That night, a loud knock echoed through my room, making me freeze. My body instinctively curled up, and I pulled the blanket over myself, trembling as the pounding on the door grew louder and more impatient.
"What in the world are you doing in there, Ella? Can't you hear me knocking? Do you want me to bust the door down or what?"
The voice on the other side was sharp and familiar, and it made my stomach drop. It was her—Miss Kayla. The woman who had forced me into stalking Mr. Leon. She used to cling to Miss Charlotte like a parasite, sucking up to her when she still had power. But when Miss Charlotte lost her status, Miss Kayla turned on her, bullying her relentlessly. Now she had me under her thumb too.
I couldn't bring myself to open the door, not even for someone else. My body was shaking, paralyzed by fear. I didn't want to deal with this right now. I just wanted to hide.
