I almost deleted it.
Then I saw the sender’s name.
Rachel.
I opened it.
There was an attachment.
A screenshot.
It was a message Nathan had sent her months earlier.
I read it.
He had written that he was “almost free.”
That he was “waiting for Sofia’s promotion.”
That once my income increased, he would “have enough room to breathe.”
But the final sentence was the one that made my hands shake.
“Once she quits, I can finally control what happens next.”
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
Rachel had sent me another message.
I found this while going through my old messages. I didn’t understand what he meant at the time. Now I do. I’m sorry.
I stared at the screen.
He hadn’t just wanted my paycheck.
He wanted control.
My promotion threatened that control.
My independence threatened it.
My decision to keep working threatened it.
