Monica exhaled through her nose, a bitter little laugh escaping. "Feels more like I was shoved out the door."
"Sometimes," Rex said, sitting up fully now, "that's the only way we realize the door was never locked to begin with."
She blinked, absorbing his words. There was something strangely comforting about how calm he was, like he'd walked this road before. Like betrayal, power games, and broken trust weren't foreign to him.
"You don't think I'm a fool?" she asked quietly.
Rex tilted his head slightly. "Why would I?."
"No. I mean... that I let it go this far. That I stayed blind for so long." She paused, eyes searching his face. "You don't think I'm a fool?"
He met her gaze, unwavering. "No one's blind by choice, Monica. Especially not in this industry. They groom you to believe this is normal. That you're lucky just to be invited."
She swallowed hard. The words hit too close.
