Chapter Six

Life wasn't a bed of roses for Sarah upon her divorce; it was as if she had been thrown into an unknown world, one she had never experienced in her entire life. This was not something she was willing to give up on regardless of how the change was sudden and how it impacted her life.

As the daughter of a billionaire, she had everything done and handed to her, but in a bid to become her own person, she decided to become independent and build an enviable life for herself, one she had envisioned since she was little where she had to rely on no one but herself.

If there was something her marriage and divorce taught her, it was that in the long run, all that matters is oneself, no matter what.

Her new condo, also in Manhattan, wasn't as flashy as her first house, but she had always found big spaces unbearable regardless of how remarkable the view outside could be, therefore, the homely vibe her new place possessed was a welcome change for her.

Waking up as early as 8 AM was an enviable characteristic of Sarah because she believed that there was so much to actually do at the start of every day. Today was no different after a few weeks of lazying around, she had to get to work because if she wanted to achieve the goals she had in mind, how she started after her divorce was a key deciding factor in these prospective changes.

Sarah had always been a fan of light breakfast, and her never-ending love for chamomile tea was not hard to notice as she put a tea bag in a cup of boiling hot water. With two slices of bread in the toaster, she arranged her avocado strips with a poached egg on the side in her bid to maintain a balanced diet.

With the bread in the toaster, she rushed to her room to fetch her laptop to begin her day in a productive manner. She returned to the kitchen just in time for the bread as it popped out of the toaster in a golden brown colour.

Putting on the laptop with a slice of toast in her mouth wasn't difficult for her. Sarah pulled up her mood board, which she had managed to create with the excess free time she had while married. The world of marketing had been a stunning phenomenon for her. She wanted to know how to help businesses survive whatever tough challenges they might be experiencing while attracting the right customers for their brands.

This played a key role in influencing her career path and decision, as she had made up her mind to establish an advertising and marketing firm that resolved these challenges. Sarah knew she had to leverage her connections to start off on the right note and secure the right clientele. The goal at the moment was centered on building a brand many would want to pay close attention to, thereby setting herself up as the go-to source for the best campaigns and more.

With everything set, the beautiful Sarah put down her teacup and picked up her phone to call a mutual acquaintance of hers and her former husband's, a figure who had played a huge catalyst in how her marriage had ended, the very first person who had given her the nudge to make the big decision of opting for a divorce, Anna.

Anna had been a friend Sarah and her former husband had met at a charity ball organized by the Mayor of New York to raise funds for the New York City Teaching Hospital. Anna had been a likeable character, and she had approached Sarah first to praise her for how she had styled her hair that night. The two had hit it off, having so much to say to one another. Anna had made the night easy for Sarah, and their conversation had extended to them exchanging numbers, which was how their friendship began.

Anna had later called Sarah's attention to the irregularities she had noticed in Marcus' behaviour, which made Sarah decide that this was the final straw for her.

Sarah drummed her fingers nervously on her kitchen counter, where she had spent the past four hours working on the business plan, staring at her phone for a long moment before finally picking it up. She scrolled through her contacts until she found Anna's name, taking a deep breath before pressing the call button. The familiar ringtone echoed in her ear once, twice, before a warm, familiar voice answered.

"Sarah! What a surprise!" Anna's voice carried its usual cheerfulness, immediately putting Sarah at ease.

The sun streamed through Sarah's kitchen window as she leaned back in her chair. "Anna, I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time. I could really use your advice about something."

"For you? Never a bad time. What's on your mind?"

Sarah twirled a strand of her dark hair, a habit she'd never quite outgrown from their college days. "Well, remember how I've been talking about starting my own advertising and marketing firm? I've finally done it. The paperwork's filed and everything."

"Oh my God, Sarah!" Anna's excitement crackled through the phone. "I didn't think you would finally do it."

"Thanks," Sarah laughed, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease. "But now comes the hard part uhm that would be finding clients."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by what Sarah recognized as Anna's 'lightbulb moment' intake of breath. "Actually, I might have exactly what you need. Have you heard of MediTech Solutions?"

Sarah sat up straighter. "The AI diagnostic company? They've been making waves in the industry lately."

"Exactly! Their CEO, Tony, is an old friend from my consulting days. Had lunch with him just last week, actually." Anna's voice took on an excited edge. "He was telling me how they're struggling with their market visibility. Brilliant technology, but they can't seem to get their message out effectively."

Sarah's heart began to race. This was exactly the kind of opportunity she'd been hoping for. "Do you think... would you mind if..."

"If I connected you two?" Anna finished her sentence with a laugh. "Sarah, I was already pulling up his contact information. Tony would be lucky to have you. He's got this major product launch coming up next quarter, and from what I can tell, their marketing strategy needs serious help."

As Anna shared Tony's contact details, Sarah scribbled them down in her notebook, her handwriting barely legible in her excitement. The conversation drifted then, as it often did between old friends, to personal updates and promises of getting together soon. But Sarah's mind was already racing with possibilities, envisioning campaigns and strategies for MediTech Solutions.

After they hung up, Sarah sat back in her chair, looking at Tony's contact information with a mixture of nervousness and determination. This could be the breakthrough client her fledgling business needed. She made a mental note to treat Anna to dinner at their favorite restaurant this was someone she could now view as her friend who wanted to let her use her network and also showed the willingness to share it might have just given her new business its first big break.

Through her window, Sarah watched the sun setting over the city skyline, painting the clouds in shades of pink and gold. Tomorrow she would call Tony, but for now, she allowed herself to savour this moment of possibility, of friendship, and of new beginnings.