Chapter 4The Eleventh Candidate

Three days later, the review period ended.

I got my notice to report for duty.

At eight in the morning, I arrived at the Civic Center complex with my personnel file.

I never expected to run into Bryce and Olivia right at the entrance.

Bryce had put on a new suit for the occasion.

A freshly issued temporary access badge hung on his chest, and he was carrying the briefcase Olivia had given him.

Olivia held his paperwork for him, beaming.

When she saw me, she stopped short.

Then she laughed.

"You followed us all the way here?"

Bryce was caught off guard too.

"Luke, don't tell me you knew I was reporting today and came here to ambush me."

I didn't explain.

All I said was, "Excuse me."

But Olivia planted herself in front of me.

"We already broke up. What's the point of hanging on? You saw what happened at the hotel that night. Bryce and I are from the same world. The harder you cling, the more pathetic you look."

Plenty of people were coming and going at the entrance.

Soon, heads started turning our way.

Bryce made a show of tugging her sleeve.

"Olivia, forget it. Don't do this."

Then he turned to me.

"Luke, I know you're upset. But you can't force feelings. Besides, today's my first day. Don't make a scene here. It looks bad."

In just a few sentences, he'd turned me into the crazy ex who couldn't let go and had come to cause trouble outside a government building.

People nearby were already whispering.

I tightened my grip on my document envelope.

"Are you done? If you're done, move."

Olivia's face darkened.

"Still putting on an act?"

She reached out and yanked my arm.

"I'm warning you. Don't you dare ruin Bryce's day."

I shook her off.

She lost her balance, and, embarrassed and furious, she shoved me hard.

My lower back slammed into a stone bollard by the entrance.

The pain made my vision go black.

My envelope hit the ground, and my documents scattered everywhere.

Bryce glanced down.

The top page had landed facedown.

He smiled.

"Luke, stop trying to act tough. There's no shame in not having a steady job. If you're really struggling, once I've settled in, I can ask around about contract work for you."

Olivia laughed.

"With his attitude, he'd have a hard time even as a temp."

My back still hurt.

The pavement had scraped a patch of skin off my palm too.

I picked up my documents one by one.

That was when, of all people, my mom showed up.

She was carrying two gift baskets.

When she saw me on the ground, her first instinct wasn't to help me up.

It was to frown.

"What are you doing here? It's Bryce's first day, and you just had to come and jinx it?"

I slowly got to my feet.

"I'm here to report for work too."

She stared at me for a second.

Then she scoffed.

"You? Seriously? If you'd really passed the civil-service exam, don't you think I'd know? I'm your mother."

Olivia burst out laughing.

Bryce shook his head too.

"Luke, you don't need to lie like this just to save face. There are so many people watching. It's not fair to embarrass your mom like this."

At that, Mom raised her hand and slapped me.

"Haven't you embarrassed me enough?"

My cheek burned.

The whole entrance fell completely silent.

I licked the split corner of my mouth.

Just as I was about to speak, a staff member walked out of the building.

He glanced at the documents in my hand first.

Then he turned to Bryce.

"Mr. Calloway?"

Bryce immediately stood up straight, his smile back in place.

"That's me."

But the staff member didn't take the onboarding documents Bryce held out.

Instead, he pulled out an official notice on agency letterhead.

"Please hold off on onboarding. Regarding the signed complaint filed against you during your review period..."

He paused.

"The investigation results are in."

At the word "complaint," Bryce's smile froze completely.