“I do?” I shake myhead, confused. “Who?”
“You,” she says, smiling in a wise, maddening way that mothers do when they've arrived at the answer long before you. “You’re starting your life over, building yourself back up from scratch. This isn’t just about business. You’re rebranding yourself, Addison. You can have a voice now.”
Start my own firm.
It’s insane.
It’s reckless.
It’s… amazing.
For the first time, the thought of what comes next feels like it’s firmly in my hands.
He can’t take away what’s mine.
I stayed awake all through the night, sketching out what my own company would look like. While everyone else in New York slept, I mapped out Addison Scott Communications. Since moving out of Matt’s apartment, I’ve been staying with my parents while I try to plan my next steps. My childhood bedroom is dark except for the glow of my laptop screen. My room looks exactly like it did before I moved away for college. Every trophy, every photo still hang on the walls. It’s like an old version of me never left this room. She’s just been here collecting dust, waiting for me to find myself again.
A half-finished glass of wine sits next to me, alongside a notebook filled with scribbled ideas, names, and question marks. The bones of a real business are taking shape.
But what matters most right now is setting the rules for myself. Those boundaries will make or break this company, because I cannotlet what happened with him happen again. If I’m going to do this—if I’m going to bet on myself—I need to protect my heart.
I flip over to a clean page in my notebook, take a deep breath, and press my pen to the paper.
ADDISON’S RULES
Clients are assets.Nothing more. Nothing less. They are not friends. This is business.
Never bring emotions to work.Emotions cloud your judgement.
Never stay in one job longer than a year.The longer you stay, the harder it is to leave. Comfort breeds complacency.
Never let a man control you.Never again.
Never sleep with the assets.Keep your walls up. Attraction is a liability.
Never fall in love with an asset.The most important rule of them all. Love is a weakness. The sharpest lie.
