The spring brought new growth. The trees along the waterfront turned green. The tourists came back. The ferries ran later. My company signed two new contracts and hired three new engineers.
I had finally stopped looking over my shoulder. The lawsuit was settled. The reputation was restored. The future was mine to build.
But I hadn't forgotten what it felt like to be on the outside. The cold, the uncertainty, the anger. I kept those feelings close. They reminded me why I had fought.
One afternoon, I got a call from a reporter at a trade publication. She wanted to write a profile of my company. She wanted to talk about the Tianqiong case. She wanted to know if I had any regrets.
"Regrets about what?"
"About leaving. About the lawsuit. About everything."
I thought about it. I thought ab
