CHAPTER 58

I woke up the next morning with a knot of anxiety in my stomach. My thoughts kept going back to the award presentation like it was a bad dream. I was hollowed out by Tia's smug countenance, the murmur of the throng, and the uncertainty she had sowed. The team will be confirming Tia's statements today. I hated the process, but I had to go through it.

Jasmin scooped me up, a determined expression on her face. “We’ll get through this, Varya. Don’t let Tia’s lies shake you.”

I nodded, trying to muster the strength to believe her. “I know, but what if—”

“No what-ifs,” she interrupted firmly. “You’ve worked too hard to let someone like Tia destroy your reputation.”

There was tension in the air as we got to the workplace. Previously kind and encouraging co-workers now cast me indifferent looks. Even though I could hear the muttering as I passed, I refused to display any weakness by keeping my head up.

The crew had convened in the conference room to deliberate on the verification procedure, s