Betty’s POV
Campus was alive with the buzz of new beginnings. Laughter spilled across the quad as students greeted one another, some pulling suitcases toward dorms, others tossing a football under the crisp autumn sky. I’d once been part of that rhythm—eager, bright-eyed, and ready to dive into whatever came next. But now, stepping back into this world felt like I was forcing myself to fit into a space that had changed while I was gone.
The weight of everything hit me as soon as I unlocked my dorm room door. My desk was buried under unopened mail and the portfolio I’d been avoiding since I left for the farmhouse. I set my bags down, but instead of unpacking, I slumped into the desk chair, spinning slowly as I stared at the chaos I’d left behind.
A chime from my phone brought me back to the moment. Brent’s name lit up the screen: Missing you already. But I’ll keep the farm standing.
I smiled, my chest aching with the familiar tug of longing. I wanted to call him, to hear his steady voice and let it drown out the storm in my head, but before I could type a reply, Carlos burst through the door.
“Betty! Dana sent her latest notes on the magazine feature!” he exclaimed, waving a stack of papers like a victory flag. “She wants us to focus on personal dynamics—relationships, rivalries, the whole juicy underdog story.”
I groaned, massaging my temples. “Why can’t she just focus on our designs? That’s the story, Carlos.”
“You know how these things work.” He shrugged, dropping the papers onto my cluttered desk. “Drama sells.”
The words lingered as he left, leaving me alone with the mountain of responsibilities I’d been trying to ignore.