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Chapter 36: Professional Boundaries

Author: Judith GW
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-14 11:02:46
(Layla’s POV)

Annie stared at me suspiciously, her small nose wrinkling. “Why is your face all red?”

“Is it?” I touched my cheek self-consciously. “I just walked quickly, that’s all.”

“You look mad,” Annie observed, closing her math workbook. “Did Auntie Barbara say something mean? She can be mean sometimes.”

“Everything’s fine,” I assured her, pulling out her spelling list. “Let’s focus on these words for your test tomorrow.”

Annie wasn’t fooled. “I heard Auntie Barbara and Dad yelling. Were they fighting about you?”

I sighed, deciding a partial truth might satisfy her curiosity. “Your aunt is protective of you and your dad. That’s natural for a family.”

“She doesn’t like other women around Dad,” Annie confided, taking a sip of her water. “She got mad at the grocery store lady once just for helping him find pasta sauce.”

Despite everything, I couldn’t help but laugh at this image. “That’s a bit extreme.”

“Auntie Barbara says she and Dad belong together because Mom’s gone,” Annie conti
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