I went to work anyway.

Riven told me not to. Knox said the same thing in fewer words. I put on a clean polo, hid the mark on my neck as best I could, and walked into Apex like my legs didn’t still ache from both of them.

The second I scanned my card, I felt it.

Two girls at the smoothie bar went quiet. One of the trainers looked at me too long, then looked away too fast. A member I had signed in yesterday smiled at me like he knew something he wasn’t supposed to.

My manager, Tasha, didn’t smile at all.

“Office,” she said. “Now.”

Her office...