[Waylen Company – Morning]
Adeline entered the office, the soft hum of computers and the occasional quiet murmur of conversation welcoming her. She felt awkward, but part of her enjoyed it. It was clean, efficient. Distant.
She walked past the reception desk, nodding briefly to a few familiar faces. People were whispering once more, but she didn't care. Not anymore.
The doors of the elevator slid open, and she entered, the soft ding announcing her presence on the top floor. Elias's office was only a few feet away.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
"Are you attending the meeting today?"—Nathan's message.
She didn't respond immediately, instead making her way toward the conference room. As she opened the door, she saw Elias seated at the head of the table, his expression as controlled as ever. But when his gaze met hers, something flickered. A hint of warmth. Or maybe it was just concern.
"Morning," she said, voice clipped but steady.
"Adeline," Elias acknowledged, a slight nod. "You're just in time."
She crept into the seat next to him, her eyes straight ahead as the meeting commenced.
[Later – Apartment Hunting]
By the time the meeting concluded, Adeline was finished with playing nice. The whispering. The glances. She didn't require any of that.
She picked up her belongings and went straight to the apartment for rent ads. She'd had enough of playing second fiddle to someone else, enough of expecting answers from individuals who only had lies.
The initial places she saw weren't right. Too small. Too distant. Too. not hers.
But then she walked into a small unit on the fourth floor of a quiet building near a park. The hardwood floors gleamed under the soft light from the windows. The kitchen was clean, modern. The living space was cozy, but big enough for her to breathe.
It felt like freedom.
She turned to the agent. "I'll take it."
[Evening – Back at Charlotte's Apartment]
She stood that night in Charlotte's doorway, the key to her new home in hand.
"Your leaving?" Charlotte asked, shaking. "Adeline, please—"
"I need to do this," she said gently. "I just can't continue to live here. It isn't good for either of us."
Tears filled Charlotte's eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
Adeline moved her head from side to side. "Don't say you're sorry, Char. Just let me move on.
Charlotte nodded, her lip shaking. "I understand. I do."
"Take care of yourself, okay?"
And with that, Adeline turned, towards the next stage of her life.