The man who flirted with me at the company party turned out to be the new CEO. Twelve hours later, he caught me scrubbing the office floors in a janitor’s uniform.When Nate kicked me out, I didn’t even get to ask “why.” I packed our life into trash bags in under forty minutes while my daughter slept in the car. We ended up in a leaky studio apartment, cold and cramped—but it was ours. I told myself we’d hold on a little longer.

After maternity leave, job interviews felt terrifying. But Kenzie, my best friend from design school, encouraged me to apply at her media company. “You’re talented, Marley. Don’t hide it.” I tried. But the Head of HR, Cheryl, glanced at my resume and offered me cleaning work instead of a design job. I took it.

Cleaning isn’t shameful. Giving up is. So I mopped floors and scrubbed screens while dreaming of building the things I used to design. One night, during the office holiday party, Kenzie dragged me into a borrowed gown and into the crowd. That’s when I met him—Rowan. Charming. Kind. We talked design, dreams, and life. I didn’t know he was the CEO.

The moment was perfect—until it wasn’t. A spilled drink, a ruined dress, and I vanished into the night. I worked harder after that, hiding behind a mop. Until Cheryl confronted me with a photo from the party and accused me of stealing attention—and the dress. As I stood drenched and humiliated on the marble stairs, Rowan appeared.He helped me up. Recognized me. Said my name.I ran again.

Later, I returned to the office to collect my things, only to find Cheryl rifling through my locker. She sneered and called me a thief. But then Rowan arrived and shut it all down. “She’s not a cleaner—she’s a designer. I’ve seen her work.” Cheryl stammered. Rowan turned to me and said, “You’re not mopping floors anymore.”That day, everything changed. I wasn’t invisible. I was seen. And the CEO? He asked me to dinner—strictly business, of course.But something tells me… it’s just the beginning.