Chapter One

My ID badge didn't scan. Instead of the pleasant chirp and green light I was expecting, there was a loud angry beep and a red light. I swiped it again, but the light just stayed red.

“Ma'am?” The security guard walked up to the building’s turnstiles and raised his eyebrows at me.

I held up my badge, showing him that it was real. I really was supposed to be in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. I was an aide here to Senator Glenn. I had been for the last three weeks.

“I don't know why it's not working,” I told the guard as he took it from me. “It was fine yesterday.”

The guard shrugged, and turned it in his hands, inspecting it from every angle. “You're probably fired.”

I took a step back. Being a senator's aide was my dream job and I was really good at it.

“There's no way that's what happened,” I informed the guard. “If you can contact Senator Glenn's office, they'll tell you I'm supposed to be here.”

The guard didn't return my badge and he didn't move to call anyone. He just motioned me out of line, my badge still in his hands. This was going to be a long day.

“Aria? What are you doing here?” A familiar voice called out. I sighed with relief.

“That's Thomas, he's my boss,” I told the security guard, pointing across the check-in area to a man walking across the lobby. “He'll vouch for me.”

I watched as Thomas hurried over to the security check point, a frown on his face deepening the closer he got. He was in his forties and thin with messy brown hair that always seemed to need a trim.

“What are you doing here, Aria? You aren't supposed to be here.”

I quickly did a mental calendar check. Today was a Tuesday, it wasn't a national holiday, I hadn't requested any vacation time, and I was sure I was supposed to be in the office researching a tax proposal for Senator Glenn today.

“What do you mean?” I asked when I couldn't come up with a good reason for not being at work.

Thomas sighed and his shoulders fell. “She didn't tell you, did she?”

“Who? Tell me what?” I tried to smile and keep the mood light, but my heart was already sinking. Nothing good ever came from a sentence like that.

“Come with me. I'll explain in my office,” Thomas said. He waved to the guard and I was allowed to pass. The guard didn't give me back my ID badge, though.

I followed Thomas up to his small office. He had pictures of his wife and kids on his desk. The calendar hanging on the wall said April, even though we were already in the first week of May. I wondered if he'd remember to change it in time for June, or if he just liked the picture for April better.

“Have a seat,” Thomas said, motioning to a small folding chair to the side of the room. He sat on the front of his desk and crossed his arms. I sat down, carefully keeping my messenger bag on my lap like a shield against bad news.

“What's going on?” I asked. I hoped this was just some sort of misunderstanding. I hoped that I'd simply forgotten that I'd asked for a day to go to the dentist. Or that it was actually a federal holiday and I'd just missed it.

The sick twisting feeling deep in my stomach told me it was none of those things. Something bad was about to happen.

“Your mother was supposed to explain all of this to you,” Thomas said. He sighed and looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world rather than here, telling me this.

“My mother is dead,” I corrected him, feeling the small surge of irritation that always followed my stepmother's interference. “You must mean my stepmother. And no, she didn't tell me anything. She never does.”

“She was supposed to.” Thomas sighed and looked apologetic.

“And what exactly was Audrey supposed to tell me?” I asked him, trying to keep my voice calm. Maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe she'd asked to give me the day off for a chance at some mother-daughter bonding.

Yeah, right.

“Your sister will be taking over your position as an aide to Senator Glenn,” Thomas stated. He shrugged and held up his hands to show he had no power in the decision. “You've been replaced.”

For a moment, I thought this had to be a bad joke. This couldn't be happening.

“Replaced?” I asked, repeating, but not really understanding. “But this is my job. I've worked so hard to get here. I'm good at this.”

“You are good at this.” Thomas sounded like he meant it. “You've been the best we've had in years, and I don't want you to go. But it wasn't my decision. I'm sorry.”

I swallowed back tears. “Where am I going to go?” I asked. “I don't have another job lined up.”

Not to mention that no one wanted to hire me because of my family ties. Yet another reason I had to thank my stepmother.

“You have a job,” Thomas assured me. “She was supposed to tell you that too.”

I looked at him, hoping for the best.

“The USTR,” Thomas explained. “When Deputy Director Wilson heard you were available, he hired you on the spot. You're a records transcriptionist now.”

“I'm a records transcriptionist at the office of the United States Trade Representative,” I murmured, shaking my head. I looked up at Thomas, not believing what I was hearing. “You're telling me that I’m back to the job I had when I was eighteen?”

Thomas opened his mouth but didn't have anything to say. What could he say? I was just demoted back in life by eight years. It didn't matter that I had a degree and experience. It didn't matter that I was grossly overqualified for this new job. This was politics and it was out of my power.

Audrey Verna, my evil stepmother, wanted me to work for the USTR, so I was now working for them. She had kicked me out of my senator aide position, something I'd worked years for, and sent me back to the beginning of my career. All without telling me a word.

I couldn't believe this was happening. There had to be a way around this.

“And Senator Glenn has approved this?” I asked Thomas, crossing my arms. I hoped that the big boss was fighting this. I had a brief vision of Senator Glenn marching into my tiny office at the USTR and telling me this was all a big mistake and that she wanted me back.

But Thomas nodded. “She's the one who arranged it.”

I deflated slightly.

“Maybe I can talk to her,” I said. “This has to be some sort of misunderstanding. Is she in her office?”

Thomas grimaced. “She's in a meeting.”

“I can wait,” I told him. “This is my job on the line.”

“She's in a meeting with your mother. I mean, stepmother,” Thomas explained.

“Oh.” All visions of the Senator coming to my rescue like a white knight vanished. I really was fired.

“I'm really sorry, Aria,” Thomas repeated. He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.

I sat there for a moment, trying to come up with a plan, but not finding one. I didn't come prepared to fight my stepmother for my job today. I needed time to regroup. There wasn't anything I could do right at this moment, except maybe cry.

“Thank you for your time,” I said, rising to my feet. I wasn't sure what else to say. It wasn't Thomas’ fault that I was fired. It wasn't fair to yell at him, even though I wanted to. It wouldn't accomplish anything except make poor Thomas have an even worse day.

“I'm going to need your notes,” Thomas said, pointing to my messenger bag. “I'm really sorry, Aria.”

I sighed and opened up my bag. I pulled out the two manila folders and a flash drive with my work. I'd worked so hard on these files for two weeks. I held them in my hands for a moment.

The files were simply research for an upcoming bill Senator Glenn and some others in her party were working on. It was a small thing, but for me, it represented how I was going to change the world. I was supposed to take this aide position and learn the ropes. I'd move up the ladder until I could make real change. I was going to help the United States be everything I knew it could be.

Except, I wasn't anymore. I was back at square one in my old job that wasn't even in the field I wanted to work in. I wanted to be in the Senate, not scanning memos. This was as far from being able to change the world as I could get.

“You said they're replacing me with my stepsister?” I asked, handing over my work. “Good luck.”

Thomas frowned. “What do you mean? I was assured she's very competent.”

“By the same woman who promised to tell me I didn't have a job anymore, right?” I smiled at him, but there was no joy. “Audrey Verna makes her living from lying to people. She's very good at it.”

“How bad is your stepsister?” Thomas asked, sounding like he could feel a headache coming on.

“Anastasia thinks that a main job of Congress is to make sure that Conga lines continue,” I informed him. I closed my bag and snapped it shut. “I'm not sure how much help she's going to be researching the precedents for non-dance moves.”

Thomas closed his eyes and sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose like it ached and he took a deep breath as I left the room.

“Thank you, Thomas,” I told him, pausing at his door. “I appreciate you telling me this. To be honest, I'm glad it came from you and not Audrey.”

He gave me a weak smile. “Good luck, Aria,” he told me, setting the files on his desk. “I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but things will work out for you. You deserve better than this.”

I gave him a half-hearted chuckle and thanked him before heading back downstairs and through the lobby.

“Do you need your badge, ma'am?” the guard asked as I passed.

“Nope. You were right. I was fired,” I told him. I didn't stop to see his look of pity. I just headed out the doors and into the morning air.

At least I made it out of the building before I burst into tears.