Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Stella
As I knocked on my boss’s door, I couldn’t decide if I was the world’s biggest idiot or just a fool pursuing my dreams.
“What is it?” she barked.
I opened the door.
“What now, Stella? I have a lot to get through and unless you’ve made this month’s target, so do you.”
At least she hadn’t suddenly become pleasant or I might have felt a little bad. I wondered whether she was always a bitch or if this awful job had made her that way.
“I won’t take up much of your time. I just wanted to hand you this in person.” The nerves in my stomach sloshed as I placed the sealed envelope on her desk. I was doing the right thing—I knew it. It was time to take a leap of faith.
“What is this?” she asked, as if I’d just delivered up a turd on a spade.
“My resignation. Let me know if you want me to work my notice.” Instantly it was as if someone had tied balloons to my body and I was ten tons lighter. I turned and headed out.
“Your resignation? What the hell are you talking about?”
At the door I turned and grinned. “I’m leaving.” I wasn’t a recruitment consultant. Not in my heart.
“Who are you going to? Whitman and Jones? They are complete bastards to work—”
“I haven’t got a job to go to. I’m going to concentrate on establishing my own design business.”
“No job?” She rose to her feet and leaned across her desk. If I were a little closer, I might be worried she’d lunge at me. “Haven’t you got bills to pay?”
Paying the mortgage wasn’t enough anymore—I wanted to be happy.
“I’m selling my place.” I didn’t want to be in the flat that Matt and I had moved into together, surrounded by broken promises and bloody awful taste.
“In this market, the agent said they’d have a buyer for me by the end of the week.
” I was planning to use the equity in the flat to tide me over until my business got up and running.
If it took longer than my money lasted, I’d get a part-time job—one that didn’t consume my soul.
“Well, good luck to you,” she spat as if she was wishing a tropical disease on me rather than luck. “Clear your desk. I don’t want to see you in the office again.”
My grin hadn’t faded one bit as I headed out, my balloons leading the way.
I was free. And at the start of a new life.