Sandra''s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists. Her smile was so stiff it was painful.


    As she struggled for a response, Hannah spoke again.


    "Fine. If you want him to stay, he can stay."


    Hannah crossed her arms and gestured with her chin toward the empty space next to her, indicating for Lionel to sit.


    Lionel had been in meetings all day and had no idea what had happened, but seeing Sandra there filled him with a sense of dread.


    "What''s going on?" he asked.


    Hannah remained silent, a faint smile on her face as she watched Sandra.


    Sandra opened her mouth to speak, then thought better of it and closed it again.


    The living room fell silent once more.


    Lionel frowned. "Sandra, talk."


    Sandra nced nervously at Hannah, her eyes wide with a fear so obvious that even Lionel noticed. He didn''t react, simply waiting for her to speak.


    After a few tense seconds, Sandra finally began. "Well, since Hannah didn''te the other day, I called her to apologize and ask when she would be free. I told her I would work around her schedule."


    "But Hannah said I had to apologize online first. I thought, since I was the one who made the mistake, I should do as she asked."


    "So, today posted a letter of apology online. But then Hannah had all her colleagues tag me and retweet my post insulting me and turning a lot of other people against me"


    As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears, and she started to cry.


    Hannah listened without a flicker of emotion, her arms still crossed.


    Sandra moved closer to Lionel, her voice a choked whisper. “Lionel, you know I''m not as quick-witted as Hannah. Maybe my apology wasn''t written well enough for her."


    "But she could have just told me privately instead of having her friends attack me online. Now everyone is hating on me. I... I''m scared to even look at my phone."


    "Oh, you''re scared to look at your phone?” Hannah''s gaze dropped to the phone clutched in Sandra''s


    hand


    You seem to be holding it just fine. You don''t look that scared to me"


    "I... I..."


    Sandra, realizing her mistake, quickly tossed the phone onto the coffee table, stammering, unable to find a response.


    This woman is insane, she thought. Why is she so fixated on such a minor detail?


    "Let me see the apology," Lionel said, looking at Hannah. Her expression was unreadable, but from Sandra''s story he could guess that the apology itself was the problém, He knew Sandra''s character.


    He shot a reproachful look at Sandra, silently rebuking her for not consulting him first.


    "Here, Lionel." Sandra re-downloaded the app and handed him the phone. "I wrote every single word of that myself. It came from the heart. I was beingpletely sincere."