Strain in friendship

Lara felt the air whooshing out of her lungs. She thought that the man on the phone had been lying, but it was true. "Seriously?" she barked, disbelief lacing her voice. "And you just agreed with him?"

"He is offering me an incredible opportunity, Lara," Bruno countered. "It'll change my life completely. I wouldn't have to feel… ashamed anymore, standing beside you. People wouldn't look down on me."

Lara met his gaze, a heavy weight settling in her chest. All this time, she hadn't realized Bruno harbored such deep insecurities. It explained his relentless drive for success, and his constant need to build his business. He was, in essence, competing with her.

She had fallen for him for who he was, not his social standing. She stood by him through thick and thin, even defied her own father. Her love for Bruno had trumped everything, yet her wealth and success seemed to gnaw at him.