Michelle

Chapter Three: The Consequences Of Fear

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(REVISED VERSION)

MICHELLE sat in the kitchen, still lost in thought about the events of the previous night. Sunlight streamed through the slits in the window blinds, casting a warm glow on the room. She absently stared at the cup of tea on the table in front of her, oblivious to the world around her.

Her mother, Martha, walked over to the table carrying a plate of bacon. "Michelle, why don't you call your brother? He's probably starving by now."

Michelle didn't respond, lost in her thoughts. Martha frowned and waved her hand in front of her daughter's face. "Hey, Michelle," she said, trying to get her attention.

Startled, Michelle looked up at her mother with wide eyes. "What, mom?"

"You're spacing out while I'm talking to you, sweetheart," Martha said, then walked over to the sink to wash her hands.

Michelle rubbed her palms on her face, feeling overwhelmed. She wanted to tell her mother about what had happened the night before, but she couldn't find the words to begin. What Zach had done was unforgettable, and it continued to play on her mind.

As she sipped her tea, her brother Kevin entered the kitchen, dressed in his school uniform. "Good morning, Kevin," Martha said as she walked over to him and kissed him on the head.

"Good morning, mom," he replied with a warm smile. He then turned to his sister and said, "Hey, I bet you're already late."

Michelle didn't respond, lost in thought. Martha tapped Kevin's shoulder and shook her head. "She's been like that since she got home last night. Just let her be."

Kevin shrugged and started eating his breakfast. When he finished, he left for school, and Martha went back to her room to attend to her affairs.

Michelle found herself alone in the room and quickly grabbed her phone to check for messages. As she scrolled through, she read a few messages from Mrs. Stewart and almost cursed under her breath at what she saw.

The woman accused Michelle of being an irresponsible employee for having too many absences from work. Michelle replied to apologize and explained her situation, but the woman only threatened to cut her salary if she didn't improve.

This was terrible news for Michelle, as she was the breadwinner of the family and responsible for her mother's care and her brother Kevin's school expenses. She couldn't afford to lose her job just because of Zach, and she refused to give up everything she worked hard for just because she feared being around him.

Determined to turn things around, Michelle told herself, "I can do this! Just be positive!" She took a deep breath and decided to work even harder to prove herself to Mrs. Stewart and keep her job.

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The next day, Michelle felt a mixture of emotions as she headed to work. She was anxious about facing Mrs. Stewart, but even more nervous about seeing Zach again. He had been acting strange lately, constantly watching her with intense stares that made her skin crawl. Michelle knew something was up, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

As she entered the office, she tried to shake off her negative thoughts and focus on her work. But she couldn't help feeling self-conscious when she saw Zach sitting at his desk, staring at her with a smirk on his face. She avoided eye contact and quickly made her way to her desk.

Just then, Mrs. Stewart's assistant approached her. "Michelle, Mrs. Stewart wants to see you in her office," the assistant said.

Michelle's heart sank. Was this about her lateness? She had been struggling to make it to work on time due to the harassment she had been experiencing from Zach.