The factory smelled like burnt rubber and tension.
I barely stepped into the gate when it started — the questions, the whispers, the curious eyes.
"Pearl! How was the exam?"
"You see Bryan's car yesterday?
"did he drop you off?"
"Bryan didn't come to play"
I smiled weakly, nodding at familiar faces. My legs ached, my mind was still foggy from the exam stress, but something about being back felt… grounding.
Until she walked in.
"Look who finally decided to show up."
Her voice cut through the buzz like a machete.
Everyone froze.
Miss Clara. The new supervisor.
Dressed in heels too high for a factory floor and makeup too loud for 7 a.m., "
how did she even have the time for makeup this early ?"
she walked like she owned the air we breathed.
"Rumor had it she was close to the manager" Quality control supervisor. Freshly transferred. And apparently, she hated my guts.
Hard.
"Miss Pearl," she said, dragging out my name like an insult. "You waltz in here like it's your father's company? No work yesterday, and now you come in acting like a celebrity?"
I opened my mouth, but she didn't let me speak.
"Don't even try it. And what is this? A welcome party?" She waved toward the group around me. "Back to work! Or did the factory become a reunion center overnight?"
Everyone scattered like scared rats.
I stood still.
Clara stepped closer, arms folded. Her lipstick was blood-red, and her eyes burned through me.
"So you wrote some exam? Congratulations," she sneered. "But let me tell you, sweetie — with your kind of background, you'll probably drop out after the first semester. If you even get in."
I blinked.
Did she just say that?
"You think because a cute boy asked you out, you're better than the rest of us?" Her voice rose. "Maybe try doing your actual job before flaunting your useless dreams."
Murmurs grew. The factory had gone quiet — too quiet. Even the machines sounded like they were eavesdropping.
"Miss Clara," I said, steadying my voice, "I've never disrespected you or this place. I just—"
"Save it. You're going to shadow me from now on. Let's see if you're more than just a pretty face with a big mouth."
I swallowed hard.
"Yes, ma."
She smirked. "Oh, don't 'ma' me now. You want big girl life, right? Let's see how far that attitude takes you."
And just like that, she turned and walked off, her heels clicking like gunshots.
I stood there, chest tight, feeling every single eye on me.
Where the hell did that witch drop from?
I hadn't even been back five minutes and already, it felt like the walls of the factory were closing in. One thing was certain—this place wasn't going to be the same. Not with *her* in it.
I sighed, pressing my fingers to my temples.
Then I heard hurried footsteps.
Vivian practically skidded up beside me, her voice a whispery hiss. "Pearl, you won't believe what I just heard. Brittany—she's been running her mouth like a busted tap."
"What now?" I muttered, already exhausted.
"She told Miss Clara you're the reason Bryan left. Said you rejected him so brutally he couldn't take it, that he was humiliated and ran because you wouldn't let him breathe!"
"What?"
I blinked hard, the words hitting like slaps. "That's a lie. A *whole* lie."
Vivian nodded. "I know. But that woman? Clara? She's eating it up like breakfast cereal."
Of course. It all made sense now.