Chapter 3
Two weeks after the divorce, the company snagged a huge project—the design bid for the mixed-use Riverlight Residences community.
Brightview was a small firm, and Daniel had fought tooth and nail just to get us qualified for the bid.
"The whole company is going all-in on this project. Susan, you're handling the community public spaces section," the supervisor said.
I worked overtime for five straight days, leaving the office at two in the morning every night.
Thursday afternoon was the bid review presentation.
Brightview could only send two people to present on-site, so Daniel brought Alex along.
I waited at the office for news.
At four in the afternoon, Alex sent me a voice message, practically buzzing with excitement.
Alex: [Susan! We did it! We made it past the first round! The judges even singled out your public space design—they said your concept was really innovative!]
I slumped back in my chair, finally able to breathe again.
That night, Daniel treated the whole team out for dinner.
"If we win this bid, Brightview will finally get back on its feet. Susan, your part was the highlight. You're coming with me to the final round," he said.
"Okay," I replied.
After dinner, I walked past a bakery glowing with warm yellow light. My reflection in the window showed me still wearing that old down coat, but I walked with a whole new confidence compared to a month ago.
I bought myself a hot spiced chai and sipped it as I headed to the subway station.
My phone buzzed with a social media update.
It was a post from Emily: a bouquet of red roses, a Cartier ring, and the caption, "Looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you."
Andrew's avatar was right at the top of the likes.
I scrolled past it, feeling nothing at all.
Jessica's comment caught my eye though: [Welcome to the family, new sister-in-law! So much better than certain people!]
I blocked that post from my feed.
If I didn't want to see it, I wouldn't.
I had far more important things to worry about.
*****
On the day of the Riverlight Residences final review, I put on a brand-new black blazer and, for the first time in ages, wore my hair down and treated it to some extra care.
There were seven people seated in the review room. The silver-haired gentleman in the center flipped through our proposal, his gaze lingering on the public spaces section for quite a while.
After Daniel wrapped up the overall introduction, he handed me the microphone.
"The public spaces section will be presented by our designer, Susan Nolan," he said.
I stood up and walked over to the projection screen.
For fifteen minutes, I covered everything from traffic flow and lighting analysis to community needs and material selection.
When I finished, the silver-haired gentleman spoke up.
"The way you connected the sunken plaza with the elevated floor is really clever. Turning the height difference into a stepped green belt not only solves the drainage problem but also creates a nice spot for people to relax. Was that your idea?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied.
"How long have you been in the business?" he asked.
"Honestly just six months," I replied.
A couple of the judges shot each other a look.
The silver-haired gentleman didn't say anything else—he just scribbled something on his scorecard.
As soon as we stepped out of the review room, Daniel gripped my hand tightly.
"Susan, when Mr. Grant asked about your experience, I saw him draw a circle around your name on his scorecard," he said.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"Mr. Grant is Simon Grant, the legend of architecture. Anyone he circles gets remembered. You're officially on his radar," the supervisor explained.
I wasn't sure what being remembered by someone like him meant, but I knew I hadn't let myself down today.
Three days later, the results came out.
Brightview Design Studio landed the Riverlight Residences project.
It was the biggest deal the company had scored in eight years. Daniel sent out twenty digital gift cards in the group chat.
That night, I was up until 1 AM in my tiny apartment, tweaking designs. As I closed my laptop, I realized—if I were still with the Carter family, I'd probably be up right now making Margaret her soothing herbal tea.
I chuckled to myself and went to take a shower.