It has been a very, very long first week of work. By the time 6pm rolls around, I’m ready crawl into a hot bath with a glass of red wine and a good book, and forget about life for a while.But, as a mom, that desire gets placed on hold, because the first thing I both need and want to do is visit my
“You done abandoning your kids?” Garnar asks. He doesn’t look away from the screen.“That’s not what I’ve been doing.”Garnar shrugs. “Call a spade a spade, Esther.”He’s baiting me, I can tell. I need to stay on target and not fall for his games.“I’d like to move into the guest room for now,” I sa
When I make my way to my desk, the entire cubicle pit is buzzing about the new rumors. Miles agreeing to an interview with a competitor has the entire office in an uproar. Most people are excitedly sharing the news and their opinions. Many are stressed or annoyed. Only Amber looks actively depressed
When I get to the house with my suitcases, I’m surprised to find that the girls are staying at a friend’s house again. “On a Monday?” I ask Garnar, who is ignoring me in favor of kissing Thea’s cheek.“They asked,” Thea answers. “Who are we to say no?”Thea’s already stepping into the step-mother ro
Reading my message, questions flood through my mind. The biggest being, how the heck does he know I’ve moved? I haven’t told him, and I doubt Garnar would. Thea doesn’t know him.Cynthia’s message flashes through my mind. Sorry.Oh my God, Cynthia. What did you do?Before I can confront her, though,
He hangs up before I can reply. He always seems to have to get the last word in.For me, he said. Like I wouldn’t be careful for myself.Although, as much as I hate to admit it, that does seem to motivate me a little more to be careful. Maybe I will buy a mini-fridge for my room, to keep Garnar or T
To distract myself from my terrible home situation, I continue to throw myself entirely into my work. I push myself to the limits, even eating at my desk to work through my lunch. I don’t take any breaks during the day, except the occasional five minutes to run to the bathroom.Eventually, my work s
Amber cackles the entire way back to her own desk. I probably should have told her that if she spends so much time harassing me, her own work is bound to suffer. With the way she talks to me, I doubt she’d take my words all that seriously.I need to forget her entirely. Forget her threats and her mo
“We should watch the rest,” I tell him, though my voice is shaky. “No,” Miles says, more firmly. I breathe a sigh of relief. For my job, I know we have to hear it. But personally, I would like to go the rest of my life without even thinking about Edward Zimmer again. “The numbers are already u
Edward’s response comes in the form of a video message. Crystal set it up on the television on the wall, while Miles and I huddle closer to the screen. Miles holds tightly onto my hand. “Whatever happens. Whatever he says. We will stand against him and we will win,” he says. I believe him. Last
How could I say anything but yes? A thousand times over, yes, yes, yes. I’ve tried so hard since that first night, sleeping with Miles while thinking him a call boy, to not fall in love with him. Yet, as hard as I tried not to, my heart kept pulling me straight back to him. My love for Miles is so
We hold the press conference in front of the headquarters, setting up a podium outside the double doors. The news media organizations have been notified, so they send reporters and cameramen, who have set up around the podium. The release we sent out already told them that the conference would be
Later, I’m going to have to have a meeting and call in all the employees to discuss this. Their care is appreciated, but I need to be able to do my job. For now, though, it seems as if Crystal gets the hint. With a shallow nod, she continues her report. “Mr. Zimmer has been quiet since the inter
Garnar, knowing I was giving a difficult interview tonight, offered to watch the kids. Since they are at Garnar’s house, I expected the house to be empty when I finally returned. Instead, I see Miles’s car parked in my driveway and the additional security staked out around the premises. It’s a rel
Jean was warned about the story, but she still gasped. My eyes went a little wide. We came here to talk about this, but Daphne’s direct wording leaves me speechless. Daphne didn’t come here just to tell a story. She was ready to reveal her truth, once and for all. “Esther and I were victims,” Da
In the Harbinger HQ, in one of the studio sets arranged to look like a fancy living room, Daphne and I sit side by side on a white couch, facing an interviewer, a woman interviewer named Jean, who sits on an arm chair facing us. The setting is intimate, and Jean is a kind, middle-aged woman, who i
“Miles…” Emotion overflows within my heart. There are so many things I want to say, to express – my gratitude, my own affections, explanations about why this has been so difficult for me to accept – yet in the moment, everything gets tangled up in my throat. “Miles…” My tears fall from my chee