The night I left Anthony, I thought the worst was over. I thought walking out of that house with my suitcase in hand was the hardest thing I’d ever have to do. But life, I was learning, had a way of testing if you truly meant the words you whispered to yourself in the dark.
Thomas had dropped me off at Gracie’s, and by morning, I was standing in her mirror, dressed in a borrowed blazer, hair pinned up tight. My hands were clammy, but my reflection looked like a woman clawing her way into a new beginning.
That morning, fate slipped a folded letter into my inbox. Harper & Leigh Publishing—a real chance. I had applied months ago in a moment of silent rebellion, and here was my reward: an invitation to interview.
The interview felt almost like a dream. The smell of books, the quiet hum of ambition in the air—it fit me like a second skin. I spoke clearly, passionately, like a woman who was ready to be more than someone’s wife. One of the panelists even smiled and told me I was “exactly the kind of voice they wanted.”
I left the building lighter, daring to believe. But my hopes were shattered by evening.
The phone call came just as Gracie was placing dinner on the table. The voice on the line was the same HR manager, but colder now, clinical. “We regret to inform you we won’t be moving forward with your application.”
The words felt like a door slamming in my face. “I don’t understand,” I stammered. “You said—”
“I’m sorry. Good luck with your future endeavors.”
The line went dead.
I stood frozen, the phone pressed to my ear. Gracie’s eyes searched mine. “What happened?”
“They rejected me,” I whispered. “But it doesn’t make sense—”
Before I could finish, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Anthony. My chest clenched. Against my better judgment, I answered.
“Kamilla.” His voice was low, smug, dripping with satisfaction. “Rough day?”
The silence stretched between us. I gripped the phone tighter. “What did you do?”
He chuckled. “Oh, come on. Don’t act surprised. Did you really think a little résumé and a desperate smile would get you anywhere? Harper & Leigh is practically family. One call, and suddenly, you’re not such a promising candidate after all.”
My stomach twisted into a cold knot. Rage flared against my throat, hot and choking. “You sabotaged me.”
“I protected you,” he corrected smoothly. “From embarrassing yourself. From pretending you could actually stand on your own without me.”
I swallowed hard, every nerve in me trembling, but my voice came out steady. “You can ruin interviews, Anthony. You can slam doors. But you can’t make me crawl back to you.”
There was a pause. Then a cruel laugh. “We’ll see. You’ve always been dramatic, Kamilla. You’ll come back. You always do.”
“No,” I said sharply, each word clipped like the snap of a blade. “Not this time. Not ever.” And I hung up before his poison could seep further into me.
The silence afterward was deafening. My hands shook as I lowered the phone. Gracie stepped closer, her eyes blazing. “He called them. He’s still pulling strings.”
“He thinks he owns me,” I murmured, my throat tight. “But he doesn’t. Not anymore.”
For the first time since I’d walked away, I wasn’t just angry. I was resolved. Anthony could strip opportunities from me, but he couldn’t strip my will. If one path was blocked, I would find another. If every door shut, I would build my own.
I looked up at Gracie, my jaw set. “He wants me weak. He wants me to be dependent...with him. That’s exactly why I won’t stop.”
She reached for my hand and squeezed hard. “Then we fight, Kamilla. Whatever it takes—we fight.”
I nodded, breathing through the fury burning in my chest. Anthony Foster wanted me broken, but all he had done was a reminder I had to push through with my plans. And if he thought one failed interview would send me crawling back, he had no idea who he was up against.
