Page 26 of The Omega Archives: Part Two

Mr. Wolfern closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. “We are minimizing staff throughout the administrative offices on campus.”

“Huh?”

“I’m almost certain you heard me this time, Miss Jones," he stared at me sadly, hands clasped in front of him.

I shook my head. “But…”

This couldn’t have been happening.

“Are you firing me?”

“I’ve been tasked with unfortunately letting you and our other newer junior librarians go,” Mr. Wolfern clarified with a pained clench of his jaw. “We went back and forth between furloughs and layoffs, but ultimately yes, the university is letting you go.”

Letting me go. I knew what he was saying and yet it was taking much longer for my brain to understand the words.

“I’m sorry and will be happy to write you a letter of recommendation for wherever you go,” he explained.

“I... I...” I couldn’t stop blinking, feeling the thick emotion swell and for the first time in my life, it felt like I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t stop it.

“You of course are welcome to leave immediately. I do not expect you to give us time as the university did not give you any before this decision was made.”

I was drowning. Everything had fallen apart and there was no way to fix it.

My heart rate picked up. I was unable to calm down as I gasped for air and with it, I knew exactly what it happened. My perfume of sour berries leaked out of me, thick and rancid in scent as I tried to form the words.

I always thought about if this happened or when I decided I needed to leave Prestford, what I would say. I’d say something about how I valued the experience here or simply that I understood and left.

But I didn’t need to do or say anything.

The moment my scent permeated the office, Mr. Wolfern choked on it. His eyes widened in shock. I could see the moment it happened. It took another moment for either of us to come to terms with what was happening right in front of us whether or not we wanted to acknowledge it.

Mr. Wolfern cleared his throat. “It looks like there may be some other extenuating factors as well going on.”

I shook my head, ever in denial though I knew it was stupid. What was the point of lying anymore? “It’s not what you think.”

Only, it was.

God, of course, it was. And how was I supposed to hide it now? What was I supposed to do?

Run. I had to run.

“You’re not a beta, are you, Miss Jones?” Mr. Wolfern took a step from behind his desk.

I flinched, trying to scoot myself back, but there was only so far I could go into the chair's scratchy cushion.

Calmly, he raised his hand as if to keep the distance between us. His voice was soft, almost soothing. “I’m not going to come near you.”

I pressed my hands against my hot face. My suppressants were no longer working. I just took them and yet they weren’t working.

Had they ever been working?

It didn’t matter. Everything was over and I was falling apart. I was fired. I no longer was going to have a good enough paying job so that I could support myself.

I let my brother down...

“Hold on a moment.”

Before I could ask what it was exactly he was doing, Mr. Wolfern moved towards the partially closed door, getting someone’s attention.

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