Jossy's day was always predictable.
She tried to keep herself busy, but it was always the same thing. She would either take a walk, go to the gym, or go shopping. Sometimes she would rearrange flowers on the dining table, wipe down counters that were already spotless, scroll through social media mindlessly, and sometimes she even cooked, though Damien didn't like her cooking. He always preferred their chef to handle meals. But, no matter what she did, the day was always long and uneventful.
What bothered her wasn't just the boredom. It was the feeling of being unnecessary. Damien was out every morning, rushing between board meetings and networking lunches, and chasing deals that kept the company growing. On the other hand, she was left behind, expected to simply exist, to smile when he came home and to be ready to talk about babies when he wanted. She wanted more for herself. She owed herself that much. The more she sat idly, the more she felt like she was losing her mind. She was once sharp, ambitious, and full of ideas, and studied marketing in college, all the while dreaming of one day working in a big firm, doing something that mattered. Now, that version of her seemed like a stranger. And so, since the gala, without meaning to, she had caught herself scrolling through her phone and being drawn to job openings. She had told herself that she wouldn't apply, she just wanted to see what was out there. But when she stumbled across one particular job listing, her heart beat fast.
It wasn't a glamorous one. It wasn't even full time, but it was exactly what she needed. The Lennox Group was hiring several remote assistants to support the launch of their new beauty line, Aurora Glow, and had just launched a Serum under the product line. The role simply entailed responding to customer comments online, tracking feedback, and escalating issues and concerns to the marketing team. It would take four, maybe five hours distributed throughout the day. It was flexible and discreet. Just what she needed. She read the description again, then a third time. She could do this. It was nothing too heavy, but was meaningful enough to make her feel useful again.
Still, her fingers hovered over the "apply" button.
The name Lennox glared back at her like a warning. Damien's voice echoed in her memory from the car ride home. He had warned her to stay away from Noah "I don't want you talking to him."
She chewed on her lower lip, as she found an excuse to still go ahead and apply. It wasn't as if she'd be working with Noah directly. The company was huge, and this was a remote job. faceless, handled over email and software. He would probably never even know she applied. But still, it was risky.
Her mind spun with arguments she could use if Damien ever found out: It's only a few hours. It won't affect our home. It's remote, I'll always be here when you need me. She could even frame it as something temporary, just a way to keep herself occupied until they had children.
But deep down, she knew she wasn't doing this for Damien. She was doing it for herself. For that part of her that still wanted to think, to create, and to matter. The part of her that secretly resented Damien.
She took a deep breath, steadied her trembling hand, and clicked "submit."
The confirmation screen popped up. Application received.
Jossy leaned back against the chair, her heart racing, but she felt a spark of something, something she had nearly forgotten. Freedom, choice, and independence.
Still, as she closed her laptop, a chill ran through her. Damien would never understand. He had made it clear what he wanted from her, and the roles she was supposed to play. If she got the job, it would have to stay a secret.
***
At the Lennox Corporation, work never slowed. The launch of the set of new products, including the Aurora Glow serum, had set new records, and Noah could already feel the momentum carrying into their next projects.The brand was thriving, and so was the team behind it. His cousin and closest friend, George, managed most of the day-to-day in the marketing division, alongside their strategy director, keeping Noah free to focus on the bigger picture.
That afternoon, George slid a folder across the table during their weekly update meeting, during which George usually gave Noah a brief of what was happening in Marketing. "You should take a look at this. We've had some strong applicants for the remote position, but one caught my eye. Mostly because she might have been at UCLA the same time as you. She looks awfully familiar too."
Noah leaned back in his chair, half interested. "Plenty of people were same year as me George"
"Yeah," George said, scanning the page again. "Marketing major, full scholarship, and grew up in Alpine. Doesn't sound like someone who was in your circle of friends"
Noah's fingers stilled against the desk. Alpine.
"There were lots of scholarship kids at UCLA,. I probably don't know her."
"Probably," George said as he held on to the folder firmly. "Just thought she looked familiar."
Noah's thoughts didn't move on. They drifted back to George's words..Scholarship, Alpine, and UCLA. There was only one person he knew who fit the three descriptions. Jossy
George, noticing his interest, tapped the file again. "There's a photo attached. Here."
Noah glanced down and froze.
It was her. Jossy. Her face stared back at him, younger in the application shot, without the polished layers of make up. This must have been before Damien, he thought.
His chest tightened.
"What is she doing applying for a job here?" he muttered, half to himself.
George raised a brow. "You know her?"
Noah didn't answer right away. He was still staring at the picture, at the girl he remembered from years ago, the most stunning girl he had ever seen, so effortlessly beautiful. The one Damien had paraded around like a prize at UCLA. Now, she was applying for a digital assistant role at Lennox. A small entry level job that barely scratched her potential.
"She studied marketing," George reminded him, still oblivious to Noah's thoughts. "Background checks out. Honestly, she's overqualified for this position. I was surprised she even applied."
Overqualified. That was the word Noah couldn't shake. What was Jossy Harrison, once one the smartest brains in UCLA doing trying to step into such a modest role?
His memory carried him back to the gala from weeks ago. The way she had entered the room, poised yet awkwardly, almost out of place. She had looked beautiful, she always was, yet there was something else in her eyes that he couldn't shake off. She looked like she was following a script.
And Damien, Noah knew Damien too well. Controlling and selfish. The type to care more about appearances than the person standing beside him. Noah had however hoped that he would treat Jossy right, that he would see her for the treasure she was. But it didn't seem like he did. Noah had watched the way he spoke to her that night, and if she wasn't Damien's wife, if it wasn't for the promise he made to himself back then, he wouldn't have let her go home with him. Their conversation had not sat right with him.
Noah closed her file, his jaw tightening. "Schedule her interview and give her the job. She is overqualified, so pay her twice what the position is offering. She is too good." he said calmly, though his thoughts were anything but calm.
As George left his office, Noah thought.. Jossy Harrison was applying for a simple role while she was a Rothwell now. She was reaching out for something outside the family she married in, and he needed to know why.