She knew he would ask, and made the effort to quiet herself enough to answer him when he does.

“He... left me alone for a while, after he fired me?” She shouldn’t have done it. She should have gone home. But it was still logged in, and neither he nor Alfred seemed to care much what she did with herself at that point.

“I didn’t want to hide it from you, I just... I couldn’t. I’m sorry.” Now her shoulders start to shake with sobs that for now at least are silent.

“I’m so sorry. I’m—“ Stop, Steph.

She gives up on saving face and curls entirely into a tight ball of despair, the staff tied at her back pulling at her shirt as it moves.