For the following two days, Estel did not leave the house and instead dove headfirst into her mind to figure out who she was and where she was heading. Though she was physically and psychologically spent by Sunday evening, she was generally pleased with her findings. No longer did she feel the need to berate herself professionally. In general, she was pleased with her output. This was something she'd always done. She felt no desire to explore other avenues, but rather a renewed commitment to excel at what she was currently doing. In a twist of fate, Michael should be credited with expanding the scope of that achievement's viability. He, not Peter, had been successful in convincing her of the value of literature outside of the genres she had previously regarded acceptable for publishing. She even found herself smiling as she thought back on her prudish past, wondering how she had ever thought she was qualified to be the last judge of everyone's appropriateness. Each book has a unique

Now, she focused on her work to dull the ache of disappointment that had settled in her chest, and she forced herself to ignore the dissatisfaction she felt at the words she read that weren't Michael's. She had finally found some peace when Henrick burst into her office. His craggy face lit up with excitement. He yelled, "Damn it, Estel, you've done it!" as he yanked her from her seat and gave her a bear hug. Estel was taken aback by Henrick's outburst of emotion, and she leaned away from him to cast a suspicious glance in his direction. "Have you been drinking?" she snapped at him. "Hell, no, I've been reading!" Henrick answered, unfazed by her dismissive demeanor. "And I've been talking to Michael." He ignored her puzzled look and sent her on her way so she could pace excitedly around the office. "I never thought he would come up with something like this," Henrick said with a laugh and a tone of disbelief. "I mean, I knew he could!" He continued his conversation with himself as th

She had caught him several times looking at her plight with a stoic delight, which had the effect of making her feel sick. As she saw him lean down to kiss his current admirer quickly, she thought bitterly that Michael was proving to be a master at torturing people in every way possible. Every single thing that he said to her was intended to be hurtful, and every single glance that he gave her was scornful. He was wringing his pound of flesh out of her with a seeming lack of effort, and Estel had not yet mustered the willpower to deny him the gratification he was seeking. In due course, she will. She came to the awareness that despite the cloud of misery she was moving through these days, she acquired hope as a result of the revelation. It was the only thing that had allowed her to make it through this incapacitating event. She could not have done it without it. But she was not at that place yet, and she glanced down at her watch with depressing melancholy to see that it would be at l

It didn't take long for him to answer. "Everything you say is true, Estel," he said, without Estel being able to detect any softening in his tone. "But that doesn't change the fact that the child was mine." Since it was evident that you did not want it, you should have had the courtesy to inform me about it so I could take it and bring it up on my own. "And how was I to know that, Michael?" Estel said as she turned to see his rigid and uncompromising face. Her eyes glowed with the anguish and rage she felt."I didn't know you," she said with self-righteous indignation. "I'm sorry." And I didn't care for the parts of you I knew about. How exactly was I supposed to know that you wouldn't laugh in my face when you ultimately failed to live up to your responsibilities?" The response from Michael was softly implacable; he said, "All you had to do was ask," but you didn't. You just hurried to a doctor, and—" He cut herself off, the ferocity that lurked just beyond the surface of his civiliz

Estel was sitting in the aircraft seat next to Michael. She had her hands neatly folded in her lap and looked intently at the dazzling brightness of a large diamond nestled against the simple gold of a wedding band. Even though anyone who cared to look could verify her marital status, she did not have the mindset of a married person. She felt isolated, empty, and intimidated by the magnitude of the challenge ahead of me. She couldn't help but let out a small sigh as she tilted her head to gaze out the window at the beautiful sky and white clouds. Their unspoiled splendor inspired her to struggle against the melancholy threatening to consume her, even though this wouldn't be useful to her in the conflict she was engaged in. She longed for Michael to engage in some sort of conversation with her, even if it were just a superficial small chat. Because of this, there is a greater chance that they will start to interact with one another on a more intimate level than the monosyllabic requi