Se connecterRILEY'S POV I stared blankly at my phone for several minutes before finally forcing myself to move.The email sat open on the screen, the words simple and formal, yet somehow heavy enough to settle in my chest like a stone.Your resignation has been approved. Just like that.Weeks of thought, hesitation, and quiet panic reduced to a single sentence. I had submitted the resignation in a rush of determination after everything started spiraling in my life. At the time it had felt like the only way to regain some control. Now it was official, no take-backs.I was done with revenge, it was time to focus on my baby.I rested the phone on the bed beside me and leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling.“Well,” I murmured quietly. “That’s that.”My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach. The curve beneath my loose shirt was small but undeniable now.I was already five months gone.The baby shifted faintly, or maybe it was just my imagination. Either way, it reminded me ex
RILEY’S POVThe apartment felt too quiet.Not the comfortable quiet Claire and I were used to, the kind where music hummed in the background and someone inevitably burned something in the kitchen.This quiet was different. Heavy.I stood in the kitchen doorway, staring at the clock on the wall. The second hand ticked steadily forward like it was mocking the way I kept glancing toward the front door.Aiden should’ve been home by now. He hadn’t told me where he was going earlier, just that he had “something to handle.” His voice had been neutral when he said it, but there had been tension sitting under the words.I noticed things like that, especially with him.I had tried not to ask questions. I had been trying very hard lately not to push him into corners he didn’t want to stand in.Still… something about the way he left had unsettled me. The lock finally turned.I straightened immediately, my heart jumping slightly.The door opened and Aiden stepped inside.The moment I saw his fa
RILEY’S POVThe apartment felt too quiet.Not the comfortable quiet Claire and I were used to, the kind where music hummed in the background and someone inevitably burned something in the kitchen.This quiet was different. Heavy.I stood in the kitchen doorway, staring at the clock on the wall. The second hand ticked steadily forward like it was mocking the way I kept glancing toward the front door.Aiden should’ve been home by now. He hadn’t told me where he was going earlier, just that he had “something to handle.” His voice had been neutral when he said it, but there had been tension sitting under the words.I noticed things like that, especially with him.I had tried not to ask questions. I had been trying very hard lately not to push him into corners he didn’t want to stand in.Still… something about the way he left had unsettled me. The lock finally turned.I straightened immediately, my heart jumping slightly.The door opened and Aiden stepped inside.The moment I saw his fa
ETHAN’S POVSilence is expensive. That was the first thing I learned.The anonymous posts had begun like a whisper and escalated into a roar. Allegations, screenshots, carefully worded accusations that never quite crossed into defamation but hovered close enough to burn.And then, just as suddenly as they’d begun, they slowed.The posts stopped appearing daily, then weekly, then not at all.The internet, fickle as ever, found something new to chew on. To the outside world, the crisis was fading.To me, it had already done its damage.Contracts were paused, Investors reconsidered their positions.Two long-term partners severed ties quietly, issuing carefully neutral statements aboutstrategic realignment.I lost millions in a quarter.Reputation doesn’t bleed publicly.It hemorrhages privately.Board meetings grew colder, conversations shorter and handshakes firmer but less sincere.My name, once associated with precision and growth, now carried a shadow of instability.And instabilit
RILEY’S POVI sat in the dining area after lunch, staring at the table.My resignation letter sat in my bag, printed, signed, folded neatly inside a cream envelope. I had rewritten it three times the night before, staring at the words until they stopped looking real.Kindly accept this as my formal notice. Too polite.In the end, I settled for something clean, professional, and detached.I would be concluding my role in four weeks, I appreciated the opportunities. I wished the company well.Aiden had watched me seal the envelope without saying much. Just a quiet, “You’re sure?” before kissing my forehead like he already knew the answer.Now I stood outside the company building, staring up at the glass exterior reflecting the morning sun.This place had once felt like ambition. Now it felt like survival.I walked in. The lobby smelled the same. Polished floors, subtle perfume, corporate neutrality. People nodded at me as I passed. Some smiled. Some didn’t. None of them knew.I press
RILEY’S POVBy the time the sun had started to dip below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the city, I was finally beginning to feel like I could breathe. Well… as much as I ever could these days.I had just finished tidying a few things in Aiden’s apartment, trying not to think about the broken lock, the handprint on my wall, or Ethan who might have been behind it all. My mind was already spinning with worst-case scenarios when the doorbell rang.I wasn’t expecting anyone, not at this hour of the day.I hesitated, then padded over and peeked through the peephole. Claire. Immediately, my chest tightened. She looked frantic, oversized sunglasses hiding her eyes, but the tight set of her jaw and the way she was tapping her fingers against her bag told me everything I needed to know.I opened the door, feeling a sudden jolt of guilt.“Claire?” I started, but she cut me off, stepping inside before I could finish.“You didn’t tell me,” she said, her voice trembling just e
Riley’s POVWhen my phone rang this morning, I was still in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, wondering when my heart would stop aching. The name flashing across the phone screen ‘Ms. Carter(lawyer)’ snapped me out of my daze. I sat up gently, brushing my messy hair out of my face before pickin
ETHAN'S POVI sat behind my desk, the city stretched out before me in a blur of silver lights and glass reflections. A champagne bottle stood open beside scattered paper works I'd long stopped working on.I dragged down my already slacked tie, feeling uncomfortable for no particular reason. Well,
RILEY'S POV “Thanks a lot for the ride, and the meal” I smiled as I got down from Aiden’s car.“No,” he smiled. “I should be the one thanking you, for agreeing to have lunch with me”“Okay. Have a safe drive back home” I waved at him, just before he drove off.I had him drop me at Claire's place,
AIDEN'S POV“Let's call it a day gentlemen, thank you all for your hard work" I smiled, closing the last slide on the projector screen.“We'll talk to the dealers later today,” John said, shaking hands with me. He was in charge of the open market.“Ofcourse. I look forward to hearing from you soon”







