Chapter 31

As a senior manager in line for partner, I had to toe the line and put in the hours. It was the next step,and it would make my mother happy. But I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken a vacation, or even had a weekend off after I began working at this firm five years ago. I was burned out.

Mom thrived on that level of stress, even now; I despised it. I wanted out, to do something else—be someone else—but I had no idea what. My focus had been on my mother’s dreams for me for so long…and after Dad had died, I’d thought that pleasing her would ease some of her grief.

Now that I thought about it, maybe I’d let things go too far. I didn’t want to die of old age never having really lived. I wanted to be able to love myself again.

* * * *

It was after three in the morning when I stumbled into the elevator of my apartment complex. The security guards at the front desk were used to my late hours and barely acknowledged my presence.