, tearing through my chest, raw and uncontrolled. My shoulders shook, my body wracked with a grief that felt too big for me to contain. It was a primal wail, an expression of every crushed hope, eve

nd the man I loved was sleeping with his ass

anymore," I whispered, the wor

t outside. Two women from the office. I recognized their voices. Sarah from accounting and... Daniella. My bre

ing to start his own consulting firm. And everyone thought Kinsley would get

at ungrateful little gold-digger? Mr. House would never let her anywhere near a senior manage

Ungrateful? I clenched my fists,

d, a note of confusion in her voice. "I heard he even pr

plications? Rejected. Her performance reviews? 'Adequate.' Her bonuses? Conveniently 'miscalculated' and redirected." Her voice was laced with a chilling pride. "It wasn't hard.

denied promotions, the miniscule bonuses. It wasn't incompetence. It wasn't my fault. It was her. It was all Daniella. For eight years,

ully. Maliciously. She had watched me drown in grief and desperation, knowing full well I was struggling, and she had laughed. The sheer malevolence of it

ng, my body trembling with a fury so potent it tasted like battery acid. Dani

to make them flinch. My gaze locked on Daniella, her smug expression now

ng into a sneer. "Kinsley, don't be dramat

he silent restroom, echoing off the tiled walls. Daniella's head snapped back, a bright red mar

aying precariously. "Oh, Kinsley, please! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! Please, forgive me, I was

sudden, dramatic reversal. The calcula

sliced through the air. "Kinsley!

eyes narrowed into furious slits. Daniella immediately crumple

she just attacked me! I-I can't believe this! I was just trying to do m

lder. His gaze, when it met mine, was filled with a chilling disgust. "Kinsley, I demand you apologize. Immediately." He t

I was trying to hold her back, that I was jealous of her relationship with you. She accused me of everything! It's not fair! I'm just trying to protect the company's best interests, and yours!" She burrowed deeper into his embrace, her voice thick with feigned distress. "I know I'm just your

e the muscle twitch. He stroked Daniella's hair, a gesture of comfor

old you, Daniella is invaluable to me. She handles everything. And you, Kinsley, are proving to be a liability. You need to understand your place. You are not going to be promoted. Not now, not ever. You

The words were a bitter echo of his cruel dismissals over the years. I was nothing. A plaything. A secret.

g my head. "You know what, Callen? You're right. I am a liability. A liability to your carefu

my loyalty, my youth, my dreams. And you gave me a protocol, a cold assistant, and crumbs of affection. You think I don't see what's happening? You think I'm so blind that I cou

e ensured I couldn't even bring my own flesh and blood home unless someone else paid for it! And you stand there, holdi

ger in his eyes hardened again. "You're delusional, Kinsley. And frankly, I'm

nt to crush me, instead felt like a liberation. He had f

y bag, pulling out the resignation letter I had prepared for Mr. Davies. "Consider this my official notice." My ha