Epilogue
Sophia
Looking in the mirror, I only see a shadow of the woman I used to be. A ghost has taken her place—gaunt, sick, and bereft of everything that holds any significance. Thoughts plague my mind, nightmares have taken my ability to sleep, and the world that had once been so beautiful, so colorful, has now turned to a drab shade of gray. Nothing vibrant is left in me or in anything around me.
Who am I?
What have I done?
Sophia Vasco is who my DPS badge says I am. Even that reminds me of what I’ve lost. When I look around, all I see ishim—the man who is my world. The sounds I hear are all echoes of his voice. My skin feels his touch when he’s not there. He’s been away for days now. I can’t even catch a glimpse of him at the office.
Cheryl, the corporate lawyer, told me that the court has agreed to a gag order on the sexual harassment lawsuit. I have no one to talk to about it anyway. She also had my office moved off of the top floor. She said it was to protect me, but I’m sure it was to protect him, too.
It’s killing me to stay away. I am stricken through and through, and I only have myself to blame. I’m not strong enough to face this. I’m not strong enough to stay away from him. My heart is chained to him, belongs to him, and cries out for him every second of every day.
My Dom has left me and taught me the most painful lesson of all.
