Page 78 of Stuck with my Boss Daddies

Love.

My throat went tight, and I turned away, staring out at the street as the town slowly came to life.

I wasn’t sure if what I had with Kai—what I had with any of them—could even be considered anything real.

And if it was, it was tangled up in so much more.

Hayley waited, patient as always.

I swallowed hard, fingers tightening around my mug. “I made a mess of life, Hayley. That’s why I’m back here.”

She didn’t say anything, just gave me the space to speak.

I exhaled, the words pressing against my ribs like they had been trapped inside me for too long. “There was a man. My boss. We… we had a thing.”

Hayley’s expression didn’t change, but I could see the shift in her eyes—the quiet understanding, the worry.

“It wasn’t supposed to be anything serious,” I continued. “Just a fling. But then it got… messy.”

Hayley’s fingers curled around her mug. “Messy how?”

As messy as it could get with three bosses, if I let it.

I let out a bitter laugh. “I thought I was in control. That I could keep it casual. But he had power, Hayley. Over me, over my job, my reputation. And when he was done with me, he made sure I was done too.”

Her face darkened. “He fired you?”

“Worse,” I murmured. “He made sure no one else would hire me. Ruined my name, my career. Everything I built… gone, just like that.”

Hayley inhaled sharply. “Sadie…”

I shook my head, blinking back the sting of tears. “I was stupid. I should have seen it coming.”

“No,” she said firmly. “You weren’t stupid. He was a predator, and he took advantage of his position. That’s not on you.”

I swallowed hard, letting her words settle over me.

I had spent so long blaming myself, replaying every mistake, every misstep, convincing myself I had deserved it.

But hearing Hayley say it out loud made it feel… different.

Lighter.

She reached over, squeezing my hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

I nodded, exhaling slowly. “That’s why I came back. I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

Her grip on my hand tightened. “You always have somewhere to go, Sadie. You have me. And this town? It’s still yours if you want it.”

The lump in my throat thickened. “I don’t know what I want.”

Hayley gave me a soft smile. “Then maybe you don’t have to figure it all out right now. Maybe you just take the first step.”

I let out a shaky breath, nodding. Maybe she was right. Maybe I didn’t need all the answers yet.

Maybe I just needed to stop running.

“I do know that I want to help,” I admitted, the words tasting right. “The orphanage… Willow Creek. I want to find a way to give back, to help kids like me.”

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