Chapter 1 - Come Get Me
Daniel slapped me in front of his entire board, then looked more offended by my silence than by what his hand had done.
My head turned from the impact. My hair fell across my face. Somewhere behind us, a woman gasped. A champagne glass clicked against a tray. The string quartet stopped so suddenly that one violinist dragged his bow across a string and made half the ballroom flinch.
Daniel stood six feet away in his navy tuxedo, breathing hard.
“Don’t embarrass me in front of my board,” he said.
My cheek burned.
The executives seated beneath the enormous American flag stared at the marble floor like it had suddenly become fascinating. No one stood. No one spoke. No one even pretended to reach for help.
I lowered my eyes to my cracked phone.
My fingers shook once.
Then I typed three words.
Come get me.
I slipped the phone into my silver clutch.
Daniel noticed.
His voice sharpened. “Who did you text?”
I looked up through tears I refused to let fall.
“Someone who answers.”
His mother, Evelyn, smiled over her champagne flute. “Oh, Hannah… you really do make everything about yourself.”
Then the ballroom doors opened.
Every head turned.
My father, Richard Carter, walked in wearing a plain gray suit and the calmest expression in the room.
Daniel’s confidence cracked before my father said one word.
Dad stopped beside me, looked at my cheek, then looked at Daniel.
“You just ended your career.”
The board went silent in a different way.
May you like
Not cowardly this time.
Terrified.
