Ethan' s dismissal of me

with those fake te

an. Prove she

sh whine, but her eyes

an his words. She

y bag, my kn

resignation letter, yes, b

nters, sustainable housin

gaze flick

ile touche

tle love notes for Ethan? More p

, she snatched the b

led onto the expe

rawings, my notes, scat

etter lay starkly white agai

a small library for a low-income neighborhood. "How

Ethan to see, her

d, his face a mas

h," he said, but there w

r eyes flashing. "Or do you secret

etch flutter f

, she reached for a nearby

trical gasp of "Oo

air, splashing across my white blo

paper, bleeding into my intricate li

My future

sound e

pped forward, not to help m

rs, then at my stained blouse, hi

Mia," he said,

hen ge

t a wad of cash, and tossed a few hun

e dry c

ar, a final, conte

red into a mill

breathe. Cou

ed and

to the waiting elevator,

opened onto the sil

t, tears blur

, a flicker of somethin

, into the sudden, sheeting

to my face, soaked through my rui

y hammer, pounding

rs of my life, my hear

umbia – charming, brill

intensity, my different per

oo, of course. Rich,

ed me, a seemin

e, flattered b

foil, a less shiny object

ella, and I, fool that

ffered advice, all while secret

eft him for a European adven

ad been

became his assistant, hi

e, his work, with

nk and despairing, h

as need, a desperate

t. But I

eginning of ou

et, my hope

rs, it had be

when Isabella was awa

ed, and just like th

to her without a

inally written the

downpour, my professional dreams stained red, his car

d always know

ed in my mind, a cruel confi

r sale. My dignity

ashing away my tears, or

get away.