Analise’s POV


    <spanng="EN">I read the text again, and it made me even angrier. I know exactly what Roger was nning to do. He wanted me to sign over my designs to him. Another reminder that hispany was being carried on my back. It was frustrating that he still thought I was so in love with him that I would give him everything. I might have before, but I had realized something in thest week. I didn’t love Roger as much as I thought I did. He was attractive and eptable to me as a husband.


    <spanng="EN">The harder revtion had been that I had truly loved Holden. To the point where I could have forgiven him anything, until I realized that I did have a bottom line. He didn’t just step across it; he obliterated it. I knew after that, it would be hard to fall in love again. What he did to me hurt much more than what I felt about Roger. It still hurts me to this day. I thought Roger respected and appreciated me. It was why I was willing to marry him and help him soar, as long as he was faithful to me. I was so na?ve. I should have known better than to trust him, especially when he kept allowing his best friends to be so derogatory towards me. I won’t be fooled again.


    <spanng="EN">I had heard his mother and him discussing what needed to be done as they discussed their ns in my living room. I knew exactly what was going to happen. I’m quite sure that he will try toe looking for me on Sunday. He’s flying back on Saturday, and I’m sure he’s going to go to the office to see what the letters say. I already printed off the paperwork I needed to verify how many units were made earlier this morning.


    <spanng="EN">They breached the contract and continued to make my designs. That was something he knew better than, and there was no glossing over it. I intended to ensure that each of those pieces was either paid for or melted back down after the stones were removed. I wasn’t going to fall for anything. I had asked my attorney,


    <spanng="EN">Rodney, to clear some of his day to help me.


    <spanng="EN">I told him what they were up to, and he was infuriated by their actions. I’m not stepping back into thatpany alone. Mr. Briggs will be with me, and I’m going to have him go over Roger’s new contract. I’m going to act outraged by what Roger was nning to do to me. But I won’t be signing anything. I also won’t be telling him that we’re done. I’ll cry, ask for space to think, then ghost him. I paid a great deal of money to investigate Sasha Elliott. I know more about her than he does. I even sent the investigator to Paris with them, and I’m d I did.


    <spanng="EN">Sasha has Roger so wrapped around her finger that she was bold enough to go out with her ex–boyfriend. My investigator was good and got hired on at a club her ex–boyfriend owned. As a janitor, he had ess everywhere. He set up a camera in the owner’s office and in two of the VIP rooms that included a bed.


    <spanng="EN">I had what I needed, and he managed to hack into the owner’sputer early one morning. I had plenty of evidence. Apparently, her ex liked to watch and had even taken pictures. Everything was set up and ready to go. After the wedding, no one would be condemning me. Roger’s name would be a joke in high society for marrying her willingly. I even included the best information at the end of the slideshow.


    <spanng="EN">Her pregnancy was much further along than she told him. He couldn’t be the father. I would be remiss if I didn’t make sure he found out that juicy piece of information. Consider it thest nice thing that I’m willing to do for him. Her reputation would bepletely destroyed. If he made an announcement that he had hired her, it would help sink thepany even quicker.


    <spanng="EN">I knew the aftermath was where the best part would be, but for now, I’m thoroughly enjoying this. My Condo had sold, even before the vi did. Both were sold as is, along with the furniture. I was starting fresh. A new home and all new furniture. I wasn’t moving anything, and I wasn’t asking anyone for help. Christine had found me a new home, and tomorrow I’m selling two homes and buying a new one.


    <spanng="EN">Gwen and Emily were with me when I toured the new homest night. It was in a gatedmunity. I already knew that Roger would be trying to follow me. I felt safe as they took down my car’s information, and I met the man who worked the gate during the day. There were a total of five guards who worked there, and the newest one had started five years ago. I felt safe here.


    <spanng="EN">The seller needed a quick sale, and I gave him just under market value for it. Selling usually takes time, and he had just been transferred for work and didn’t want to leave his wife behind to sell the house. It had four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. More than I need, but one day I had faith that I would find a man that wasn’t an absolute a$$hat.


    <spanng="EN">It was a modern, two–story home with a pool. I loved therge windows. I was already nning to install electric shades to block the sun when it was too bright, and so I could sleep in on the weekend. I loved how open the windows made it feel. Gwen and Emily had picked out their rooms. Theyughed and teased each other. I really liked the sunroom out back near the pool, which would allow me to have some coffee and watch the sun rise. The kitchen was gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to use it.


    <spanng="EN">I’m d I walked out today. I did it early enough to call and have the decorator meet me at my new home, after closing tomorrow. I will also have the installer for my electric shades meet me there to start the instation. After I’m done with that, Gwen and Emily are meeting me at the furniture store. My mother helped me decorate my condo. She had also helped me with my vi. This time around, I’m in charge. I’m nning on going to the auction this Sunday to pick out a few pieces for my new home.


    <spanng="EN">I researched paint colors and was going to decorate my room with items I liked. My home was going to reflect me in the best way possible. I hadn’t designed anything this week. I did exactly what Roger was nning on letting Sasha do. Sit there and supervise the team. I helped them as little as I possibly could. I liked my team, but they’ve grown too dependent on me for ideas. I’d warned them yesterday in an impromptu meeting.


    <spanng="EN">They needed to tighten up; they’ve been designing for a while. They needed to step out of theirfort zone and design from the heart. I do like them, and several of them have talent, but Roger wouldn’t allow me to run my department. I wouldn’t have coddled them, but Roger had tied my hand. Refusing to let me properly develop them, stating he was the boss. When I reminded him that I was the ‘boss‘ too, he said it would be confusing for the team to have two bosses. This was hispany, and he would be the one to handle his employees.


    <spanng="EN">I grimace thinking about what I put up with here. I let the incidents that caused me trauma years ago form me into who I am. But that won’t happen ever again. I’m going to try therapy again. This time, my parents can’t go behind me and ask my doctor what I’d told them. When your parents have as much power as mine did, and still do, you learn quickly that confidentiality is not something you can have. It didn’t exist for me.


    <spanng="EN">They finally realized that I wasn’t going to cooperate and dropped pushing me into therapy.


    <spanng="EN">I knew part of the reason they stopped was that they suspected it would be bad enough to tear their friendship apart. They were right. My mother would have lost her best friend. My father was great friends with Mr. Vaughn, and Seth would have lost his best friend, I mourned the loss of some of the Vaughns, but not all of them. I couldn’t ruin their friendship. Ipletely avoided Holden and Tiffany. I will never willingly speak to either of them again.


    <spanng="EN">I hope Seth and Holden learned that I wasn’t going to fold anymore. I knew with each passing day that my newfound confidence was making a huge difference in how people perceived me. I’ve been getting much more attention over thest few days. In fact, I knew that Holden and Seth had both been shocked when they first took a good look at me. They were trying to figure out what was different, but hadn’t quite put their finger on what the changes were just yet. They just noticed that I looked nicer than I did before, before I ran away.


    <spanng="EN">Which is ridiculous. Does my appearance make me nicer, happier, or more worthy than anyone else? I know many attractive people, but some are horrible. Just like Tiffany and her best friend Gretchen. I made sure that they found out that I refused to hire them as models. It had truly pissed them off when they saw me wave o


    <spanng="EN">over at them. I almost wish I could do it again. Both she and Tiffany were terrible people. Vain and arrogant bullies, wrapped in beauty. They were both rotten on the inside.


    <spanng="EN">There is a reason why they are both still single. I’m sure that their still waiting for Holden and Seth to make honest women of them. Seth avoids Tiffany like the gue to this day. But every holiday, he gets drug into having to y nice. Tiffany is never going to let him go. As far as she is concern, Seth is the man of her dreams. She doesn’t love him, but he is the eptable choice to keep her in the lifestyle she wants. I know something happened between them, but having her as a sister–inw would be the worst.


    <spanng="EN">They still think they can bully me. I know they will be at the auction, and I dread seeing them. I will leave them alone unless theye for me; then the glovese off. I’m not the same Analise that they knew. Gwen and Emily will be there as well, as it is an invitation–only event. You can’te unless you have a certain amount verified in your bank ount. As the owner of Fashion Forward, the invitation is technically mine, I think it’s a good time to start going out more and making an appearance.


    <spanng="EN">I hope to see Roger there, with Sasha. I want to see him try to exin to his fiancée why he’s there with another woman. It will be the start of his demise. I didn’t ask Seth if the investors had backed out yet. I also don’t n to ask my parents either. They know thispany is headed for disaster. They would have already reached out to the investors. I sold my shares, and the other investors knew to flee a sinking ship. They’ll lose their money if they drag their feet about it. I’m sure that by Monday afternoon, the news will be out. Roger won’t be able to stop the mass exodus. After that, nothing will save him.