Who Falls Hardest (Clearwater University)

There’s a beat of silence on the other end of the line. The security guard behind the desk in the lobby is watching closely—not as if he thinks I’m a threat, but more as if I’m providing him free entertainment.

“Devon?” I turn away from the guard, lowering my voice a little. “Are you still there?”

“Yes.” The coolly formal tone has faded a little from his voice, replaced by confusion. “I’m here. But you did send me a copy of your resume. You emailed it to me two days ago. Don’t you remember? And unfortunately, given the reports from your previous employers, I don’t think I’ll be able to offer you a position here.”

“Wait. Wait!” I move quickly toward the bank of elevators at the back of the building. “It wasn’t me who sent that. It’s complicated, but I’ve been dealing with a hacker lately, someone who’s trying to wreak havoc on my life. She must’ve emailed you a dummy resume from an account that looks like mine.”

“That sounds a bit extreme, Ms. Holloway,” he says dubiously.

“I know.” Tears burn my eyes, but I don’t let them fall. As frustrating as this is, if I give in to my emotions, I’ll only be giving Leslie what she wants. “It is extreme. It’s been a nightmare, honestly. But please—I’m already in the building. I came here for my interview, and I really do need this job. I have my real resume right here. Can I please come up and speak with you for a few minutes?”

I try to keep my voice steady and even, but there’s a note of desperation that creeps in. Maybe Devon Clarke can hear it, because after a long pause, I hear him sigh.

“Alright. We’ll do your interview as planned, and you can explain all of this a little more clearly.”

“Thank you.” My breath rushes out in a relieved whoosh, and I press the elevator call button several times, praying the damn thing gets here before he has a chance to change his mind.

“I’ll see you shortly.”

There’s a click as he hangs up, and a moment later, the elevator doors swing open. I ride up to the third floor, digging into my bag as I do. Thank fuck, I really do have a hard copy of my resume. I printed out dozens of them when I first started job-hunting, and I double-checked that I had one before I left the house today.

When I reach the Sterling Minor Law Firm’s floor, the secretary greets me before ringing Devon to let him know I’ve arrived. He steps out to greet me, and I stand tall as he approaches, holding my resume tightly in one hand.

“Miss Holloway.”

He shakes my free hand firmly before leading me into a small conference room. We settle into seats on opposite sides of the table, and he takes my resume, which I practically throw at him.

His gaze scans the paper, and I watch a line appear between his eyebrows as he reads over the document.

“Huh.” He looks back up at me, leaning back in his seat. “Well, you weren’t lying. This doesn’t match the resume you emailed me at all. To be honest, I almost didn’t call any of the listed references. It was mostly a formality. Reese is one of our best new hires, so his recommendation counts for a lot. But I did call one, and after that, I felt obligated to call the others.”

My hands twist around each other in my lap, anxious energy coursing through me. “If this is because of my hacker like I think it is, I can only imagine the kinds of things the people you spoke to told you about me.”

He huffs a laugh, cocking his head as he studies me. “Yes. It wasn’t exactly glowing praise.”

“I promise you,” I say earnestly. “If you call anyone on my real resume, they’ll have much better things to say.”

He’s wavering. I can tell he is. The last thing I want to do is air my dirty laundry at a job interview—or drag Reese’s name through the mud—so I’m careful to avoid going into the details of how and why, but I quickly explain the way Leslie has been using her vast computer knowledge to dismantle my life piece by piece.

Devon’s eyes widen as he listens, and when I finish speaking, he’s nodding slightly.

“That sounds truly awful, Miss Holloway. I’m sorry. But I will tell you, I respect the fact that you stuck to your guns and insisted on the interview. A lot of people would let this get them down, let it beat them, but you’re fighting it, and I admire that.”

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

I don’t quite know how to respond to his compliment, and I definitely don’t feel all that strong most of the time. All the guys and I have been doing so far is weathering the storm, surviving the hurricane that is Leslie. But surviving is the first step toward beating her, so I’ll take it for now.

Devon studies me for a moment. Then he breaks into a smile, tapping the edge of my resume against the desk. He sets it down and picks up another piece of paper. I see my name printed at the top, and I assume that must be the fake resume Leslie sent him.

Before I can pick out any more details on the sheet of paper, Devon rips it cleanly in half.

“Alright then, Miss Holloway. What do you say we start fresh?” He puts aside the shredded resume and reaches across the table to shake my hand again. “Thank you for coming in today. Let’s begin your interview.”

9

Emma

I leave the Sterling Minor Law Firm’s office floating on cloud nine.