The next day at the office, I walked in to a big surprise. My colleagues and manager were all waiting for me. As I opened the auditorium door, they shouted and laughed. It was filled with cheers and congratulations. We popped open champagne and toasted to my big news. I thanked everyone and announced my retirement. They seemed sad but were happy for me too. One person shouted, You deserve this! and the applause filled the room.
Weeks later, I started my own newspaper company called Beyond Silence. In just two weeks, I made $50 million. I felt like I was really on my way. I even got into real estate, hotels, and restaurants. Everything I touched was turning to gold, and the money kept coming.
To celebrate, I treated myself to a new car and a nice house. I also helped out some neighbors who had been there for me in tough times. Gabriel was proud of what I was doing, and I couldn't have gotten this far without his help.
We decided to hit a club to celebrate with three close friends. The place was alive with loud music and flashing lights. It felt exciting. Gabriel bought us drinks and we danced all night. That's when I met Kate. She was fun and charming, and she liked Gabriel and me right away. We invited her to join us, and she fit in perfectly.
As the night went on, I noticed someone from my past. It was Alexander. When our eyes met, I felt my heart race. He looked surprised too. It stirred up a lot of feelings.
Some ghosts just don't fade away.
Alexander showed up and made everything feel heavy. The energy just sank. I leaned over to Gabriel and whispered that we should go. He nodded right away. But then Alexander wanted to talk to me. Gabriel stepped aside, but I thought he'd apologize.
Instead, Alexander said I ruined his life and begged me to make it right.
I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Make it right? I've got better things to do, Alexander." I tried to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist.
Before I could react, Gabriel stood between us. He was like a wall, calm but firm. Alexander hesitated and let go.
I was angry with myself for ever knowing him, for letting him hurt me. I had been working hard to heal, and here he was dragging me back into that pain. My fists clenched, and I felt a strong urge for revenge, not just for me, but for the other women he hurt.
Gabriel and my friends tried to comfort me. But when we got home, Gabriel cut off my words with a kiss. "Whatever happened with him is over." He said. "I don't want to see you hurt again."
Later that night, I drove to Kate's place on Fourth Avenue. When I got there, she was standing outside with a suitcase. I heard her boyfriend's door slam behind her.
She was wiping away tears. "That jerk threw me out like I didn't matter."
I unlocked my car. "Get in."
She did. For a bit, she just sat there, trying to catch her breath and calm down. "I hate him," she said softly. "I hate all of them."
I looked at her and saw my own anger mirrored back at me. The same feelings of helplessness and quiet rage I had buried for too long.
I took a deep breath. "How about we get some revenge on men?"
She turned to me, fresh tears in her eyes but something new burning inside her. "I want to toss that jerk out of my life. I want him to feel tiny, just like he made me feel."
I smiled. Perfect. Let's start there.