I was at my breaking point a few days later. I had already sent a total of twelve emails after the original one. I had yet to receive a response from any of them. There was no copy-paste response… this time, there was radio silence. It was even worse than before. Lory had given me Mr. Rowe's phone number—which may or may not have been illegally obtained—but, I had been hesitant to use it until that point. It felt too intrusive to use the number... like it was solidifying a criminal act I had committed.

However, desperate times called for desperate measures. And I was beyond desperate.

I was finished with my final exams and our graduation ceremony was a week away.

The clock was ticking and I had no other option. It was now or never.

I sat on the dining table, the timer on the oven keeping me company in the empty house. I stared at the empty message box with Mr. Rowe’s number on the top. I had never been so jittery in my life. Even though I had expansive notes on how to approach the conversation and made a reactive diagram for all the possible responses he could give, I didn’t feel prepared. I had a sinking feeling that I would put my foot in my mouth the second he answered his phone.

He would definitely cut the call when he realized I was a complete lunatic. This was if he answered the call from an unknown number.

I knew I was deferring the inevitable and hoping it would never happen. The longer I contemplated, the worse my mental state would be.

Finally, I put my foot down and sent a text message. It was better to start out with written words. I typed out a short message and my thumb hovered over the send button for an awfully long time before I couldn't stand it any longer. I closed my eyes and prayed to all the higher beings as I hit the send.

[I need to talk to you.]

In my deranged mindset, the message was just creepy enough to spark some interest. He wouldn’t automatically ignore it. It also didn’t give away enough information that he would block me immediately. I set the cellphone down on the table and barely breathed as I begged him to respond.

I almost burst into tears of joy when my phone buzzed with an incoming message five minutes later.

[Who is this?]

I gulped. If he was intentionally avoiding ‘Willow Taylor’ as a nuisance, he would block any further texts that I sent after telling him my identity. On the other hand, he would definitely block me if I remained cryptic and didn’t give him a name. I mulled over what I should do before realizing he could search my name on a call app easily. There was no harm in answering truthfully. I would have to reveal myself at some point.

[Willow Taylor]

It didn't take long for a response to arrive.

[I think you have the wrong number.]

I blinked in surprise. I was almost sure he didn’t recognize my name from the emails. It made me suspicious if he had ever seen them in the first place. It was not a far-fetched idea.

Either way, he couldn’t brush me off this time around. My fingers thrummed over the screen at lightning speed. I was scared to be a second late and miss the chance to carry on the conversation with him. He was a busy man, who knew how long he had to text with a stranger.

[I have the correct number if I reached Mr. Nicholas Rowe.]

I started to worry after five minutes without a response. When the phone buzzed again, my shoulders sagged with relief. I must have been holding my breath all the while.

[Miss Taylor, do I know you?]

I quickly wrote a response.

[I wouldn’t say so, but it is imperative that I speak with you.]

Before I could add more words, he had already responded.

[I don't have time for this. I'm late for a dinner meeting.]

Was he ancient? He couldn’t multitask? What kind of a boss was he? I rolled my eyes before answering him.

[May I call you, then?]

I jumped out of my body when my phone rang. I hadn’t expected him to call me directly. He was definitely a man of action. I felt nauseous as I sucked in a deep breath and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Taylor. Can you tell me what this is about?" he asked.

My anxiety erupted like a volcano at the sound of his low and confident voice. My tongue felt like lead in my mouth and my limbs were cold with fright. "I… uh… I…" I wanted to bury myself in the misery of being unable to speak without stammering.

I reached for my notes, but in my nervous stupor, my hands shook and I knocked them all over the floor. When I bent down to pick my notes up, my head felt heavy and I dropped to my knees in a humiliating manner. I rolled around on the floor as my phone slipped far away on the floor from the impact. I went crawling to it, wondering what else I could ruin before the end of this call. I was an utter mess.

"Hello? Are you alright, Miss Taylor?"

I grasped the phone in my unsteady hand, deciding it was better to stay seated on the floor than to try to get up and feel the sting in my knees. "Yeah… um… I'm all right. Sorry. I slipped."

He sighed. "Look, Miss Taylor. I must hang up. Please tell me what this is about without wasting any more time." His demand made me straighten my spine and find the resolve I needed to talk. If I didn’t say everything right then, I knew for a fact I would never get the chance again. He would block me ruthlessly.

"I am graduating from Atkins High School in a week’s time. I was informed that I was the recipient of your yearly scholarship but later it was retracted on the account of an error. The scholarship has been since awarded to someone else. The retraction came after I had accepted a spot at QCU and I have already spent all my savings for room and board. I was dependent on the scholarship to attend college and I believe I deserve it. Mr. Rowe, I want you to fund my education as well.”

My breath rushed out immediately after I had said my piece. I crossed my fingers and hoped that he had gotten a gist of the situation.

"You want me to fund your education?" He sounded almost incredulous.

I narrowed my eyes, my previous anger returning in a fraction of a second. "Yes. I shouldn't have to suffer because of your employee's mistake."

I clamped my mouth shut, instantly regretting my inability to control myself. I was trying to placate the man and get him to help me. Still, I blurted out rude and disrespectful things that would offend him. That was certainly not the way to go. He would shut me down because of my incomprehensible and idiotic behavior.

What was wrong with me?

There was only silence on the other end of the phone.

"I'm sorry," I rushed to apologize. "I didn't mean to be rude. But I am in desperate need of that scholarship. It is my last hope of making something of myself, Mr. Rowe."

I refused to work as a cashier at the supermarket for the rest of my life. Just because I didn’t have a conventional family, I didn’t deserve to be kicked away by the world.

His silence was deafening. I counted to sixty, wondering if he was even on the call any longer.

"Hello?" I spoke tentatively.

"I will look into this so-called scholarship miscommunication. I will contact you myself when I have determined the steps going forward. Please wait until then."

It was the best outcome I could have hoped for. I didn’t expect him to jump and tell me I would be funded too. I couldn’t help but be happy even though he sounded displeased with the situation.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Rowe. You have no idea how much this means to me. I've sent you several emails with all my information previously."

He probably thought I was stalking him. And my behavior indicated that I kind of had.

"As I said, I will look into it." He paused for a moment and I held my breath. "I just have one last question for you," he said, causing me to freeze. "How did you get my personal number, Miss Taylor?"

"I prefer to be called Willow," I blurted out, trying to defer answering.

I begged myself to stop blubbering. I dug a deeper hole every time I spoke. He could call me anything he wanted as long as he gave me the scholarship. His tired exhale reached my ear, and I fidgeted, knowing he was beyond frustrated with me.

"Fine. Willow, how did you get this number?" he repeated.

"I… uh…"

"Tell me the truth," he demanded. He left no wriggle room for me to get out of answering.

"I asked my friend to find your information. I am not sure how it was retrieved." My voice was soft and I wasn't sure he heard me. There was no way I would tell him we had gone through illegal means. And I would not tell him who my friend was, either!

"I will be in touch," he said before hanging up. He sounded furious and I knew I was done for.

It took me a long time to sort my thoughts and emotions out and get off the floor. I called Lory and relayed the information. Of course, I left out the part where I vaguely admitted to criminal conduct and ratted her out. If she found out, she would smack me. Her excitement was so palpable that I had to put some distance between my phone and my ear.

But not even the little bump in the road could wipe off the grin on my lips. So what if he sounded angry? He said he would investigate the matter personally and give me a response. That had to count for something!

"Willow, my dude! How about one last fling tonight at my place? We’ll party our heads off!"

I turned around with a deadpan and flipped Chris Grant off. If the crowd wasn’t dressed in robes and waiting in line to receive the high school diploma, I would have punched him in the face. Maybe another person would knee him for harassment, but I wanted to be nowhere near his weenie. Not even if he were the last man on the earth and it was upon me to repopulate it.

I was in a terrible mood already and dealing with the asshole ticked me off further. It had been a week since the call with Mr. Rowe and I had yet to hear back. I had come to the consensus with Lory that if he didn’t call me by that night, I would call him myself.

I was scared that calling him would make the situation worse… that he would get pissed off and dismiss me. The only thing holding me together was that he was across the country and he couldn’t kill me for pestering him.

“Yeah, Willow. You should come to the party tonight.”

I looked to my side and found Joan Ray smiling at me. I stopped myself from shuddering at her voice. There was just something about it that was akin to nails on a chalkboard.

"I’ll pass."

My idea of fun didn’t include being packed into a house with sweaty and drunk people. It also didn’t include being puked on or groped.

"Are you sure? We might never see each other again."

I thanked God in advance if that were the case. I would donate to whatever charity the higher power wanted if they made it come true.

"I bet I will live."

She huffed in irritation at my words. It was hard to resist rolling my eyes.

Joan was a part of a duo with Sasha. They had been downright aggressive since the beginning of high school and nicknamed me "Little Orphan Willow". Much to my displeasure, the nickname caught on when Joan accused me of trying to steal her boyfriend. You ask who that is? Chris Grant. The man I wouldn’t take help from even if I was drowning.

The bullying taught me how to take a step back… become a well-settled person. That was the only good thing that came out of it.

"So, which college will you be attending?"

Of course, Joan knew the answer. Everyone in our school knew of the scholarship drama between Chris and me. And I also knew she was fishing for gossip to spread later on.

“I have decided to dig wells in Africa,” I said blandly. I loved seeing her mouth drop open in shock. I threw a stereotype at her sarcastically and she accepted it without a word. She didn’t even point out how horrible my statement was. Our school needed to restructure the education they gave to students. How was this girl going to survive in the world? “You should pay attention. Your name will be called soon and you don’t want to miss it,” I warned her.

I had to applaud her for graduating with shitty grades. This gave me some comfort. If she could make something of herself, I could do as well. If I kept saying it, it would happen.

Luckily, she turned away from me. I could see Lory waving at me from her seat. I looked past her and at the crowd and a wave of sadness overcame me. It was hard to have no family of my own watching me at this milestone.

I had awoken to find a note from Oliver that morning. It was on the kitchen table and I knew he had come to the house to get the last of his things. I hadn’t even known he had come back. The note contained an apology for not being able to attend graduation and he even left me a generous amount of cash as a parting gift. Another paper came with it. It listed the date I needed to move all my things out and where I had to leave the key to the house. I knew for certain I would never see Oliver again.

I should have been angry. I should have screamed and cried about how unfair it was. But what was the point of it? Nothing would change if I felt sorry for myself. And I was never going to beg Oliver to stay when he had made it clear he wanted to cut ties.

And I was certain I would someday find a place in the world I could call mine. Somewhere where I was wanted and needed.

As I scanned over the faces in the crowd, my eyes landed on a pair of eyes staring right back. It was a man in a dark suit who could have been extended family for any of my classmates. Yet, a strange feeling of familiarity washed over me. I could have sworn I had seen him around town several times over the last few days. Our neighborhood consisted of families that had lived here for decades, so a new face was easy to spot.

I hated to say but he was ordinary looking. With light brown hair, he had nothing particularly distinguishable about him. As I continued to stare, I realized I had seen him near the administrative room at school. He had also bought things at the supermarket a few nights ago when I wash manning the cash counter.

But why was he staring at me?

I shrugged off my concerns and raised my head when my name was called. Much to my shock, I heard a small but distinct round of applause as I walked over to receive my diploma. I gave Lory a smile and turned to her parents with a small nod. I found some of my coworkers from the supermarket too. At least there were a small group of people that had some care about me.

The ceremony ended shortly after I took my seat. Our school didn’t allow hats to be thrown into the air. The graduation gown and hat were rented and losing them would lead to a big fine. I gave back my robes before the others who took pictures with their family. I had little emotional attachment to all things school-related. The only thing I needed was the documentation.

"It's finally over!" Lory took me into a bear hug before dragging me towards her family.

"Congratulations on graduating, girls." Mrs. Adams hugged us both. "Willow, will you join us for dinner?"

They had reserved a table for a celebratory dinner. Though I knew I was welcome, I was not in the mood to join in. I had much more pressing issues to focus on.

"Thank you for inviting me, but I think I have to pack everything at home."

She looked sad as she nodded in understanding. Before Lory could try to change my mind, I was ushered away by the well-wishes of my coworkers from the supermarket. Even the owner handed me a gift card.

“This should help you buy things for college,” he said.

"Thank you," I told him softly.

"You’ll be sorely missed, Willow. But don’t forget us while you are living in the big city. I will be waiting for you to make a name there." I knew he was simply teasing, but I couldn’t joke back.

Make a name for myself? If I was lucky I would have a shoebox to live in and food in my stomach. I had to repress the dissatisfaction from being ignored by Mr. Rowe.

Lory found me again and pulled me aside. "Are you sure you want to go home?" she asked. I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“I will be fine. I am just not in the mood to celebrate.”

She was silent for a moment. “I will go over to your house after dinner. Packing is better when you have someone to accompany you.”

"Okay." She wasn’t wrong. I would have her by my side rather than be alone in that empty house. I didn’t need a hand to pack my meager belongings, though.

"Willow, hop into the car. We will drop you at your house on our way," Mrs. Adams called out.

"Thank you," I told her.

Lory threaded her arm through mine as she spoke in low tones. “Will you call him when you go home?” she questions.

“I have no other choice,” I said. There was no time left to dilly-dally. I had to contact him.

If only it were that easy.

“How about you wait until I return to make the call? It won’t be late then.” She knew how nervous I was to call. Everything was riding on Mr. Rowe’s decision.

"I’ll let time decide." I remained noncommittal. I would fake being relaxed until I felt it completely. If I kept using Lory as a crutch, I would never be able to stand up on my own.

The conversation remained light on the ride back. They all knew to steer clear of my immediate future. I hopped out of the car and heard Lory yell that she would see me soon. Once inside the house, I stripped off my formal clothes and rushed toward my phone. I was appalled that the school didn't allow phones at the graduation ceremony. Some of the people in the education industry were still living in the dark ages.

I groaned in frustration when I saw that I had no notifications.

I threw myself on the bed and tried to calm myself. There was a possibility he was busy and didn't have time to call me. I really wanted to think he was a good guy. That he would give me a chance.

I was startled out of my thoughts when the doorbell rang.

"Just come in, Lory," I yelled as I ran downstairs. I yanked the front door open, ready to chew her out for rushing her celebratory dinner. Instead, I came face to face with the stranger in the dark suit who had been staring at me during the graduation ceremony.

I should have looked through the loophole before opening the door. I was an idiot!

I was having a breakdown right at my front door. I was close to slamming the door shut and hiding in my room, but my shock prevented me from moving.

"Willow Taylor?" His voice was low and non-threatening. But what would I know what threats sounded like?

My thoughts ran at the pace of lighting: Who was the guy? Was he stalking me?

He noticed I was scared and held his hands up in surrender. He even offered me a guilty smile.

“You may rest assured, Miss Taylor. I mean no harm. My name is Virgil and Mr. Rowe sent me to speak with you.”

My mind went blank for a split second before I narrowed my eyes in suspicion at him.

“Please call Mr. Rowe if you are uncomfortable with me. You can confirm my identity with you before you speak to me.”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I glance at my phone, hatching a plan in my head. There was no way in hell I would allow a stranger inside my house on his word alone.

“Please wait here,” I said and started closing the door. I saw him give a short nod before I shut it completely and bolted the door.

I walked into the kitchen and called Mr. Rowe quickly.

"Hello, Miss Taylor."

It sounded like he knew I would be calling. His voice dripped with smugness and I could practically see the smirk on that pretty face of his.

I sucked in a deep breath so that I didn’t reprimand him badly. “Mr. Rowe, there is a man at my front door, claiming that you sent him.”

“Yes. That is Virgil. You can trust him.”

I was tiptoeing at the edge of exploding in anger.

“I would have appreciated a text or a call warning me that you were sending a stranger to my house.”

He snorted. “And those are the words of a girl who may or may not have used illegal means to get a hand on my private information. If I didn’t play along, what fun would there be?”

I had to curse him for his comeback. He must have caught my reaction because he chuckled.

“You effectively scared me, thank you very much, Mr. Rowe.”

"You have no reason to be scared. Virgil can be a nice guy."

“If he is such a nice guy, why is he following me around?”

He was silent for a moment. "Virgil was complying with my wishes. I had some things that needed to be investigated."

I didn't understand what he was saying. He was speaking vaguely and I was growing tired of how he avoided the main issue at hand.

"Mr. Rowe, you have kept me waiting for a week without a word. Can you put me out of my misery and just tell me what your decision is?"

He clucked his tongue. “Patience… Listen to what Virgil has to say. And if you have any further questions, you may call me back.”

‘May?’ The nerve of this man!

"I ‘may’ call you back? Listen, you—"

"What was that?" he interrupted.

I snapped my lips shut before I could say something I would regret. "Nothing."

"Oh? I do like your fire, Willow."

If I ever met the man, I would show him how it felt to be burned by the fire. "You have only seen the tip of the iceberg," I said in a saccharine tone.

"Moving elements, are we? I'm counting on it," he replied coolly, continuing on before I could reply, "Will you speak to Virgil?"

"Do you promise he doesn’t have bad intentions? I do not like the idea of allowing a stranger inside my house."

“I can assure you that he bears you no ill will. I don’t have the time to send someone across the country to harm you.”

He had a point.

"You could be petty, for all I know. But if you aren’t pretty, maybe not."

“I am not petty.” He paused to think about what he would say next. "Virgil is my head of security and I trust him with my life."

I believed him. A breath I didn’t know I was holding left me.

“I will talk to him. But I will call you immediately after. I need to know what is happening since I am in midst of packing everything I own.”

"Trust me."

Trust him? How arrogant.

I walked back to the door after hanging up and peered through the peephole. Virgil was waiting patiently where I had left him. He hadn’t moved a muscle.

I opened the door slowly. “I spoke to Mr. Rowe. Please come in.” I really had no idea what to say or what his intentions were.

He entered slowly and stood in the hall, allowing me to put space between us if I so wished.

“I think you should sit down, Miss Taylor.”

I led him to the kitchen and took a seat as he had instructed. He sat down across from me and his eyes darted to the phone tightly gripped in my hand. I was prepared in case I needed to call the police.

Virgil reached into his suit and pulled out a letter. He slid it across the table toward me. I glanced at the envelope before looking back at him. He smiled at me warmly, making me feel less scared.

“I can see that you are uncomfortable, so I won’t waste time.”

I shifted in my seat. “I just want to know what is happening. Why are you here?”

He nodded. "I'm here to escort you to Quentin. We leave in the morning."

"What?"

He chuckled. "We leave for Quentin tomorrow morning," he repeated slowly.

I digested his words slowly. Did I understand the meaning of his words correctly? Was Mr. Rowe funding my college education?

"Miss Taylor?"

I shook my head to clear it and looked at Virgil, the security guy. He was still waiting for me to respond.

"I—what do you mean? Why am I going tomorrow? How am I going?" I babbled.

Virgil surely thought I was stupid. He tapped his finger on the envelope, trying to push my attention back to it. "Why don't you read the letter and then we can talk?"

I leaned forward and picked it up, wondering if I would get good news inside.

“Please,” I chanted to myself as I opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. I treated it like a prized treasure as I read the first two words.

[Dear Miss Taylor,

I have looked into the mixup regarding the Rowe Scholarship personally after our conversation. It was an error on our end that led to this misunderstanding. Mr. Grant was and is the rightful recipient of the scholarship. His expansive extracurricular activity background and scholastic achievements are the reason for this decision.

However, I took it upon myself to read your essay and other documents. I found your ideas and experiences intriguing, which doesn’t happen often.

You must already know that my head of security has checked on you. I felt that it was necessary to use the same methods like you to find out about your background. What was found has piqued my interest and that bodes well for you, Miss Taylor.

Of course, that is only if you so wish.

On that note, I will assure you that your concerns regarding your scholarship will be taken care of. I have decided that you will be taken care of after we discuss some serious matters.

The first condition is a meeting between the two of us.

I have confirmed that you no longer have any responsibilities in Atkins and therefore, I would like to invite you to Quentin. It would be at my expense and I would like to further discuss your future.

Deepest regards,

Nicholas Rowe.]

I read the letter multiple times and remained in shock. I was sure Virgil could hear my heart pounding from across the table. I looked up to find him scrutinizing me.

Mr. Rowe had billions of dollars to his name. Paying my tuition would be like handing fifty bucks to a homeless person, which I would be in a few days. Still, I didn’t understand why he wanted to meet me when he knew everything there was to know.

“I don’t understand why he wants to meet me.” I was on edge but Virgil remained perfectly calm.

"Miss Taylor, it is not my place to divulge the reason."

I sighed at how formal he was. "You can call me Willow."

He ignored my request.

"You have to tell me something! You said I could ask you questions after I read the letter. Why does he insist on meeting me?"

He remained silent for a good minute. "Are you scared of actually meeting him? Your determination made it seem like you were fearless."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not scared. I am intimidated and I don't like being kept in the dark."

"Well," he started. "I can only confirm that Mr. Rowe only wishes the best for you. I could say with authority that he is taken with you."

My eyes widened at his assertion and swallowed thickly. "Taken with me?" I squeaked.

He gave a short nod and smiled. "He wouldn't have sent me to escort you otherwise."

"What does that mean?"

He smirked. "I'm the best."

I snorted. "The best at what?" It seemed my personality came out even in the face of fear and confusion.

He laughed. "In general, a lot of things. But with regards to you: protection."

We were talking in circles again. I had to get back on the right track.

"Why would I need protection?"

Virgil removed a piece of lint from his pants. "As I said, Mr. Rowe is taken with you. I should add that he is a worrywart."

I suddenly understood.

"I understand that he is hesitant to pay for my tuition. I promise I would never abuse his trust or use the money for anything other than college."