Chapter 7 - The Future They Never Saw Coming
I carried the folder home.
But I didn’t open it.
Not yet.
I wanted one day where the decision belonged only to me.
Not Gordon.
Not my family.
Not anyone else.
That evening, my father called.
I almost ignored it.
Almost.
“Claire.”
His voice sounded different.
“I want to talk.”
“About what?”
A pause.
“About how wrong I was.”
I sat quietly.
Because apologies from people who never apologized before are complicated.
“I thought your career was something temporary.”
I looked at the folder.
“It wasn’t.”
“No.”
His voice became softer.
“I see that now.”
I believed he saw something.
But whether he understood it was another question.
Then he asked:
“Will you tell me what’s inside?”
I looked at the sealed folder.
“No.”
Silence.
And for once…
May you like
I was the one setting the boundary.
📖 Chapter 8 reveals what happens when Gordon realizes Claire no longer needs his approval or permission. 👇
