The storm outside had been relentless all morning, lightning slicing across the sky like a warning written in flame, but I didn’t flinch as I fastened my earrings and adjusted my collar.
I was wearing ivory no longer the white of innocence or surrender, but a richer shade, the kind queens wore when they wanted to remind people they were soft but never weak.
In my reflection, I saw no trace of the woman who once begged to be seen by a man who only ever looked at me when I bled to keep him comfortable.
Today was not about him.
Today was mine.
Downstairs, the company’s top floor had been transformed into a sleek presentation space, every chair filled with board members, journalists, sponsors, and eyes waiting to see if the girl with the scandal would finally crack.
But I had no intentio
