Chapter 4 - The Rise of Claire
Five years passed like a dream of hard work and steady growth.
I was no longer the woman in the kitchen with the discarded invitations.
I was now a senior executive at an international architectural firm,
handling multi-million dollar contracts with a steady hand.
I lived in a penthouse with Julian,
a space filled with light and art and memories we had created together.
My name was mentioned in industry journals,
my face appeared on the covers of business magazines,
but I never used my parents' name.
I had legally changed it to Claire Sterling,
adopting my grandmother's maiden name as a shield and a tribute.
I had built a fortress around my life,
one made of success and genuine love.
I heard bits of news from the old world,
mostly through the internet which never forgets.
I saw that my parents had sold their house and moved into a smaller place,
likely to fund another one of Paige’s failed business ventures.
I saw a photo of Paige on a social media gossip page,
looking older,
sharper,
and still perpetually dissatisfied.
She had married Tyler,
divorced him,
and was now onto her third "soulmate."
I felt a twinge of pity,
but it was distant,
like watching a character in a movie I hadn't seen in years.
I didn't hate them anymore.
Hate requires energy,
and I had none left for them.
I was busy,
I was happy,
and I was whole.
But then,
the invitation arrived.
It wasn't a family invitation,
it was a professional one.
The city I had fled was hosting the annual Urban Development Gala,
and my firm was being honored with the "Architect of the Decade" award.
I was expected to give the keynote speech.
The venue was the same riverside restaurant where I had once tried to celebrate my thirtieth birthday.
The irony was a cold,
sharp blade.
Julian looked at me as I held the invitation,
his eyes questioning.
“Do you want to go?”
he asked softly.
I looked at the river outside my own window,
thinking of the girl in the kitchen.
“I think,”
I said,
May you like
my voice firm and clear,
“it’s time they saw what the ‘strong one’ actually looks like.”
