For the first time in nearly eight years, Nora stepped into her office and felt like a stranger.
The heavy stench of perfume in the air nearly made her gag, yet Damien looked utterly intoxicated by it.
Funny—he used to complain when she added even a hint of fabric softener to his laundry, saying the scent was “too much.”
Hadley tugged Nora’s hand with a practiced pout. “Nora, my fans are obsessed with the girlboss aesthetic lately. I’m kinda have to work here and borrow your office for a while. You… won’t be mad, right?”
Damien scratched his nose and added lightly, “Hadley’s a top influencer now—over a million followers. Don’t be stingy, Nora. Support her brand a little.”
Stingy?
Had she ever asked for anything from Hadley to be called that?
“We can always carve out a desk for you in the secretary pool,” Damien offered casually. Like she was some intern, not the company’s executive director.
Hadley could have rented her own high-end office space—but instead, she claimed Nora’s. And he let her.
All these years building this company with him, Nora had taken barely more than an employee’s paycheck. She never asked for equity. Never claimed her share of the dividends.
And now? Not even the office she loved was hers to keep.
Hadley blinked innocently, her voice soft and sweet. “Can I have it just for a few days? I couldn’t find any place better than your office.”
Nora pulled her hand away and forced a smile. “Use it as long as you want.”
It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t be needing it much longer anyway.
Hadley squealed in delight. “You’re right, Damien! Nora really let me have it!”
She never acted like Damien’s sister-in-law. And Damien never allowed Nora to call him “honey” outside the house.
He once said, “People might think it’s unprofessional for a married couple to work together.”
So Nora complied. She avoided him in public, tiptoed around appearances—just like he wanted.
Which was why most people didn’t even know they’d been married for years.
To the outside world, Damien was still the perfect, eligible bachelor.
Now, he looked at Hadley like she hung the stars. “Of course she did. It’s because you’re so radiant, it’s hard to turn down your request, Hadley.”
Nora remembered the day she came back to the Bishop Family. Hadley had smashed everything within reach, screamed at her to leave.
Her parents just looked at Nora with disappointment, telling her to be patient with her sister… be more understanding since she’s the older one.
Later, Hadley learned to fake sweetness. A few sugary words, a flutter of lashes—and the whole house adored her.
Then they started saying Nora’s too stiff and tell he to be more like Hadley.
But no matter what Nora did, she never seemed to be enough.
Hadley just had to stand there and everyone would praise her—telling how beautiful, radiant and perfect she was.
And Damien was always the first in line.
“This room is too cold and sterile,” Hadley announced. “We need color. Fresh flowers, bright ones!”
Damien nodded. “Great idea. The sunroom’s overflowing with them anyway. Just bring them in from the house.”
They walked out side by side, leaving Nora alone in what used to be her office.
She took a step and hissed in pain—glass shards had pierced through her shoes. Blood soaked into the carpet with every step.
A single tear slipped down her cheek, vanishing into the fibers below.
She began cleaning. Quiet, methodical, like peeling herself away from a life she no longer belonged to.
She deleted the photo of her and Damien from her desktop background.
Tossed out his favorite tea she used to stock just for him.
Removed the neatly ironed dress shirts she always kept in the cabinet in case he needed a change.
And finally, the photo frame on her desk—flipped face-down since that morning. Their wedding photo.
Her assistant came in just as she finished packing the last box, stunned at the contents. “Miss Bishop… you’re throwing all this away?”
Nora’s foot throbbed with every heartbeat. But she barely felt it anymore.
She gave a tired nod. “Don’t tell Mr. Penn. Just throw it out. As far away as possible.”
