Chapter 23

• Eloise
• The world felt smaller these days, tight even, suffocating, like it was closing in on me. Every corner I turned, Jennifer’s name stared back at me, mocking me. Billboards with her smug face smiled down from above, flashing the latest collection of “her” jewelry designs. My designs. Pieces I’d spent months perfecting, only for her to steal them right from under me.
• It wasn’t just the ads. It was everywhere. Social media, magazines, even casual conversations overheard at the coffee shop. Her success was a constant reminder of my failure. A reminder of how I’d let her, and everyone else win.