Shadows of the Past

I pushed my bedroom door shut and braced myself against it, gasping for air. The insults downstairs still rang in my head, bitter and hurtful.

"Ungrateful."

"Pathetic."

And Stacy's favorite, the worst one to cut—

"Fat pig."

I glided gradually towards the corner of the room and the mirror. The lights were dimmed, but I could see my face. My round face, the fatness of my arms, the way the dress was cinched around my waist. I pushed my hands on the glass, staring at myself until my eyes flared up.

No matter how many times I heard her humiliate me, it still hurt.

I sat at the edge of my bed and grasped my phone from the nightstand. My hands lingered, then I scrolled through my contact list until I came to the name.

"Eli."

He was an old college friend, a gym teacher. He had tried to assist me in losing weight more than once, but I had repelled him. I didn't want to do it at that time. I didn't want to think that I could be different.

I pressed call.

It rang three times before his cheerful, high-pitched voice answered. "Nadi! Oh my god, it's been forever. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me."

I smiled despite myself. "Hi, Eli."

"What's up? Did your evil step-sisters finally lock you in a tower? Should I ride to your rescue in glitter and heels?"

I smiled gently, leaning my head. He always joked like that. "No… not yet."

"Oh, thank god. I was going to go fetch my sparkly sword."

"Eli," I grumbled, my voice deepening. "I… I need your assistance."

There was a pause. Then he gasped. "Wait. You're being serious now? You really want to train with me?"

Yes." My chest tightened as I spoke. "I need to lose weight. I simply can't go on like this anymore."

"Oh, honey." His tone softened but still held that teasing note. "At last. I knew one day would come. You're calling the right guy. I'll torture you, I'll curse your name, but you'll be thanking me when you glance in the mirror and catch a glimpse of a goddess staring back at you.".

I bit my lip, the corner of my mouth twitching. “Don’t exaggerate.”

“I never exaggerate. Well, maybe sometimes. But this time? Totally serious.”

I let out a long breath. “Thank you, Eli.”

“Of course, babe. We’ll start tomorrow. No excuses.”

And I sat there, staring at my phone after the call had ended. For the first time in so long, I felt a glimmer of something. Not hope, not yet. But maybe the beginning of it.

---

Nevermind

The next day, I trudged over to the gym where Eli was employed. He was standing outside, sporting ugly pink shorts and a tank top with the words "Slay Today, Sleep Tomorrow." He lurched in dramatic fashion when he saw me.

"There she is! My success story waiting in the making. Let's go, babe, and make those muscles work."

The gym smelled of rubber mats and a touch of sweat. Equipment lined the walls, and there were people shuffling, some racing, others hoisting weights. I was awkward and fat in my loose shirt.

Eli slapped his hands on his legs. "Don't watch them. Watch me. You're here for yourself, not for them."

I gulped, nodded.

The workout was harder than I expected. Ten minutes on the treadmill left me gasping. Eli was cheering me on, bouncing up and down beside me, shouting encouragement in his sing-song voice.

"Come on, queen! Don't give up now! You're not dying, you're glowing!"

"I'm… dying."

"Nope. Just reborn."

By the time we finished, my legs shook so much I thought I would collapse. But when I looked in the mirror, sweat dripping down my face, I felt… lighter. Not in body, but in spirit.

This was the start.

---

The weeks turned into days. I worked with Eli every morning. He pushed me hard, but he also kept me smiling. In the evenings at home, I remained in the study. I took out books I had not opened in years, learning about business strategies, money, and management. I contacted friends I had blown off in the past.

Slowly, I began to reclaim pieces of myself.

That night, I sat with my father in his office. Papers littered the desk—notes, charts, plans I had made myself. My hands trembled as I pushed them across to him.

"I want to inherit Evahart Corporation," I told him.

He stared at me for a long time, his brow furrowed. "You?

Yes. I met his gaze. My voice was firm. "I can do it. I've been practicing. I've been learning. Give me a chance."

He leaned back in his chair, serious. I stood there, my pulse pounding.

Finally, he exhaled. "Show me results. In a month. If you can show me you're worthy, I'll consider it."

Relief washed over me, but I didn't let my expression give me away. "I will."

---

The month passed more quickly than I'd expected. My body changed. My image in the mirror was narrower, my clothes looser. My energy levels rose. People began to take notice, whispering at salons and social events.

But so did the shadows.

I caught the whispers within society:

"She's still not good enough."

"She's just going through the motions."

"She'll never hold up to the others."

My family schemed in the house corners, thinking I wouldn't hear. Plans, whispers, lies. Stacy's bitter voice, Liora's snide laughter. They didn't believe I was smart enough. They never would.

And then Thane.

He was away on a business trip, but occasionally I could feel his presence. A cold gaze from afar, a mumbled name. Like even absent, he watched. Waited.

---

The charity ball arrived at the end of the month.

I wore a navy blue dress that Eli had helped me pick out. It clung to me in places I used to hate, but now I wore it with my head held high. When I entered the hall, eyes turned. Some opened in shock. Others narrowed in envy.

That's when I saw him.

Beckett Hale.

Tall, sharp-featured, with a smile that looked too easy. He spotted me instantly and walked over, holding a glass of champagne.

“Well, if it isn’t Nadira Evahart,” he said smoothly. “You look… different.” His eyes swept over me, not with mockery, but with something like admiration.

My cheeks warmed. “It’s been a while.”

“Far too long.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping. “I should say, you’re stunning tonight. Absolutely stunning.”

I had no idea what to say. Compliments were a rare thing in my life. My mouth fell open, and before I could say anything, the atmosphere in the hall shifted.

There was a silence that descended. Heads turned.

The doors swung open.

And there he was.

Thane Verlice.

Uninvited.

He walked into the hall, his dark eyes scanning the room until they reached me. His eyes focused on me, hard and unforgiving, but then—a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

It was a month. He hadn't seen me since that morning.

And now, I wasn't the same Nadira.

His eyes locked with mine, unflinching. The noise of the gala melted away from me.

My heart raced.