10x Cashback: Your Wealth Is Mine

54  Looking Life In The Eye

Even though it was the middle of the day, Jenny lay sprawled on her bed, hiding under the covers.

She didn't know what she was hiding from but she kept her curtains drawn, denying the sun any chance of shedding light on the confusion inside her.

It had been a few days since she'd spoken with Nico and yet, his words kept playing in her mind over and over again.

It didn't matter what she did to try taking her mind off things. It came back like an unsolved puzzle she just couldn't shake.

"You hate me because you see yourself in me."

At first, she'd brushed off his accusation. He definitely didn't know what he was talking about.

But her mind kept asking her. 'Why didn't you have an answer for him when he asked?'

She kept replaying the words she'd always said to him. How he was reaching above his station and grasping for things he shouldn't.

She wasn't like this with everybody else. Just him.

Why?

Why was this the case?

A part of her then began to wonder if Nico had seen something in her that even she hadn't fully grasped.

She had spent the past few days looking for the real reason why she hated him so much. She'd examined herself in every possible light, searching for answers.

Was it really his recent audacity to invade her precious Emerald Isle? Was it his newfound ambition to enter the world of business and rise above where he had been placed? To grasp what she believed should be forever out of his reach?

But each of these answers didn't feel quite right. It felt like a mask she had worn for so long that she barely recognized her own face beneath it.

The truth was, Nico had hit a nerve deeper than she'd realized.

The resentment and hatred that bubbled just under her skin. The frustration she felt whenever she saw him stepping backward or forward. It wasn't just about him.

No, Nico had been right.

Her hatred for him was just a reflection of how much she loathed certain truths about herself. She had grown up in a world where her mother had taken what was her own birthright from her and given it to someone else.

All these years, she had used her parties, her lifestyle, her endless number of distractions to mask it, to pretend she was perfectly content.

But it was a lie. Nico had somehow exposed this lie in mere minutes, revealing the scars she'd tried so hard to bury, she'd forgotten their existence.

And now, as she stared into the darkness under her covers, her eyes were finally open.

She could see it clearly. She hated herself for her own inaction, for her own acceptance of the cards she'd been dealt. She hated herself for letting her mother's decisions go uncontested.

In that moment, she realized that her hatred for Nico was just a misplaced resentment for her own lack of courage, her own failure to fight for what was rightfully hers.

She sighed. A long sigh that felt like the release of years of pent up frustration. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

What did she even feel for Nico now? It was hard to say. She didn't care about the Voss empire the way her other sisters did. She had no interest in it.

But there was one thing she couldn't deny. She wanted what was hers, what her mother had taken from her and handed to her sister.

She couldn't keep lying to herself, hiding behind bitterness and false superiority.

It was time for her to make her own moves, to fight for herself. She was tired of being the passive observer in her own life.

With her new resolution, Jenny sat up, grabbing her phone from the nightstand.

She needed to leave everything behind. She would go back to New York, rebuild herself on her own terms, take back what was hers and one day, she would return to Crownsborough.

When she stood before Nico again, she'd do so with confidence. Whether she hated him or not wouldn't matter. What mattered was that she'd be standing tall for herself.

But before that, there was one final thing she had to take care of.

Clicking on her phone, she dialed Quinn's number, waiting as the line rang. When finally Quinn picked up, Jenny spoke. "Hi."

"Hi." Quinn replied. Jenny knew they had left things in a bad place and she wanted to set things right.

"Can we meet? There's something I want to talk to you about."

Quinn paused before answering. "Okay."

The meeting was set and Jenny abandoned her bed, taking her bath and looking her best.

She finally packed her bags and stood in the middle of the room, looking around it. This place had been her sanctuary. Her place to hide from the realities around her. When she returns, it won't be to hide but to relax.

She took one last look around before making her way to the dock. Her bags were loaded and she left, feeling a strange sense of closure.

It didn't take her too long to get to the Cafe De La Paix. She was glad to see that Quinn was already there waiting.

She sat down in front of her friend who eyed her warily.

"Quinn." Jenny said, a small smile on her face. "Thanks for meeting me."

Quinn nodded, not saying anything. It was typical of her friend. The very first friend she'd made in Crownsborough.

"I wanted to… apologize." Jenny said, hoping Quinn would be able to hear the sincerity in her voice. "I said some things about Nico and painted a picture that… wasn't entirely true."

Quinn stared at her, surprised. She clearly hadn't been expecting to be apologized to.

"I realize now that what I did was wrong." Jenny continued. "I let my own feelings get in the way and I may have pushed my own resentment onto Nico."

"I never stopped to really think about how my words would affect you or him. For that, I'm sorry."

Quinn's expression softened and after a moment, she placed her hand on Jenny's. "Thank you, Jenny. It takes a lot to admit that."

They shared a small, understanding smile and Jenny knew. They're relationship wasn't as good as new but it was definitely much better than before.

"I also wanted to let you know," Jenny said, "that I'll be going back to New York for a while."

"There are… things I need to sort out. But I'll be back, eventually. And when I am, I want to come back as… well, myself. Someone I can be proud of."

Quinn looked at her with a mixture of understanding and sadness. "I'll miss you, Jenny."

The two women sat together for a few moments. Then, Jenny stood and they embraced in a hug that felt both final and hopeful.

As Jenny turned to leave, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

Now that this was settled, it was time to fight for herself and build a life that was truly her own. Whether she ever hated Nico or not didn't matter. What mattered was that she was finally free.

Free to look life in the eye.

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