Then I cried again.
Grief had become part of my life.
Not a problem I could solve.
Not a project I
could complete.
Something I carried.
But slowly, it was becoming something I could carry without losing myself.
At work, I began finding my confidence again.
Northbridge promoted me to lead an international expansion project.
My team developed financial risk controls for operations in three countries.
I traveled to Montreal, Vancouver, and London.
I met people who knew me only as Lauren Mitchell, a capable executive with strong ideas and a quiet determination.
They didn’t know about Dominic’s businesses.
They didn’t know about Vanessa.
They didn’t know that I’d once been photographed beside a man whose wealth attracted headlines.
I discovered that I liked being known for my own work.
One afternoon, after a successful executive presentation, Charlotte invited me for coffee.
“You’ve done extraordinary work,” she said.
