Bradley Cameron stared at the resignation letter in his hands, reading it for the third time as if the elegant, decisive handwriting might somehow reveal a different message. After six years of watching Mrs. Dennis work tirelessly at Dennis Alliance—always professional, always punctual—her abrupt departure felt oddly personal.
The timing struck him as peculiar. Mr. Dennis and Sabrina were still in Bella, and here was Mrs. Dennis, not only back in the country but severing one of her last connections to her husband's world.
"Is everything alright, Bradley?" Frank Elias, another of Cullen's secretaries, approached his desk with a steaming cup of coffee.
"Mrs. Dennis just resigned," Bradley replied, still processing the information himself.
Frank raised his eyebrows but showed little genuine concern. "Well, it's not like she was essential personnel. The charity foundation will find someone else."
Bradley frowned at his colleague's dismissive tone. Few people at Dennis Alliance truly appreciated how much Veronica had accomplished in her role. She had transformed the company's charitable initiatives from simple tax write-offs into impactful community programs, all while receiving minimal acknowledgment from her husband.
"She worked harder than most executives here," Bradley said quietly. "And she did it without any support from Mr. Dennis."
Everyone in the executive suite knew Cullen Dennis's standing order regarding his wife: "Don't bother me with Mrs. Dennis's affairs unless absolutely necessary." In six years, Bradley could count on one hand the times Cullen had inquired about Veronica's work.
The morning passed in a blur of meetings and calls. During the executive committee's video conference, Bradley considered mentioning Veronica's resignation but ultimately decided against it. Cullen was focused on the Bella expansion, animated as he discussed potential sites with the board. There was no place in that conversation for news about a wife he scarcely acknowledged.
Besides, what would he say? "Sir, your wife left her job—the one she took to be near you despite your complete indifference?" No, some truths were better left unspoken.
Across town, Veronica sat on her balcony, laptop open to the latest developments in artificial intelligence. The technical jargon that once flowed through her mind like a native language now required concentration to process. Seven years away from her true field had left gaps in her knowledge.
"I've got a lot of catching up to do," she murmured, making notes as she read.
Her phone buzzed with an unrelated message, but the time—7:00 PM—triggered the familiar pang of her deleted daily reminder to call Sa. For a moment, muscle memory nearly took over—she'd made that call at the same time every day for years, regardless of where she was or what she was doing.
Instead of reaching for her phone, Veronica took a deep breath and turned back to her research. Yesterday, she had deleted the reminder. Today, she would break the habit itself.
Sabrina was with Cullen and undoubtedly Niall. The painful reality was that her daughter probably wouldn't even notice the absence of her mother's daily call. Not when she was basking in the glow of her idol's attention.
As evening approached, Veronica closed her laptop and picked up her phone, scrolling to a contact she hadn't called in years. Her finger hesitated over the name before finally pressing "call."
After three rings, a man's voice answered. "Veronica Murray. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"
The coolness in his tone wasn't surprising. The last time they'd spoken, she had canceled plans to attend a major tech conference, choosing instead to accompany Cullen to a business dinner where he had barely acknowledged her presence.
"Hello," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "I was wondering if you could reserve a ticket for me for the Quantum Computing Exhibition next month."
A pause. "You're actually planning to attend this time?"
"Yes," she replied simply. "Things have changed."
"Have they?" The skepticism in his voice was warranted.
"I've left Dennis Alliance. I'm ready to come back to our company, but I need to get up to speed first. The exhibition seems like a good place to start."
Another pause, longer this time. "I'll have a ticket waiting for you at registration." His tone had softened slightly. "It's about time, Veronica. We've missed your mind around here."
After ending the call, Veronica stepped back onto her balcony, watching as the city lights began to illuminate the darkening sky. For the first time in years, her evening wasn't structured around Cullen's schedule or Sabrina's needs. The freedom felt foreign, even frightening.
But beneath the uncertainty bubbled something she hadn't felt in a long time: anticipation. The tech world had been her playground once, her mind celebrated for its brilliance rather than dismissed for its inconvenience.
"One step at a time," she told herself, turning back toward her empty apartment. Tomorrow would bring more research, more preparation for her reentry into the field she'd abandoned for a marriage that existed only on paper.
In Bella, Sabrina burst into tears over her breakfast cereal, her small shoulders shaking with sobs.
"What's wrong, Sa?" Cullen looked up from his tablet, genuine concern in his eyes for his daughter.
"W-Niall is going back home," she hiccupped, clutching her phone. "She just posted that she's flying back tomorrow for an important meeting. Dad, I don't want her to leave!"
Cullen's expression softened. "Is that all? Come here, sweetheart."
Sabrina climbed onto her father's lap, still sniffling as he gently wiped her tears.
He pulled up his calendar, a decisive look on his face. "You know what, sweetheart? I can move some things around. I've already made the arrangements. We'll go back tomorrow."
"Really?" Sabrina's eyes lit up, her sadness instantly forgotten. "We're going home? Can I go to Niall's house when we get back?"
Cullen smiled, brushing her hair from her forehead. "We'll see. She's very busy, you know."
As Sabrina chattered excitedly about seeing Niall again, neither father nor daughter mentioned the one person supposedly waiting for them back home. Veronica's absence from their conversation was complete—a wife and mother rendered invisible long before she'd physically left.