Chapter 13 - THE LIFE I BUILT WITHOUT HIM
A year later, my life looked nothing like the one I'd lost.
The divorce was finalized.
The business disputes had been resolved through a combination of legal proceedings and negotiated agreements.
Ryan no longer controlled the company we'd built together.
I retained ownership of the design practice and rebranded it as Bennett Studio.
Several employees chose to stay.
So did most of our clients.
I worked hard.
But differently.
I left the office at five whenever possible.
I took weekends off.
I hired people I trusted.
And I stopped believing exhaustion was proof of success.
Sophie turned one on a sunny Saturday in June.
Maya decorated the backyard with yellow balloons.
Natalie brought a cake.
Our employees arrived with gifts.
Sophie wore a little white dress and tried to eat the ribbon on her birthday present.
Everyone laughed.
I watched her sitting in the grass.
Healthy.
Happy.
Alive.
And I remembered the hospital.
The machines.
The fear.
I pressed a hand against my chest.
Maya appeared beside me.
"You're crying."
I laughed.
"Happy tears."
She smiled.
"You deserve them."
I looked around.
The people who had stayed.
The family who had helped me.
The life I'd rebuilt.
May you like
For the first time, I realized I wasn't waiting for Ryan to understand what he'd lost.
I was too busy appreciating what I'd found.
