chapter 3: Starting over

Emilia opened her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings.

Soft white sheets. A massive bed. Floor-to-ceiling windows showing a view of the city skyline. The morning sun was streaming in, making her head pound even harder.

Where was she?

Then it all came rushing back. The betrayal, the bar, and the stranger she had spent the night with.

She sat up quickly, too quickly that her head spun, and she had to grab the headboard to steady herself. The space next to her was empty, but the sheets were rumpled. Someone had been there.

A note sat on the pillow.

The room is paid for until noon. There's aspirin in the bathroom.

That was it. No phone number. No last name. Nothing.

Emilia crumpled the note in her hand. Good. This was what she wanted. One night with no strings attached. That was the deal.

She climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Her reflection in the mirror made her flinch. Mascara was smeared under her eyes. Her hair was a tangled mess. Her lips were swollen.

But it was her eyes that scared her the most. They looked… empty.

“You are not going to fall apart,” she told herself reassuringly. “You are going to get cleaned up and walk out of here with your head held high and take back everything that was stolen from you.”

She took a long shower. The hot water helped clear her head. By the time she stepped out, she felt almost human again.

She put on her red dress from last night. The dress she had worn to welcome her husband back home. It felt wrong now. Like wearing a costume from a play she no longer wanted to be in.

She left the hotel room without looking back.

The lobby was fancy and full of people in business suits. Emilia kept her eyes straight ahead as she walked toward the exit. No one paid her any attention. To them, she was just another guest checking out.

Outside, the cold morning air hit her face as she walked to her car parked across the road. The only thing she literally owned now.

But she had one thing that couldn't be taken away: her brain.

Emilia had graduated at the top of her class in business school. She had spent two years learning how to run her parents' company before Jason came along and made her believe she didn't need to work. She had skills. She had knowledge and she was going to put it to good use.

She drove straight to a dealership store and sold her vehicle for enough money to rent a small apartment in a not-so-nice part of the city.

The apartment had one small room, a bathroom with a leaky faucet, and a kitchen the size of a closet, but she was grateful she had a place to retire to.

After cleaning the room, Emilia waved down a taxi as she headed straight to the house that was once hers.

“Oh look,” Mirabel said, leaning against the doorframe. “The beggar has returned.”

“I'm here for my belongings,” Emilia said, keeping her voice steady.

Mirabel's smile widened. “You mean these things?”

She stepped aside to reveal the living room. Emilia's favorite pictures of her parents were ripped to pieces on the floor, and her other belongings were tossed carelessly around.

Emilia's heart shattered into a thousand pieces as she saw the mess. Her eyes were bloody red, and her voice was ice cold as she spoke.

“You will regret this, Mirabel. I promise you that,” she said, gathering the torn picture.

Mirabel laughed. “And what are you going to do? You have nothing. You are nothing but our stepping stone.”

Emilia didn't respond as she fought back her tears, gathering her belongings.

Over the next few days, she spent hours at the public library, using their computers to update her résumé and apply for positions.

Her typing was fast, and her skills were strong. Despite everything Jason had stolen from her, he couldn't take away her knowledge.

Three days later, she got a call.

“Miss Anderson? This is the HR department at Cross Industries. We were very impressed with your résumé. Can you come in for an interview tomorrow morning?”

Cross Industries. Emilia had heard of them. They were one of the biggest companies in the country. If she could get a job there, she would have a real chance at rebuilding her life.

“Yes,” she said. “I'll be there,” she responded, a smile appearing on her face.

Emilia spent that night preparing. She practiced answers to interview questions. She researched the company's history, its projects, and its leadership.

The next morning, she arrived at Cross Industries headquarters at exactly 8:45 AM, fifteen minutes before her scheduled interview. The building was massive, all glass and steel, reaching up toward the clouds.

“Miss Chen,” the HR manager said after the interview, “we would like to offer you a position as an executive assistant. You would be working directly with our company's CEO. The pay is excellent, and there is plenty of room for advancement. Are you interested?”

Executive assistant to the CEO. This was even better than she had hoped.

“Yes,” Emilia said. “Absolutely yes.”

“Wonderful. You can start tomorrow. Report to the top floor at 9 AM. The CEO likes punctuality.”

Emilia floated home that evening, feeling on top of the world. For the first time since her world had collapsed, she felt something like hope. She had a job. A good job that could sustain her.

She barely slept that night. She was too excited and nervous at the same time.

The next morning, she arrived at Cross Industries at 8:30 AM. She took the elevator to the top floor. Her heart was pounding as the doors opened to reveal a sleek, modern office space.

A secretary looked up and smiled. “Miss Anderson? The CEO is waiting for you in his office. Through those doors.”

Emilia smoothed down her suit and walked toward the large door. She took a deep breath, put on her most professional smile, and pushed the door open.

Emilia felt her world still as she was the man behind the desk.

Gray eyes, dark hair, a sharp jaw, expensive suit. It was him.

Her one-night stands!