while Mark, Jessica, and Eleanor occupied the rest of the house like an invading army. Every trip to the kitchen was a

ild," Eleanor said one morning, watching Sarah make

He' d play loud music late at night. They were trying to make her life so miserable that she would give up and leave.

. The smell of coffee, a scent she used to love, now made her stomach churn. She dismissed it as stress. Her life was a

Chen was a constant, quiet source of support. He never pried into her personal life, but he made sure she had chall

him telling a vice president. "Her designs have

est. At home, she was a failure, an obstacle. Here, she was an

d the dark circles under her eyes, the way she someti

e afternoon, his voice gentle. "Don'

oncern in his eyes almost made her cry. It

s a textile conference in the city for two days. I want you to co

from a prison sentence. "Yes," she said immediately, a sur

ess trip, he was furious. "With who? That

d, her voice firm. She was pack

lled, blocking the doorway.

woman shouldn' t be traveling overnight with ano

a cold fury she didn' t know she possessed. "Are you worried they' ll say it' s shameful for me to do my job? Or is it more shameful to

h opening and closing like a fish. Mark loo

ast him. "And when I get back, I expect you to ha

o strangely exhilarated. She had spoke

or were now arguing constantly. "You have to control her!" Eleanor woul

her name! The lawyer said our position is weak!" Their alliance, onc

ected, listened to. That evening, after a long day of seminars, she and David were walking back to their hotel. A sudden

at her, his expression soft. The professional distance between them seemed to melt away in the shared moment. He reached out and ge

t about his simple, kind gesture. It was a touch that asked for nothing, that simply offered comfort. It was everything Mark' s touch was not. And