Zara burst into the restroom, pulse racing, breathing rapidly. She stumbled toward the sink, her body shaking. She twisted the tap urgently and splashed the cold water onto her face over and over until she was breathless.
With a gasp, she finally raised her gaze to the mirror. Her eyes were red and glassy from tears, lips slightly parted as she struggled to breathe through the whirlwind of emotions.
The idea that her reward wasn't earned through her own talent but handed to her because of someone else's influence weighed on her chest, filling her with a mix of shame and humiliation.
Her fingers gripped the counter.
"Why, Nathaniel? Why did you make a decision for me? Don't you trust me and my talent?"
She wasn't a damsel in distress. She never had been. Ever since she was a child, she had fought her battles alone, chased her dreams, and carved out her own success. She hadn't relied on her father's support when she built her small company from the ground up.
