Chapter 5
Monday morning, I put on a brand-new white shirt and a black skirt.
Margaret saw me and gave me a once-over. "Why are you dressed up like that? Who are you trying to impress?"
"Just going to work," I replied.
"Aren't you still at that lousy ad agency? Why bother dressing up for that?"
"I got a new job." I kept my voice calm.
"A new job?" Margaret's voice shot up. "Did you even tell David about this?"
"It's my job. I don't need to ask anyone."
She was stunned. I guess she didn't expect me to stand up to her.
"You..." she started.
"Margaret, I'm in a hurry. I have to go."
I grabbed my bag and walked out the door.
Once I got downstairs, I took a deep breath.
The new company was called Blue Horizon Media, based in an office tower in the southern part of the city's CBD. They specialized in short videos and livestream shopping. The team was small, but their momentum was fierce.
During the interview, the director, Leo Lane, checked out a few of the social media accounts I'd secretly been running on the side. Two of them already had over a hundred thousand followers.
"You did all this on the side?" Leo asked, sounding impressed.
"Yeah, after work," I replied.
"Great, you'll be in charge of a three-person team. I want our social media matrix up and running before the month's over."
On my first day, everything felt brand new. A fresh desk, a new computer, and a whole team of new faces.
At lunch, one of the girls in my team asked, "Ms. Carter, what did you do before this?"
"I was a copywriter," I replied.
"Your content is amazing. I've been following 'Ten-Minute Night Reads' for ages. I had no idea you were the one behind it."
I smiled.
It had been three years since anyone had ever praised me.
Back in that house, no matter how well I did, it was never enough. it was what I was supposed to do. But mess up even once, and suddenly I was the villain.
At three in the afternoon, my phone buzzed. It was David.
"What job did you switch to? My mom's been blowing up my phone. She's called me three times already," he sounded annoyed.
"I'm at a social media company now," I replied.
"Why didn't you tell me before you changed jobs?"
"Would it have mattered if I did?"
He went silent.
"I'm in a meeting," I said, and hung up.
It was the first time I'd ever hung up on him.
I could feel my palms getting sweaty.
But for the first time in ages, something inside me finally relaxed.