatic connection. You're the understanding one, aren't you?"
Judy was a poor student he sponsored, always trailing after him, calling him "Giles" this and "Giles" that.
For the past eight years, I'd given up countless chances for him.
I'd become his on-call, unpaid translator, and there was always some bigger picture that needed my sacrifice.
When I didn't move, he sighed and stroked my hair the way he had a thousand times before.
"Come on. The second you finish, I'll take you there myself. I promise."
I looked at the entitlement in his eyes and nodded, obedient.
Two hours later, I took the finished translation.
Along with every dirty thing Giles had done for his connections by abusing his position, I packaged it all together and sent it to the disciplinary board's public inbox.
...
Ding.
The chime confirming the email had sent was painfully loud in the quiet room.
I closed the laptop, my face blank.
Giles pushed the door open and walked in, Judy trailing close behind him.
He glanced at the shut laptop, and the corner of his mouth curved up in satisfaction.
"I knew you were the understanding one. Fastest too."
He slid the flash drive into the computer like he'd done it a hundred times, copied the file, and handed it to Judy without so much as a glance at me.
Judy took the drive and clutched it to her chest, flashing me a smile so sweet it turned my stomach.
"Thank you, Dawn. I really don't know what I'd have done without you."
As she spoke, she made a point of shaking the wrist that wore the new Cartier bracelet Giles had bought her.
Last month, for my birthday, I'd mentioned in passing that I liked that style.
Giles had frowned and said, "Why would anyone buy a cheap bracelet like that? Stop obsessing over pointless little things."
Now it sat on Judy's wrist.
I couldn't be bothered with her. I held out my hand, palm up, in front of Giles.
"Where's my ticket?" There wasn't a trace of warmth in my voice.
The smile froze on his face. He gave my shoulder a careless pat.
"Come on, don't make a scene. Judy's advisor just called. There's a very important dinner tonight."
"Judy has to bring the translation and report in person."
"You need to go with her, in case the advisor asks anything technical that Judy can't handle."
I clenched my fist, nails digging into my palm. "My grandmother is being resuscitated!"
"I already put in a word at the hospital. She's on the best imported medication, all of it pulled through my connections."
Giles frowned, his tone impatient.
"What are you going to do if you go back now, cry? Just get in the way?"
"Once dinner's over tonight and I've got the advisor's recommendation letter, I'll drive you home myself, all night if I have to."
He paused, and a warning edge crept into his voice.
"I'm up for promotion next month. That recommendation letter is critical."
"You've always been the understanding one. Don't pick now to throw a fit."
I stared him down.
Eight years together, and in that moment it turned into one complete joke.
Judy looped her arm through his and spoke in a coaxing, honeyed voice.
"Giles, she doesn't look well. Maybe you should just let her go home."
"So what if the advisor chews me out? I'm the slow one anyway. I can't be the reason she misses seeing her grandmother one last time."
Giles's eyes filled with tenderness the instant he turned to Judy, his voice going soft.
"How could I let that happen? This is about your graduation, and my future too."
Then he turned to me, his gaze cold.
"Your grandmother's had that problem for ages. It's not like something's actually going to happen. Stop blowing everything out of proportion."
I gritted my teeth and forced each word out through them.
"The doctors issued a critical condition notice."
"A critical condition notice is just how hospitals scare the family. Don't you get that?"
Giles tugged irritably at his tie.
"Didn't I already pull strings to get her the best specialists?"
"Go, get Judy through the technical questions, and I promise I'll take you home first thing tomorrow morning."
I shook his hand off. "And if I don't go?"
His face went completely dark.
He stared at me, his eyes full of cold calculation and threat.
"If you don't go, I'll call the hospital right now and have them stop your grandmother's specialty medication."
"That drug came through my connections anyway. Taking it back is perfectly fair."
A chill ran through me.
For Judy. For his future.
He was actually using my grandmother's life to threaten me.
I took a deep breath, forced down the hatred churning inside me, and nodded, one word at a time.
"Fine. I'll go."
Only then did Giles smile, satisfied, reaching out to ruffle my hair.
"That's more like it. Good girl. Once this is done, I'll buy you that bag you've wanted most."
I said nothing, just looked down at my phone screen.
The automatic reply from the disciplinary board's public inbox sat quietly in my inbox.
"Your report has been received. Thank you for supporting our disciplinary work."
Judy leaned in, craning her neck to see my phone.
"What are you looking at, Dawn? So absorbed. You're not secretly booking a ticket, are you?"
I locked the screen fast and slid the phone into my pocket. "Nothing. Spam."
"Good." Judy laughed behind her hand.
"I thought you were going to stand us up."
"Giles says everyone at tonight's dinner is somebody important. You can't show up dressed like that."
She looked me up and down, at my T-shirt washed pale from too many washes, a flicker of mockery in her eyes.
Giles followed her gaze, his frown deepening as if he'd seen something filthy.
"Go change into something decent. Don't embarrass me."
He pulled a card from his wallet and tossed it on the table.
"The PIN is Judy's birthday, six digits. Go down to the mall and buy an outfit, anything. Hurry up."
I looked at that bank card and my stomach turned over.
Eight years.
He couldn't even remember my birthday, but he'd made Judy's the PIN on the card he carried every day.
I pushed the card back, my voice flat.
"No need. I have clothes."
Giles let out a cold snort. "Suit yourself. Downstairs in half an hour. Don't dawdle."
With that, he wrapped an arm around Judy and turned and left.
The moment the door shut, I rushed to the balcony and called the hospital.
"Doctor, this is Dawn Fox. How is my grandmother?"
On the other end, the doctor's voice was frantic.
"The patient's heart rate keeps dropping! Every reading is dangerous!"
"How much longer until you get here? If the family doesn't arrive soon, we'll have no choice but to..."
