Chapter 10 - Shadows in the Rearview Mirror
Three days after the gala, I was working late in my corner office. The rest of the building had quieted down, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the distant glow of the city lights reflecting off the harbor waters.
My phone buzzed on the corner of my desk.
An unknown local number. I almost ignored it, assuming it was another routine press inquiry, but something prompted me to swipe and answer.
"Hello?" I said.
A heavy, ragged sigh echoed on the other end of the line. For a few seconds, there was only static and the sound of distant traffic.
"Clara?" a broken, exhausted voice whispered.
It was Nathan.
I didn't speak. I simply leaned back in my leather chair, letting the silence stretch out between us.
"I heard about the municipal contract," Nathan said, his voice sounding hollow, defeated, and utterly aged beyond his years. "Everyone in the district is talking about Vance Global. They say... they say you're acquiring the old warehouse district next."
"Is there a professional reason for this call, Mr. Carter?" I asked, my tone completely devoid of warmth or malice.
"No," he whispered, coughing softly. "I'm staying at a cheap motel off the interstate now. I lost the townhome. I lost the cars. The federal prosecutors are still reviewing my case, and my attorneys dropped me last week because I couldn't pay their retainer. I... I just wanted to know if there was any way we could talk. As friends. Remember when we used to dream about this city? Remember when we had nothing, and we were happy?"
I looked down at the gleaming bronze plaque on my desk, then out at the magnificent skyline my own unencumbered labor had helped secure.
"We never had the same dream, Nathan," I said softly. "You dreamed of building an empire on top of other people's sacrifices, while I dreamed of building a life built on truth."
"Clara, please... I'm begging you. Just give me a second chance. I'll do anything. I'll work for you. I'll be your assistant, your driver, anything—"
"There are no second chances left, Nathan," I interrupted calmly. "You made your choice the night you told me you wished I wasn't your wife. Live with it."
"Please don't hang up—"
Click.
May you like
I ended the call, turned off my cell phone entirely, and dropped it into my leather briefcase.
Standing up, I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the vibrant, bustling streets of Charleston below. The city belonged to the future now, and my future was entirely my own. I didn't look back, and I didn't need to. The masterpiece I had built was unbreakable, and this time, the foundation was made of solid, enduring rock.
