The first week after the engagement ended was the hardest. I had expected to feel relieved, and I did, but relief came in waves, interspersed with moments of grief so sharp I couldn't breathe. I grieved the future I had imagined. I grieved the version of Grayson I had loved, the one who had made me laugh and held my hand and told me I was the best thing that had ever happened to him. I knew now that version had been a performance, but knowing that didn't make the loss any less real.
I threw myself into work. I took on extra projects, stayed late at the office, and volunteered for a client trip that took me out of town for three days. It helped, a little. When I was busy, I didn't have time to think about the empty space in my house.
The Ashford family didn't contact me directly, not at f
