Despite the long hours and cutthroat competition, I found myself at peace. For the first time in decades, I was truly free—free from expectations, free from betrayal and free to define my own happiness.
I thought my life would continue this way, a steady climb of success uninterrupted by the past.
That was until I received an email from Brookside Business Association. The message was polite yet persistent, inviting me to return to England to support local enterprises through investment.
Brookside. A place I once vowed never to return to. Yet as the grievances of my past life replayed in my mind, I found myself boarding a plane back to my England.
"It's been five years," I murmured to myself, "let's see how much things changed."
***
The chairman of Brookside Business Association, Victor Stone, had organized a lavish welcome banquet to mark my return, inviting the city's prominent enterprises. After all, my investments were expected to breathe new life into Brookside's economy. Such a grand affair made sense.
But things didn't go smoothly. On the way to the hotel, the car sent to pick me up broke down unexpectedly. I stood by the roadside, the evening air heavy with the faint scent of rain-soaked pavement, trying to suppress my irritation. Time was running out. I hailed a taxi instead, brushing aside the driver's anxious apologies.
Just as I reached for the cab door, a speeding motorcycle swerved too close to the curb, splashing a wave of muddy water all over me. Cold, murky droplets soaked through my tailored dress, clinging to my skin and leaving unsightly streaks.
The driver paled. "Ms. Gray, I'm so sorry! This is entirely my fault—"
I raised a hand to stop his stammering. "It's fine," I said curtly, brushing off as much water as I could. "I'll change once we get to the banquet. No need to panic."
When we finally arrived at the hotel, I stepped out of the cab, my dress stained and damp. A liaison, a young man with sharp features and a nervous demeanor, was already waiting at the entrance. Spotting me, his eyes widened in alarm before he composed himself.
"Ms. Gray, welcome. My deepest apologies—I'm Ethan and I've been informed about the mishap. I've arranged for a gown to be sent to the lounge upstairs for you. The chairman will arrive shortly, but please allow me to take you inside first."