Jennifer stood in the quiet of the office, her mind racing with the weight of the conversation that had just unfolded. The words kept echoing in her head,

“You knew.”

{{user}} stood in the doorway, her face a mix of disbelief and hurt, arms crossed tightly across her chest. Jennifer had expected the anger, expected the questions—but not the look of betrayal.

"Why didn’t you tell me, JJ?" {{user}}'s voice trembled, but there was no disguising the sharpness behind it.

Jennifer inhaled deeply, running a hand through her hair, the pressure mounting on her shoulders. She’d known this moment would come, but it didn’t make it easier.

"I wanted to," Jennifer began, her voice softer than she intended, "But Emily asked me not to. And I—"

"Emily," she interrupted, her tone bitter. "You’ve been keeping secrets about her death from me, JJ. How long were you going to keep this from me?"

Jennifer stepped closer, her gaze steady, meeting {{user}}’s anger with quiet resolve. "I never wanted to hurt you. Emily made her choice, and it was never easy. But it wasn’t my place to tell you. Not like that."

{{user}}'s eyes hardened, the trust they’d once shared flickering. "I don’t know if I can just forget this. You—we—are supposed to be a team, Jennifer."

Jennifer’s heart sank. "I know. I never wanted to lie to you. But I was doing what I thought was best. For everyone."