Chapter 307

After tossing and turning for hours last night, I finally fell asleep before Victor came to bed. So, I let him sleep while I got ready for my day.

He awoke as I was gathering my things before going out the door.

He jumped from the bed and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

“You’ve got over an hour to get to work,” I replied. “I’m leaving early this morning. I promised I’d stop by Archer Manor to see the finished renovations on my way to school.”

He yawned. “I forgot the shelter’s opening is tonight.”

“You can skip it if you’re too tired.” I kissed his cheek. “Amy will understand.”

“The mayor expects me to be there,” Victor said through another yawn. “The shelter is important to the city. I’ll come home early this afternoon and take a nap.”

“That’s a good idea,” I told him. “I just started a fresh pot of coffee to get you through the morning. See you this afternoon, darling.”

I kissed him again before going down to the garage and getting into my car.

Crossing my fingers, I looked upward. “Please let today be a better day for me and for Victor.”

As I parked in front of Archer Manor and looked up at the front of the mansion, I realized there was now a peaceful vibe coming from the building. It was a pleasant change.

The front porch and double wooden entrance doors were freshly painted, and a new sign hung over the entrance to tell people looking for the shelter that they were in the right place. It was covered with burlap until the ribbon-cutting ceremony tonight.

I was about to ring the new video doorbell when Benson opened the door. I had asked him to help Alfred prepare for the grand opening this evening. He enjoyed planning events.

“Good morning, Miss Wilson,” he said. “Miss Gray is in the large recreation room arranging the new furniture.”

“Great, I can’t wait to see it,” I said.

The large recreation room was the former living room, and I had been there before, but I let Benson lead the way.

Amy popped into the hallway before we got there. Her excitement was contagious. “Wait till you see it.”

She grinned and motioned me into the large room, now painted light blue with brown carpeting and furnished with several large, comfortable sofas.

Amy gestured around the room. “These shelves are full of books people donated. This cupboard is full of board games and cards. And the old TV is in the small recreation room with the latest gaming system for the kids to play video games.”

“Your clients and their families will have plenty of fun things to do while they rebuild their lives,” I said.

Amy bit her lip. “Benson sent out a press release, but do you think any reporters will come?”

“Of course,” I assured her. “Victor and the mayor will be here, along with plenty of other wealthy patrons. I wouldn’t be surprised to see TV news cameras outside tonight.”

“Victor’s parents are such darlings to donate so much,” Amy said. “Come on. Let me show you the rest. The pantry is full, and you’ve got to see the dining hall.”

She motioned for me to follow her down the hall and opened the old dining room door.

“The workers removed the wall between the dining room and the library,” Amy explained.

Instead of the old large dining room with a single long table, now the room was enormous. There were rows of family-sized tables and chairs.

The walls were beige and gold, and the floor was refurbished using a glowing oak wood laminate. With the fireplace at one end, it was a pleasant and comfortable room for clients to spend time eating, playing games, or socializing.

I walked to the kitchen and found Benson giving orders to the caterers. The planning and execution of events was his happy place.

“Have you heard from my father and Cassidy?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered. “I expect them to arrive home on Sunday as planned.

“Great,” I said. “Thanks for all your help, Benson. Amy needs tonight to go well.”

“I’ll do my best to make the evening a success,” Benson assured me.

“I’m sure it will be,” I said. “Thanks again.”

After telling Amy that Victor and I would be there by six that evening,” I left for school.

My drive today was different from yesterday. The daydreams and excitement that I had on my first day were gone. In their place was hope for a better day and my personal resolution to make a change for the good possible.

I parked close to the same space in the student lot as I did the previous day and retrieved my backpack from the passenger seat before making sure my car was locked.

My first stop was the campus coffee shop to meet Cara. I was looking forward to getting to know her better. She was a friendly, outgoing person. I’d bet she knew everyone on campus.

She wasn’t at the coffee shop yet, but I was a little early. After ordering a latte, I grabbed a table near the window to see her when she came in.

I was sure Cara said she would meet me at nine o’clock, but when she still hadn’t arrived by twenty after nine, I went looking for her. Maybe she had to work at the last minute.

A young man was behind the cash register in the bookstore, and he claimed he didn’t know Cara, so I checked the cafeteria. The only cafeteria employee in sight was a young girl stocking condiments.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I’m looking for Cara.”

“Cara Locke?” the girl asked.

“Yes,” I said. That must be her. “I met her in the bookstore yesterday, and we were supposed to meet for coffee at nine.”

“Cara doesn’t work on campus anymore. And I won’t either if I talk to you,” the girl said and hurried away from me and into the kitchen.

I was stunned. “They fired Cara for talking to me,” I whispered to myself. “What was wrong with this place?”

The whispering and staring as I walked to my first class of the day reminded me of high school. I handled it the same way. I ignored it, and I made it to class without any confrontations.

The History of Journalism course was fascinating, even if it was skewed in favor of Alphas. But Professor Malory was as unpleasant this morning as he was yesterday.

It was a relief when the class was over, but my next class was even worse.

News Editing was taught by Professor Chet Barns. Two minutes into the class, I knew he was a Betaphobe, and he didn't feel the need to hide it.

A short, stout man with a florid complexion and a permanent sneer on his face, he made several bad jokes about Betas in his welcome statement.

My disgusted expression after the third tasteless comment gave away my feelings for his jokes.

It wasn’t intentional. I was trying to blend in and get my story without sacrificing my education. However, after hearing Cara was fired for speaking to me, I was in no mood to listen to anyone degrade Betas and think they were being funny.

Professor Barns walked up the aisle and stood before my desk with his hands planted on his broad hips. “You must be Miss Wilson.”

“Yes, professor. I am Daisy Wilson,” I said.

“I can tell by your expression that you think my jokes are in bad taste,” he said. “Don’t you have a sense of humor, Daisy? Stop being so sensitive.”

“I believe I do have a sense of humor,” I replied, trying to stay calm. But I felt the hot flush of anger and embarrassment creeping over my body. “But I don’t see anything funny in degrading a marginalized group of people for laughs.”

“Then tell the class a joke that is funny,” Professor Barns demanded.

I shook my head. “I can’t think of any good jokes right now.”

“Take a few moments to think of your best joke, stand up, and tell it to the class,” he insisted. “You obviously think you’re an expert on what’s humorous, so let’s hear what one of you bleeding heart Beta-lovers thinks is funny.”

My mind spun, and I began to shake. The smug look on Professor Barns’s face told me he wanted to embarrass me to get me to do something stupid. Perhaps to get expelled or, at the very least, cry and run away.

I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. I took a few slow, deep breaths while I searched my memory for a joke.