CHAPTER 124: Choosing Self

　　The rest of the day was a blur. I moved through the office like a ghost, my actions automatic, devoid of thought. I'd been so consumed by the drama unfolding in my personal life that I hadn't fully realized the implications for my professional existence. This job, which had once been a source of pride and fulfillment, was about to be snatched away from me.

　　A cold realization washed over me. I hadn't earned this position on my own merits. The apartment, this job, even Alexander - everything I had was a consequence of pretending to be Ava Lincoln. I was a satellite, orbiting around her star, my existence in this environment dependent on my usefulness in pretending to be her.

　　A wave of bitterness washed over me. I had built a life around someone else's shadow, and now that shadow was gone, leaving me with nothing but echoes of what could have been.