Chapter Two: Invisible
989 Words
Sophia Carter's POV
I barely slept. The resignation letter remained on my bedside table all night, as though it were daring me to change my mind. Three years. Three years condensed into a single sheet of paper. I reached for it before leaving my apartment.
The envelope felt heavier than it should have. Perhaps because it wasn't just a resignation. It was the end of a chapter I had spent years convincing myself would somehow have a happy ending.
---
By seven-thirty, I was back inside Blackwood Holdings. Nothing had changed.
Employees hurried through the lobby with coffee in one hand and laptops in the other. The receptionists greeted everyone with practiced smiles. The elevators chimed as executives came and went, each of them chasing another deal, another promotion, another impossible deadline.
The building was alive. And somehow… I had never felt more alone. I stepped onto the executive floor and immediately got to work. The board meeting files. The acquisition report. The revised itinerary.
Every document was exactly where Ethan would expect it. Old habits refused to die.
At precisely eight o'clock, the elevator doors opened. Ethan Blackwood walked out, accompanied by Oliver Grant, the company's Chief Financial Officer.
"...the Singapore investors have agreed to the revised figures," Oliver was saying.
"They'll want another concession."
"They already accepted the first one."
"They'll ask for a second."
Oliver sighed. "You always assume the worst."
"I prepare for it."
Their conversation ended the moment they reached the office.
"Good morning, Mr. Blackwood," I said.
Ethan gave a brief nod. "The Henderson report?"
"On your desk."
"The revised contracts?"
"Already sent to Legal."
"My afternoon schedule?"
"You have a conference call with the European partners at three, followed by dinner with the board."
He frowned slightly. "I thought I canceled dinner with my father."
"You did." I met his eyes for the briefest moment. "The Chairman changed it back."
Oliver chuckled. "I'd pay to watch someone tell Richard Blackwood no."
Ethan shot him a look. Oliver wisely cleared his throat.
"I'll be in Finance."
The moment he disappeared, silence settled between us. It wasn't uncomfortable. Not anymore. Silence had become the language Ethan and I spoke best.
"I'm heading into the board meeting," he said. "If anyone calls—"
"I'll handle it."
"As always."
He walked away. Three simple words. As always. I watched the office door close behind him. Somehow those words hurt more than if he had said nothing at all. Because that was exactly who I had become.
Someone who would always handle everything. Someone who would always stay. Someone he believed would never leave.
---
The morning became a blur. One crisis replaced another.
A supplier delayed an international shipment. A journalist requested an emergency interview. The legal department misplaced confidential documents. Before any of it reached Ethan's desk… I had already solved it.
Around noon, Richard Blackwood stepped out of the private elevator reserved exclusively for the chairman. Unlike his son, Richard never walked past people without acknowledging them.
"Good afternoon, Sophia."
I smiled politely. "Good afternoon, Chairman."
He studied me for a second. "You've lost weight."
I laughed softly. "I'm fine."
"You've been saying that for three years."
His words caught me off guard. Before I could respond, his gaze drifted to the untouched lunch sitting beside my keyboard.
"You still haven't eaten."
"I've been busy."
"Being busy isn't the same as taking care of yourself."
He shook his head with quiet disappointment. "I sometimes wonder if my son notices half the things you do for him."
The question lingered between us. Neither of us answered it. Because we both already knew.
Richard sighed. "Is Ethan inside?"
"He's with the board."
"I'll wait." As he turned toward the office, he paused. "Sophia."
"Yes, sir?"
"You deserve to be appreciated." For a moment… I almost told him.
The resignation letter resting inside my bag. The decision I had finally made. Instead, I simply smiled.
"Thank you."
---
By late afternoon, exhaustion had settled into my bones. I was reviewing tomorrow's itinerary when Isabella Monroe appeared at my desk once again.
She placed a luxury shopping bag on the counter.
"I need these delivered to Ethan's penthouse."
I looked inside. A tailored suit. A designer watch. Several gift boxes. I looked back at her.
"I'm afraid the courier department handles personal deliveries."
"This isn't personal." Her smile was perfectly practiced. "It's for tonight."
"I'll notify the driver."
She leaned closer. "You know..."
Her voice dropped almost to a whisper.
"Everyone assumes Ethan and I are inevitable." I remained silent. "His father approves." Still silent. "Our families have known each other for years."
She smiled again.
"I suppose you've realized that by now."
My fingers tightened around the folder in my hands. "I don't discuss Mr. Blackwood's personal life."
"No." She tilted her head. "You just dedicate yours to making his easier."
Without another word, she walked away. Leaving behind the faint scent of expensive perfume… And words that struck far deeper than she probably intended. Because she was right.
I had spent three years building someone else's future. While quietly forgetting to build my own.
---
That evening, the executive floor emptied once again. The city lights shimmered beyond the glass windows. I reached into my handbag.
The white envelope stared back at me. My resignation letter. No more waiting. No more excuses.
I stood from my desk. Walked toward Ethan's office. Raised my hand… And knocked.
"Come in." He didn't look up from the documents spread across his desk. "What is it?"
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. For the first time in three years… My heart wasn't racing because I loved him. It was racing because I was about to leave him. Without saying a word, I placed the white envelope on his desk.
Ethan's pen stopped moving. His eyes finally lifted to mine. Then slowly… He looked down at the envelope.
- Writer
