I stopped to help a woman who was dy//ing on the side of the road and lost my job because I arrived late, but when I returned to collect my things from my desk, my entire life was about to change.

Richard Field began dealing with the agency’s leadership and the employees whose careers had been affected by Gavin’s decisions.

At one point, Richard discussed the possibility of my returning.

The agency needed experienced people, and he understood how much work I’d contributed over the years.

But I wasn’t certain I wanted to go back.

For the first time, I could consider that question without feeling obligated to earn Gavin’s approval.

I still had ordinary responsibilities.

Electricity bills.

Insurance payments.

School tuition.

A mortgage.

Those familiar obligations felt strangely comforting after days of investigations, threats, and revelations about millions of dollars.

Richard’s offer was generous, and I appreciated it.

But something had changed in me.

I didn’t want to spend the next stage of my career chasing the position Gavin had once used to measure my value.

Eleanor’s invitation remained.

On Monday, I went to Halston Tower.