Chapter 221
~ Hailey ~
I sat in my new office, staring at the glow of my computer screen, trying to make sense of the mountain of emails and project files that had accumulated during my absence. Subject lines blurred together — status updates, meeting requests, revised timelines, passive-aggressive CCs. The kind of chaos I’d normally dive into with satisfaction.
But today, it felt distant. Muted.
The office itself still felt unreal. Four solid walls. A door I could close. Frosted glass with my name etched neatly on a placard outside. Senior Project Manager. This was the goal I’d worked toward for years — late nights, swallowed pride, endless proving of myself.
And yet, sitting here now, the achievement felt strangely hollow. Like I was occupying someone else’s life. Someone else’s fut
