By Thursday afternoon, the air in my office felt heavier than usual. The hum of the city outside, the faint tick of the clock, the soft buzz of the fluorescent lights — all of it grated against my nerves. Every decision, every approval, every adjustment made in the last week carried his fingerprints. Budgets balanced themselves. Vendors responded faster than usual. Emails were rewritten before I could hit send, as if someone were editing my tone for me.
No one said his name, but everyone in my company could feel it — the presence of someone unseen, someone quietly pulling the strings.I tried to focus on the spreadsheet glowing on my monitor, but the numbers blurred. I was supposed to be in control. That was the whole point.
Instead, I was watching my own business move like a marionette.
