Ainsley's plan had been working perfectly. It may have been contrived, but helping her coworkers wasn't unusual for her. The best part was Henry didn't notice what she was doing, but Catrina did.

When she received the email about meeting with Eric, it surprised her. Catrina hadn't said it would be right away. She planned to see Ian after he returned from climbing; she missed him. Her friends would laugh at her if she admitted it to them.

Her intent was to leave as soon as Henry walked away, but he was slow to shut down. She was jotting down some sales figures when Henry appeared next to desk.

"Goodnight." She waved without looking up.

"Did you get an email?"

"Uh huh."

"No hurt feelings right?" She looked up to see his grin.

"Same goes for you when she picks me." Ainsley lifted her chin.

"You are so dedicated, but I have the experience."

"Because I have been twiddling my thumbs the last decade. You are so cocky."

"If you say so, but Eric is a director and I have a friend who's a director too. He's related to the Sumners. He'll put a word in for me."

"Related to the Sumners, you say? I'm related to the Sumners." She bit her tongue.

"Haha. Funny. You make things up. I'm all set thanks to Ian."

"Ian?"

"Yup, director of IT. Don't worry. I'll be a great boss."

"Ian?" She looked at Henry's smiling face. "Bastard! You and your director," she spat. "Both of you can go to hell."

"Relax. Who knew you were a poor loser? Later. I'm off to my gym."

Ainsley sat frozen as she comprehended what he said. Ian. Her Ian was helping the jerk. Her Ian and Henry. Friends. How could that be?

When the first tear leaked, she had to get out. Ainsley ordered an Uber. She couldn't sit on the train crying. As she watched the city go by, a question formed. Why didn't he tell her? He should have told her when they met. I know your coworker. How hard was that? She would have told him how much of a jerk Henry was and make him choose. But he f'ing chose, and it wasn't her. He wasn't on her team, because he was helping Henry.

How stupid am I?

She didn't breathe until she was safe inside her apartment. Her apartment. She loved her apartment. She loved having the bastard in her apartment. How could she love it with a traitor on the second floor? She let her mother meet him. Her mother, who hates everyone, liked him. Carolyn Douglas liked the bastard. How could she tell her mother?

She jumped when the knocking started, but she hugged her legs and covered her ears to block out his lies. All lies. The voice that whispered in her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut. Lies all lies.

Stupid, she was so stupid. All her friends liked him. He was their friend, and she met his family. As the knocking stopped, her tears broke free. Her chest constricted, and she gasped for air. Humiliation. How could she face anyone ever again?

There was no way she was going to roll over and let the jerk take her job. Ainsley worked so hard to be recognized. She would impress Catrina and Eric. Then she would find a new apartment. If the ass took her job, she would move to Alaska.

With a plan for her future, she set her alarm, took nighttime cold medicine, and fell onto her bed. A musky scent invaded her space. She threw the extra pillows on the floor. The offending scent had the power to break her.

Damn him. They were never permanent, but she wanted them to end as friends. She could never be his friend. Not friends. Never. In the middle of the night, she ended it with a text.

She had forced herself to go to work the morning after her humiliation. It would have been so easy to take a sick day and cry. Instead, she spent the day glued to her computer, except when she appeared at Rhys' office door.

"What's wrong?"

It took time to get the story out between the tears.

"I can't believe he did that."

"Don't tell anyone."

Rhys tilted her chin and gently dabbed her eyes. "Seriously!"

"Fine Terry."

"And Lilli. She needs to know."

"Just Lilli. No Zach. He'll tell JJ and no! Just no Zach." Zach loved Gilly.

After a tight hug, she left her friend. She trusted him not to betray her. Even the jerk took a quick lunch.

The noise wouldn't stop. "Stop!" She yelled. She was trapped in a box and the music wouldn't stop. The light. Ainsley opened her eyes and reached over to slap the dismiss on her phone. She moaned. Her head hurt. Her interview. Thump! She jumped out of bed. Shower. Dress. She needed to look professional and put together. A latte. She deserved a latte.

When Ainsley Douglas walked into the Roche-Sumner building, she looked like a winner. A soundtrack of Kelly Clarkson's 'Stronger' played in her head. 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Stand a little taller. Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone. What doesn't kill you makes a fighter.'

Work was the only way she could concentrate. Thankfully, her interview was in the morning. Henry left with a thumbs up and a wink. She wanted to flip him the finger, but turned her back. Ignore. 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'

Fifteen minutes later, Henry appeared smiling. "Your turn."

Slowly letting out a deep breath, she held her head high. 'What doesn't kill you makes a fighter.'

At the director's office, his assistant said, "Go on in."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Eric looked up from his laptop and smiled. She sat and crossed her ankles. Her mother would be proud.

"I was looking at your resume. Eleven years. That's commitment."

She smiled. "I love working here. Promotions is a great team."

He nodded and asked her simple questions about being a team player and the keys to successfully promoting a book. She waited for the tough questions but they never came. She commented on his children. His family was beautiful.

By keeping her head down and using hyper focus, she made it through the day. At lunch, she sat at her desk and perused her dating app. Men she might have been interested in before just didn't measure up. Reluctantly out of spite she swiped on a few. The second the clock hit five, she left even before Henry, her future boss. What was the job market like in Anchorage?

Gunther greeted her as she ignored the silence. She cursed him and she found a can of soup in her near empty cupboard. All the food was in his apartment.

Lilli called her to check up on her. "I'm coming over."

"No. I want to be alone." Forever.

"This is when I hate we aren't roomies. I would just be there for you. How was your interview?"

"Fine, but I'm not friends with an f'ing director."

"Call your brother-in-law or Oliver or Kenneth."

"I am not asking for help and do not do it for me! Besides, they would never agree to fire the bastard."

"The guy's an amoeba. You don't need to fire him. You need to get the job."

"I meant the other bastard." But he did his job too well.

"No. They wouldn't." Lilli's voice deflated.

"You can't tell Zach. He'll be team Gilly." Her voice mocked. "Maybe Carolyn will never find out. I'll tell her when I get to Anchorage."

"You are not moving to Alaska." She ignored the unread text messages and searched for jobs. "I could do market research or work in an oil field. Plenty of men, but they're all bastards."

"You sound like your old dates. You don't hate men. Remember they are steamy, creamy."

"Stop! Lill, I can handle a lot. I went to work after the biggest humiliation of my life, but I can't think about sex!" It was like no other experience. There was an element of friendship and caring. "I'm back on the app. Hopefully, I'll have a date this weekend."

"Honey, you are strong, but it's okay to fall apart. I'll come over this weekend. We'll have a movie marathon."

"No, Lilli. Stay with your husband."

"Don't shut us out. Drinks after work?"

"I have to go." 'Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.'

Work. How could she keep going back? 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'

Ainsley had made it through two days. She just needed to find a job in Alaska and get a new phone number, because he kept texting. She let the tears fall. Maybe she would be stronger in the morning.

Poor Ainse ⭐️⭐️⭐️