Chapter 16
I had put down roots in a tiny country.
Life here in this country moved at a relaxed pace.
I slept in until I woke up on my own. Then I headed out for some grocery shopping, and after that, cooked a meal at home.
After meals, I was all about sketching design ideas or diving into whatever caught my fancy.
When I had some downtime, I took a stroll, letting my thoughts drift away, just enjoying the peace and quiet.
Every now and then, bits of news from my old life filtered through.
There was even a time when they reported I was dead.
Then there was the whole Antonio and Tyler thing. They were really out for blood, trying to ruin Michelle and her mom.
Tyler put it all out there online, saying Michelle’s big award was a sham, that she stole it from me, and he had all the proof to back it up.
Michelle, who was on top of the world with her win, suddenly became a public enemy.
And that wasn’t all. Antonio and Tyler even took back every fancy gift they’d ever given her.
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Michelle’s mom got dragged through the mud too, exposed as the other woman in someone else’s marriage, and Michelle was even an illegitimate child.
When I heard about all that drama now, it just rolled off my back.
The sun crept up, spreading its golden glow across the land.
This is the dawn of my new–life.
Settling in for a month, I began the hunt for a job, all under a fresh identity.
Nine days later, I landed a job at a new place.
My colleagues were really cool, always upbeat and welcoming.
My boss was a sharp–dressed, good–looking lady who had been a big help on the job.
I had been slowly but surely making waves at work.
Time flew, and two years had zipped by.
I had made some new pals, and sure, there had been some romantic interest.
But I wasn’t in the market for love right now.
I signed up for this international design contest, and I was still in the mix for the prelims.
This event was happening in a nearby country and many people were buzzing about it.
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Chapter 16
I had been gearing up for it.
Today, my boss, Linda Boyle, hit me up, saying we were going to be linking up with some company out in Abalind, and they wanted to send me on a business trip.
Linda glanced up from her screen and stated, “You’ve got the Clusian features, and you speak Clusian, you’ll connect with them easily.”
I was trying to get out of the business trip. “But for such an important job, how can I really handle it?”
Antonio and Tyler were in Clusia, and I was not keen on setting foot there.
Even if it was just in Abalind, I had to avoid any chance of bumping into them.
Linda shot me with a comforting grin. “The travel list is all set and handed in. I’ll be right there with you. Relax. Everything’s gonna be cool.”
