Three days later, Jubilee stood in Director Huang’s office, trying her best to look innocent. Responsible. Like someone trustworthy enough to be left in charge of children.

Hellenos, although he’d been visible from time to time over the last couple days, was nowhere to be seen again.

The matron sat behind her desk, her usual harried glow darkened by disapproval. “Since I’ve been out the last few days due to the bug going around, you’ve had plenty of time to come up with an appropriate explanation for your absence the other day, Wong Xiao-jie,” she said, casting Jubilee a reproachful look as her fingers drummed over a document—Jubilee’s employee evaluation. “Today is our scheduled meeting to discuss the possibility of extending your stay here, so it’s time to explain yourself. Do you still insist that you were lost? For almost three hours?”

It had really just been over two hours, but Jubilee thought it unwise to correct the older woman at the moment. “I’m just—really bad with directions,” she offered weakly, eyeing her previously perfect evaluation and feeling her chances for a paid position slipping like ice down a slope.

Sure, she hadn’t been certain before about whether or not she even wanted it, but honestly, it was the best option she had. And by now she’d also realized how much she didn’t want to leave Kailin and the other kids. So how could she possibly tell the truth? I was distracted by a demon and then taken to the police station, were not the words to say when you wanted a promotion.

Director Huang’s lips thinned. “Xiao-jie, I would rather you be honest about one act of negligence than to be both negligent and a liar.”

Jubilee flinched. Liar. The truth of that word hit her like an arrow to the heart. She’d become such an expert at telling half-truths and concealing who she really was that she’d never truly stopped, even after she’d quit stealing. Uncomfortably, she remembered how she’d resented the albino detective for doing the exact same thing. Hypocrite, she thought to herself bitterly. But as much as she wanted to change, she couldn’t stop now if she wanted to stay here.

“Director,” she began. She sensed a line trembling over her own head as she continued, “The truth is that—well, I’m awful at reading Chinese. Not only did I get lost on the way because I got all the street signs mixed up, but I also couldn’t understand any of the medicine labels once I got to the store.” She gave her most shamefaced expression. “And I was too embarrassed to ask anyone for help. That’s why I was so hesitant to go in the first place.”

The matron’s eyes narrowed. “Then how did you manage to find the medicine at all?”

Jubilee waved her phone, excuse ready. “Google Translate. I scanned every label until I found the right one.” The line above her snapped disconcertingly, showering her with charcoal dust.

Director Huang looked at her for a long moment, then finally shook her head. “For heaven’s sake, girl, how could you be so foolish? You should’ve just explained that to me upfront.”

“I’m sorry.” Jubilee lowered her eyes. “But no one else was able to go, and...I was worried about Kailin.” That part, at least, was true. She felt the line reform above her, straight and steady.

Director Huang’s expression softened at that. She sighed. “I’ll still have to make a note of this, you understand.” She scribbled something onto the form in front of her. “But I’ll overlook it just this once. Consider this a warning, Xiao-jie.”

“Yes, Director.” Jubilee’s head bobbed furiously. “Thank you, Director.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Your record is otherwise excellent. I’ll advocate for you as a full-time candidate to the rest of the board. You may go now.” She nodded at Jubilee in dismissal.

Grateful, Jubilee bowed and spun for the door—only to run into somebody’s chest. Stumbling backwards, she looked up...right into the eyes of a police officer.

The man was middle-aged, tall, with graying hair and deep frown lines. He stared down at Jubilee. Qihou poked her head out from behind him.

“Excuse me, Director Huang,” the older woman began, before her eyes lit up upon spying Jubilee. “Oh! Zhuli...you’re already here.” Her fond look of recognition faded into one of worry as she glanced back at the police officer.

A foreboding dread formed in Jubilee’s stomach. What did Qihou mean, already?

Qihou went on, “This is Officer Chang. He says he’s looking for Zhuli.”

The matron’s eyes narrowed again. “Is that so?”

Jubilee’s head started shaking back and forth, even though she didn’t yet know what she was denying. Officer Chang, whose focus had locked onto Jubilee the moment Qihou addressed her by her alias, stepped closer.

“Zhuli?” he repeated. “Surname Wong?”

Jubilee looked up at him, suddenly feeling very small. It was too late to admit that, no, she’d been twisting the truth this whole time—that Wong was really her mother’s maiden name, and that her legal surname was Li. It was on all her official paperwork for getting into the country, but once that was over with she’d chosen to go by an alias because she’d wanted to start over, forget the old her and, as much as possible, impede any chances of the American police potentially tracking her down. Throat dry, she nodded.

He reached for his belt and unlatched a pair of handcuffs. “You’re under arrest for charges of —” He said a series of words that made Qihou gasp and that Jubilee didn’t recognize, but her jaw dropped open nonetheless.

The detective, she realized with shock. Graeson Law. Anger flared within her. He had orchestrated this somehow. But how?

“Under arrest?” she repeated, in a desperate attempt to stall. She turned to Director Huang for help. “For what? I don’t understand.”

Director Huang’s expression had grown stormy. “Illegal residency,” she said in English. “And stalking.”

Jubilee stared, then paled. “Stalking?” she squeaked. Switching back to Mandarin, she said, “No, that isn’t what—there must be some mistake.” She looked frantically to the officer. “How could I possibly be charged with that? That girl never even noticed me, and she’s the only one who could've filed that charge.”

Wrong thing to say. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Director Huang. “That girl?” the matron asked. “What girl?”

Jubilee spun to her. “It’s not what you think,” she said hastily. “I was just trying to help. That girl had a—” A demon following her? Yeah. That wasn’t going to help her cause. “An...issue, and I only followed her a few miles to her school before—”

“You followed,” Director Huang repeated, her voice sheathed in ice, “A child to school?”

“No!” Jubilee nearly shouted. “She wasn’t a kid, she was a grownup—or, well, a college student at least...”

She was just digging the hole even deeper for herself. Director Huang set her jaw and looked away.

Jubilee turned back to the police officer pleadingly. “I have a residency permit. It’s just that it’s...” Expired by three weeks, she suddenly realized. And has a different name on it.

She could lie. And deny the stalking charge, which she was pretty sure would fall apart under the scrutiny of a legal court. Maybe that could buy her enough time to go and get her permit renewed. Like I should’ve done last month, she berated herself.

But the police station was where residency permits were issued, and she would have to use her real name. Furthermore, going there would likely mean running back into Graeson Law—no doubt the exact person Officer Chang was planning to take her to.

No matter what she did, she’d be forced to deal with him again.

Jubilee closed her eyes in defeat. Was this payback for her past? How ironic that paranoia had driven her halfway across the world to avoid arrest for theft, only for her to get apprehended on completely different charges. It looked like she couldn’t outrun the consequences of her crimes after all. Opening her eyes, she decided to accept the truth.

This was what she deserved, and she should’ve been arrested years ago.

Resignedly, she raised her hands to the police officer. He clapped the cuffs over her wrists and then led her to the door, passing Qihou along the way. The woman gave Jubilee a frightened look but said nothing.

“Wong Xiao-jie.” Director Huang’s voice made Jubilee pause. “This should come as no surprise,” the matron said coldly, “But you are dismissed from your position. Do not bother to return.”

The words hit Jubilee like a crushing blow. Hanging her head, she turned and followed Officer Chang out the door.

It was time to answer to the law.