Chapter 17: Mask Off

More and more people turned to look.

I kept my head down, still apologizing. “Your clothes... I can wash them for you, or buy you a new one.”

“Can you even afford it?” She looked me up and down with disdain.

Her nails were sharp; she easily yanked my hair and pulled off my mask.

My face was exposed. I heard someone behind me gasp.

“You...” The woman in front of me was stunned.

I closed my eyes briefly, then raised my hand to put the mask back on, hiding my embarrassment.

“Sorry,” I said, bowing my head. “Whatever you want to do about this, I’ll accept it.”

Heat crawled up my neck. I wanted to disappear, to vanish between the stacks like a misplaced library card.

The room fell silent.

Suddenly, the elevator chimed—a crisp “ding.”

The doors slid open, and someone stepped out.

A tall figure cast a shadow at my feet.

The hush in the lobby was total, broken only by the whir of the air conditioner and the distant ding of another elevator. My heart thudded against my ribs. I focused on the pattern of my sneakers, wishing I could melt into the floor.