Chapter 53

Iwalked in the door after taking Sloane to school. Not wanting to be cooped up in the apartment all day, I thought I would do a little shopping on my way back home.

It was the little things like picking up my dry cleaning or going to the market that I actually found refreshing. I was used to being so busy all the time that I had services do that for me. When I got to do it on my own, it made me feel just a little independent, like I could take care of myself. Refusing to take my father's money, A few changes might be necessary. It was a good idea to learn how to do without some of the perks I was used to.

I put away the groceries and hung up the dry cleaning. Then it was time to look for a job. I hoped there would be something perfect waiting for me when I opened the job search site. Although my first task was to check my email and hope to find at least one reply to the resumes I sent out yesterday. To my surprise, there was more than I had anticipated, each one a little glimmer of hope that things were going to be okay.

Working for Graham had given me a newfound confidence in my abilities. I had proven myself capable of handling the demands of marketing and realized I really liked it. For the first time, I felt truly validated. I was a good worker. It felt even better to be liberated from the constraints of my father's demands and the impossibility of working at his company.

I responded to each email, arranging interviews and meetings with potential employers. The idea of starting a new job filled me with excitement and fear. After sending off replies, I did the thing I knew was probably going to stress me out.

I checked the account with my inheritance given to me by my father. He had made me a partial owner of his company back when I was eighteen. My share of the earnings were regularly deposited into the account that had been opened with my father back then. I rarely checked the thing, but something told me I should. It was money I had earned over the years and had nothing to do with any future inheritance.

"Wow," I murmured when I saw the account had been reduced to a few thousand dollars.

He really did it. My father had drained the account, taking back my salary and my modest share of the profits. All my work and all the late hours, all the takeout and missed swim meets, all the abuse and criticism, and now, I hadn't even been paid for it.

It was like he had erased my whole existence from his life and business with just a few clicks of a mouse. The shock of it made my heart pound and my stomach churn. Though I had my own savings, they would only last for so long.

Despite this blow, I refused to let him break me. He might have taken away my financial safety blanket, but there was no way he could take away the strength I had found in myself. The very thought of it ignited a fire within me.

Sitting straighter in my chair, I closed down the bank website and returned to the job search page. This time, I didn't just look for job openings. I looked for companies, individuals, and industries I wanted to be part of. I wanted to take control, to pick my own future rather than be handed one.

With a newfound resolve, I opened up a blank document and began drafting personalized cover letters for each potential employer. Each one was meticulously written and tailored to the specific requirements of the job. Working with Graham proved this old dog was capable of learning new tricks.

I wanted to find a job I loved. I would get good at it once I decided what made me happy. I knew I was unlikely to make a lot of money right out of the gate, which meant I was going to have to rely on what my mother had left me. That meant I would need to make a budget and consider cutting out a few nonessentials.

After doing all I could on the job search, I went to the kitchen to do something I had not done in a long time—meal planning. There was no reason we needed to drop fifty bucks on takeout a few times a week if I was at home. I could cook dinner.

And maybe Sloane would finally stop busting my chops about cooking.

As I searched through my recipe file, I found myself actually smiling. I was kind of enjoying the challenge of not being super wealthy. It would be a good lesson for Sloane as well. She grew up the way I did—spoiled and pampered. This was a chance for us both to learn to be a little less dependent on money.

While I was jotting down the meals I wanted to cook for the week, Graham texted.

I sighed, debating if I was ready to talk to him. Ultimately I decided I would. After a couple of back and forth messages, I agreed to meet him for lunch. It was time to move on. I didn't know if I would ever trust him again or let him back into my life romantically, but he was Sloane's father. She was observant and picked up pretty quickly there had been a rift between Graham and me. I didn't want her to think I was angry with him. My feelings for Graham should have zero impact on the father-daughter relationship.

I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, and my heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Graham again. I didn't want to miss him, but I did. I had become so used to seeing him and cuddling with him. This lunch would be more than eating an expensive salad. It would be a crucial step in navigating our new relationship. I knew I needed to be able to move past the hurt and betrayal for Sloane's sake.

Graham was waiting for me at a table near the window. His presence filled me with a jumble of conflicting emotions. Seeing him made my heart skip a beat as it always did. He looked as handsome as ever. His sharp suit, the way he ruffled his hair when he was deep in thought. It was familiar and painfully nostalgic. No matter how much I wanted to hate him, he still held a piece of my heart.

"Hello," I greeted him as nonchalantly as possible, sliding into the seat opposite his.

"Hey." He looked up at me, his eyes holding an unspoken apology in their depths. He looked tired. I felt the same way.

We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of our past conversation hanging heavy in the air between us.

"I'm sorry for the things I said," he started. "I have no right to be mad at you. I take full responsibility for my actions. What I did was cowardly and selfish. I can only promise I will never lie to you from this day forward."

"I'm sorry too," I said quietly. "I shouldn't have lashed out like that. I couldn't possibly understand what you were facing back then. Your life wasn't easy. You had no idea about Sloane. You couldn't have. My father knew. He's the one to blame for this."

Graham reached across the table, his hand hovering over mine for a moment before retreating. "It's okay," he said. "I understand why you're upset. I just want you to know that I'll do whatever it takes to earn back your trust."

I sighed. His words settled over me like a heavy blanket. Trust was a fragile thing, easily broken but difficult to mend. I wanted to believe him, to believe that we could move on together, but a part of me couldn't help but wonder if things would ever be the same between us again.

"I don't want to work for you," I blurted out. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I understand."

"I am actively looking for a new job," I told him. "I would appreciate a good reference."

"Of course." He nodded. "Any company that gets you on their team is very, very lucky. In fact, you don't have to work for me, but you could come back to the company in a different capacity?—"

"No." I shook my head. "I need to do this on my own."

Graham smiled. "You're going to find something," he said. "You're smart, talented, capable. I miss having you at work, but I know you'll do great things, wherever you end up. I have no doubt about that."

"Thank you," I said sincerely, meeting his gaze. "For everything. For hiring me, for believing in me. For being so good to our daughter. It means more than you know."

Our conversation flowed more easily after that. The initial tension dispersed as we discussed Sloane and Todd, who he kept calling the Toddster for some reason. We found ourselves laughing together like we used to. It was easy to be around him. He had a way of making me feel relaxed and generally happy.

Graham insisted on paying for lunch. "I still have a job," he said with a slight smile as I protested. "It's on me."

I shot him a playful glare and stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed hard, seeming surprised. After all the tension, it was a relief to cut loose together. Despite the pain and betrayal of the past, there was still a chance for redemption, for healing.

I had missed him so much. It had only been a couple of days, but the chasm between us had left me feeling very alone.

We walked out of the restaurant together. His driver was waiting with the car. "Thank you for talking with me," he said. "I feel like I can breathe again."

"Thanks for giving me a few days to work through things," I replied. "I know it wasn't easy."

"It was torture." He touched my upper arm and leaned in to kiss my cheek.

I hated how easily my body responded to him, not giving a single hoot about the anger and resentment I felt toward him. My kitty was purring. "I'll text you later."

He smiled. "You better."

He got in the car and held up his hand as they pulled away. Walking back to my car, I couldn't shake the lingering sensation of his lips against my skin. His touch had awakened something within me. As much as I wanted to stay angry with him, he still had me under his spell.

Graham had made some serious mistakes, but I had to wonder if the punishment I was doling out might be too harsh for the crime. We were both guilty of hiding things and not talking to each other when we should have.

Driving home, my thoughts were consumed by him. Our conversation replayed itself in my head over and over again. Despite my resolve to keep my heart protected, his support and encouragement had softened me, melting away some of the icy walls I had built.

My father's cruelty had caused all this. He had forced Graham to leave in a way that was sure to gut me. That way, I wouldn't want to contact Graham ever again.

To the old man's credit, it had worked for fourteen years.

Now those chickens had come home to roost. The truth was out in the open, and I could never forgive him. My father was supposed to be the stable pillar in my life, the one to guide me away from harm. Instead, he had masterminded a hurtful scheme that shattered lives and relationships. He was supposed to be the protector but ended up being the destructor.

When I got home, I sat down at my desk, feeling more hopeful than I had before. It was time to go back over the budget. When I looked at the finished spreadsheets, I cringed and shook my head.

I was dropping crazy money every month on stuff I really didn't need. The apartment didn't need fresh flowers every three days. I could pick up my own groceries instead of having them delivered. And the takeout bill was a real eye-opener. No wonder Sloane kept razzing me about it.

I never really paid attention to my finances before, but I had been awfully loose with the purse strings. We could tighten things up and barely notice it.

Change was scary but it would be a good thing this time. I would learn to stand on my own two feet, and if Graham came along for the ride, I would have everything I needed.