Chapter 4

The next morning I got up early, thinking I'd make him breakfast.

Turned out he'd woken even earlier. Breakfast was already on the table.

A sandwich, warm milk, and the fried egg I liked.

He sat by the table in a crisp suit, reading the financial news.

When he saw me come out, he looked up.

"You're up? Come eat."

As if we were the most ordinary married couple in the world.

After we ate, he drove me.

"Where to?"

"Back to my old company. I have to hand in my resignation."

Liam had pulled some strings to get me that job. Easy work, low pay.

Looking back now, all he'd wanted was to keep me caged.

"All right."

Donald didn't ask more.

When we reached the building, he handed me a black card.

"The PIN is your birthday."

"Don't go without on my account."

I didn't take it.

"Donald, I'm not your kept bird."

"I have two hands and two feet. I can support myself."

He looked at me, something complicated in his eyes.

"That's not what I meant."

"I just… want to make it up to you."

"You don't owe me anything."

I pushed the card back. "If you really want to make it up to me, find me a job."

"I want to join your company."

He froze.

"Our company is exhausting."

"I'm not afraid of hard work."

I met his eyes, steady as could be. "I want to stand beside you, not hide behind you."

He studied me for a long moment, then finally nodded.

"Come in this afternoon to sign the papers. I'll have HR reach out to you."

I pushed the door open and got out, feeling strength surge through me.

Walking back into my old company, my coworkers all looked at me strangely.

Whispers, pointed fingers.

I didn't let it bother me. I went straight to the manager's office.

I handed over my resignation letter.

The manager was a man in his forties, and he'd taken plenty of favors from Liam over the years.

He glanced at the letter, a smile that wasn't a smile on his face.

"Carly, you sure about this? Jobs aren't easy to come by right now."

"Did you and Liam have a falling-out? A little lovers' spat, that's all. You'll patch it up."

"There's nothing between him and me anymore."

My tone stayed flat. "Please just approve it as soon as you can."

"Nothing anymore?"

The manager looked like he'd heard the joke of the century. "You dumped Liam and think you can find someone better? Don't be naive."

He tossed the letter onto the desk and leaned back.

"You can go, sure. But finish the project you're on first."

"Otherwise, forget the reference letter. You won't see this month's paycheck either."

The project he meant was the worst mess in the company. Whoever took it was doomed.

Another coworker had been running it before, made a blunder, then dumped the blame squarely on me.

Liam had taken that coworker's side back then, telling me to "be the bigger person."

Now they wanted to run the same play again.

I smiled.

"Fine."

I pulled out my phone and opened the voice recorder.

"Could you say all that again?"

"Docking my pay, forcing me to do work outside my job description, threatening to withhold my reference letter."

"I think the labor board would be very happy to hear it."

The manager's face went green on the spot.

"You… you dare threaten me?"

"I'm only protecting my legal rights."

I put the phone away. "Are you signing it or not?"

He glared at me, and forced a few words out through his teeth.

"You win, you ruthless little—"

He picked up his pen and signed the resignation letter, seething.

Letter in hand, signed, I turned and left.

At the door, a female coworker blocked my way.

The one who'd pinned the blame on me before.

Her face was full of gloating.

"Carly, don't get too pleased with yourself."

"You think you can still make it in this industry after crossing the manager?"

"Liam's done with you. Let's see how you manage now!"

I looked at her face, twisted with jealousy, and found it laughable.

"How I manage is none of your concern."

"You should worry about yourself first."

I gave the phone in my hand a little wave. "The proof of you pinning that blame on me? I've still got all of it."

Her face went white and her mouth snapped shut.

I walked out without looking back.

From today on, I was no longer the Carly anyone could push around.

That afternoon I got the call from HR at Donald's company, and my hire went through smoothly.

The position was his executive assistant.

I knew this was the back door he'd opened for me.

But I accepted it without flinching.

It was what I deserved.

When I walked into Donald's office, he was in a video conference.

All English, blistering pace, discussing a merger worth tens of millions of dollars.

He saw me, gave me a nod, and gestured for me to sit.

I sat on the couch and watched him command the room, and it left me a little dazed.

This was the real him.

Decisive, commanding, brilliant.

And Liam wasn't fit to shine his shoes.

When the meeting ended, he came over and poured me a glass of water.

"First day. How does it feel?"

"A little like a dream."

I told him the truth.

He smiled.

"You'll get used to it."

He handed me a file. "These are some of the company's recent projects. Get familiar with them first."

I took it and started reading carefully.

They were all fields I'd never touched before, and my head spun trying to make sense of them.

But I didn't back down.

I chewed through it word by word, looking up anything I didn't understand online.

I was still at it long past quitting time, after everyone else in the office had gone.

"Still not leaving?"

Donald had come to stand behind me, I didn't know when.

"Almost done."

I didn't look up.

He pulled the file out of my hands.

"Read it at home."

"We're eating out tonight."

"Where?"

"Somewhere… that might jog a memory or two."