3

Ryan sent me more than a dozen texts.

"You sold the house?

"Julian says you're emotionally unstable.

"Chloe has nowhere to stay right now. Can't you put off selling the house?"

I read them, set my phone face down on the table, and didn't reply.

The next day, I returned to the office to wrap up my handover.

I was leading the city's accessibility improvement project. We'd just won the contract, with work scheduled to begin next month.

Someone from finance handed me a document. "Ms. Bennett, Mr. Ford says the project's on hold for now."

I took it. "Why?"

"He says you're not well enough to run it right now."

Julian was an investor in the company, but he'd never bypassed me to suspend one of my projects before.

I gripped the notice and headed for the conference room.

He was talking with Chloe, the project files spread out on the table.

"You signed the order putting the project on hold?"

I put the document down on the table.

"It's just a delay."

He replied evenly, "You just had surgery. Focus on getting better first."

"So you shut down my project and gave Chloe access to the core files?"

Chloe went pale. "I'm only helping organize things."

I flipped open the proposal in front of her.

"Since when do wheelchair ramps need an artistic touch?"

The room went quiet.

Julian frowned. "She's not stealing your job. Stop picking on her."

"Then tell her to leave the files and go," I said.

He didn't answer.

"I'll hand over the original files through the proper channels." I laid my resignation letter on the table. "I'll submit my resignation today."

Julian shot to his feet. "You're quitting over something this small?"

My eyes stung. "It's not because you put the project on hold. It's because you've never respected me."

The second I walked out of the conference room, my key card stopped working.

The HR manager hurried after me and handed me a confidentiality notice.

"Mr. Ford wants us to withhold your bonus and check whether you've taken any company files."

I looked through the glass door. Julian was bent over Chloe, comforting her while she cried.

Just minutes earlier, he'd claimed he was putting the project on hold so I could rest.

Because I refused to surrender the work I'd done, he was treating me like a thief.

I opened my laptop in front of the HR manager, uploaded my handover checklist, and sent the creation records for each file to my lawyer, Dana.

Julian finally came out. "Withdraw your resignation, and this doesn't have to get ugly."

I looked at him. "I won't take a single company file. But you don't get to withhold my bonus or strip my name from the work I've done."

His face darkened. "Nora, if you leave, who do you think is going to hire you?"

Right then, my phone lit up. The acceptance page for a job offer from a firm overseas was still open.

I tapped Accept and looked up at him. "That's not something you need to worry about, Mr. Ford."

Julian caught my wrist. "Can't you just stay home and rest?"

I looked down at his hand, tears swimming in my eyes. "Since when do you get to make decisions about my body and my job?"

"I'm your husband."

"Oh, you remember that?" I yanked my hand free. "Then do you remember where you were when I called you from the hospital?"

Julian went still.

Chloe suddenly pressed a hand to her chest. "Julian, I'm having a little trouble breathing."

He turned to steady her at once. "What's wrong?"

She leaned into him and shook her head weakly. "I'm fine. It'll pass."

I watched them, and the tears rolled down anyway.

Julian didn't look back.

I picked up my bag and walked into the elevator.

I didn't wipe my eyes until the doors closed.

An email from the overseas firm came in.

"Congratulations. You've passed our final assessment. Please confirm your acceptance within 48 hours."

I stared at the screen, my finger hovering over the reply box.

My stomach still ached, and something heavy was pressing on my chest.

After a moment, I typed, "I accept."

I hit send and closed my eyes.

It still hurt.

But this time, I didn't let the pain become a reason to stay.