The days after everything fell apart were unbearable. I still woke up early and made Adrian’s coffee and breakfast. That morning he walked into the kitchen and paused.
“You’re up early again,” he said.
“So are you,” I replied, sliding the plate toward him. “Busy day ahead?”
“Always.” He took a sip of coffee. “You’ve been quiet lately. Is everything okay?”
I forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
He didn’t push. He finished his coffee and said, “Don’t skip lunch,” before leaving.
At Harrison Group, things got worse. During a strategy meeting, Sophia smiled sweetly and said, “Evelyn’s framework is conservative, which is smart, but Adrian and I discussed a bolder direction yesterday. The projections could be much stronger.”
Michael Reed nodded. “Good point, Sophia. Let’s go with that.”
I forced
