No Second Chances Ex-husband novel Chapter 35

35 /50

LAUREN'S POV

I had an appointment with three companies today. At first, when I was still at home with Elena, I thought time wouldn’t be a problem for me, I had planned everything out to the minute. But as life would have it, the universe decided to test me. Traffic was horrible, the worst I’d seen in months, and it felt as if every road I took had some kind of accident, construction, or endless red light waiting to slow me down. By the time I managed to get through the first two companies, I realized I was practically racing the clock for my final appointment.

The last company was the one I’d pinned most of my hope on: Hale Enterprise Corp. I was running on foot for the final stretch, ignoring the burning in my legs and the sweat clinging to my skin. I didn’t care what I must have looked like, hair probably a mess, blouse sticking to my back because missing this opportunity wasn’t an option.

I paused outside the building, catching my breath. For a moment, my eyes drifted upward. The tall glass panels of Hale Enterprise Corp glistened under the afternoon sun, so high they seemed to scrape the sky itself. The bold silver letters “HALE ENTERPRISE CORP” were emblazoned across the front, showing power and success. It was, without question, the biggest building I had ever stood in front of, even larger than the previous two I’d just come from. And shockingly, even bigger than Black Cooperation, Ethan’s pride and joy. Until that moment, I’d thought Black Cooperation was as grand as buildings came. But standing here now made it look almost modest.

As I admired the scale of it, reality tugged me back, people passing by had started to stare. It didn’t take long for me to realize why. I glanced down at my feet. My shoes were dangling from my hand, and I stood there barefoot on the polished stone. Earlier, on my mad dash across the street, I’d broken my toenail badly. The pain had been so sharp it made me limp, and the only thing that felt bearable was to take the heels off entirely. But now, about to walk into a company like this, I knew showing up barefoot was worse than limping.

The board wouldn’t care about my reason, they would only see a woman who looked unprepared. So, as painful as it felt, I leaned against the stone wall of the building, carefully easing my swollen, bruised feet back into the pointed heels. A low growl escaped my lips, and my eyes watered from the pressure on my broken toenail, but I forced myself to push through.

When I finally stood upright, I felt a wave of dizziness. My toe sounded like a small drum inside my shoe, each beat sending a sharp jolt of pain up my leg. But this wasn’t the time to think about pain. I reminded myself why I was doing this, for Elena. For the life I wanted to rebuild from scratch. If I could get this job, I’d have a steady income again. I’d feel like myself again, not the version of me who had to beg Ethan or be reminded by Tessa of how impossible life could become. I’d be able to look Elena in the eye, knowing I could truly take care of her.

So, limping slightly and wincing with each step, I walked toward the front entrance. As the glass doors slid open, the cool blast of air-conditioning brushed over my face, calming me for just a second. I tightened my grip on my folder of documents and resumed my walk, ignoring the pain screaming at me with every step.

When I reached the reception desk, the young woman behind the counter gave me a quick glance, her gaze lingering just a moment too long on my awkward gait. I could feel the judgment in her eyes, even if it was only silent curiosity.

“Hello, my name is Lauren Black, I have an appointment,” I said, my voice calm even though my heart raced painfully in my chest.

The receptionist gave me an odd look, the type I’d grown used to lately, a mix of surprise, curiosity, and a little judgment. I knew it had to do with the last name Black. It carried weight in this city. Not always the good kind. But that was something I planned to deal with soon enough.

“Right this way, please,” she said politely, standing up and gesturing for me to follow.

I walked behind her, forcing each step to look graceful despite the pain in my toes. With every step, it felt like the broken toenail was digging deeper into my skin, reminding me that even small wounds could hurt the most at the worst time.

We got to a medium-sized meeting room with modern décor, glass walls, a sleek wooden table, and a camera positioned at the top corner. I quietly took a deep breath before sitting down. My hand instinctively went up to adjust my hair, hoping to hide how nervous I felt.

A moment later, a woman walked in. She looked to be in her thirties, wearing a plain white blouse tucked into a navy-blue skirt, and flat shoes. Nothing about her screamed CEO, so for a brief second, I wondered if maybe she was someone else.