oom. Of course

he wasn't even looking a

y, leaving her standing in the middle of a house that wasn't h

oulders. She had done this for her family, for their future. But now, standing alone

s La

lass coffee table. She had spent the past few hours unpacking, trying to make he

His deep voice carried through the hallway. She wasn't eavesdropping,

s a hint of warmth there, the kind

had never hidden the fact that his heart belonged to someone else. He had made it clear that

t, his phone still pressed to his ear. He didn't even glance in h

red before ending the call an

listening to the quiet hu

him say it out loud, enforcing the rules between them

only their

hly brewed coffee lingers in the air as Anna takes a sip from her cup. She sat at the kitchen table, staring at her lap

g for things to magically change. She needs independence, something that isn't tied to this arrangement she's trapped in with Donald. Her

ly, her fingers moves. Sh

ike a routine. Her thoughts drift to Donald, how he might react if he knew she was looking f

application button for one more com

yes w

... w

king on her screen. Application received. Th

hroat. Her fingers tremble

o... This can'

been thinking. It had been pure reflex, muscle me

an she already was. But now, there it is, her resume sent off to a company she never planned on

me of her mistake could be, her phone rang. She

nswers, her vo

th?" The voice on the ot

nna," she says,

eceived your CV for our marketing internship position. We're impressed with your backgrou

ompany? Anna tho

Anna respo

woman at the ot

, staring at her phone, still trying to make sense of what j

ply there. She never wanted to be caught in the middle of this web, th

top open in front of her, but she isn'

o lost i

ay hangs over her-her unexpected job application, the call for an Interv

tly tap against

ith this? What if he finds

This is for me. He doesn't control what I do with my life. We

he uneas

aky breath, a sharp electronic

ody t

ing sends a shock through her, her

d is