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CHAPTER45
MEG
I’ve never been in the principal’s office before. I mean, I’ve been in here as an employee, but never as a person in trouble.
Tyler reaches across the arm of the leather chair to hold my hand. I grasp his fingers for a second, but somehow it doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s the fact that Diane Carter is glaring at me.
At our hands.
Atus.
I wiggle my fingers away and place them in my lap.
We can hold hands later.
“You’ve put me in a very difficult position,” Diane says as she looks over at the both of us. Then her eyes land on me. “Especially you, Meg. What did you think would happen when you got up on that stage? Did you really think that you’d be able to keep your job after something like that?”
I knew losing my job was a possibility, and that was a risk I was willing to take if it meant I could be with Tyler. Ihopedthings wouldn’t come to that, but I also had the worst-case scenario tattooed inside my brain when I walked up on that stage.
“I—”
“Diane, this really isn’t that big of a deal.” Tyler smiles at me. “Meg loves me. I love her back. So what? I don’t see why we all can’t move on with our lives.”
“You know why we can’t move on. You both broke the rules.” Diane opens up the folder in front of her and flips my contract open to the last page. “That’s your signature, Meg. No one forced you to sign our contract. Youagreedto it.”
“I know that, and I fully intended to follow the rules, but then—”
“But then she met me, and she couldn’t resist,” Tyler says with so much smugness I want to strangle him.
Humility—that’s what we need right now if I have any chance of keeping my job.
Diane lets out a heavy breath. “I’ve noticed some changes in Krew. Good changes. He seemed happier, more motivated, better behaved. I couldn’t figure out what the cause was.” Her eyes skip to me. “And then you broke up with Tyler, and things with Krew changed again. He seemed sad and more difficult to deal with.” She looks down. “This is hard for me to say, but I think that Meg’s influence in his life is agoodthing. Krew benefitted a lot from your relationship.”
My jaw drops a little at the same time Tyler squeezes my hand.
“Tyler, I can’t stop you from moving on, and maybe now, Idon’twant to stop you. I truly want what’s best for Krew.”
“I know that,” Tyler says.
“I’m willing to try to be happy for you both.”
“Thank you.” Tyler’s voice cracks. “That means a lot to us—tome.”
Diane looks right at me. “Meg, despite what I just said, I still have to follow the rules. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to terminate your contract. As of today, you are no longer a teacher at American Education Academy.”
Ouch.
I’ve never been fired before.
Terminated,as Diane put it.
Tyler sits up. “Diane, are you sure—"
“It’s fine,” I say. “I can handle the consequences.”
It’s not really fine. I’m about to sob, but I can at least put on a brave face for the last thirty seconds in Diane’s office.
I stand, reaching my hand out to her. “Thank you for the opportunity to work here.”
