Water Under the Bridge

Elena smoothed her dark hair, the mirror reflecting exhaustion she couldn't hide. The corporate merger announcement had everyone paranoid. Her rival Marcus had been hovering near her office door all morning, taking notes like some corporate spy. She grabbed her padel racket—court time with Sarah was the only thing keeping her sane.

The locker room steam fogged her glasses as she changed. Sarah was already waiting, her golden retriever Buster panting by the bench. "You look like hell," Sarah said, tossing her a water bottle.

"Marcus is following me. I caught him going through my desk yesterday."

Sarah laughed, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Welcome to executive leadership. Everyone's a spy until proven otherwise."

Their game was brutal. Elena slammed the ball against the wall, imagining Marcus's smug expression with every hit. The rhythmic thwack of the padel ball became a meditation.

Afterward, they sat courtside, Buster resting his head on Elena's knee. She drank deeply, the cool water grounding her.

"You know," Sarah said quietly, "Marcus's wife left him last month. Took everything. He's desperate."

Elena's hands stilled. "What?"

"He's not spying on you, Elena. He's trying to figure out how you did it—how you survived the divorce and came out stronger. He thinks you have answers."

The revelation hit like cold water. All this time, she'd thought Marcus was her enemy.

"Oh," she whispered. "I should..."

"Yeah. You should."

Buster licked her hand, and Elena finally let herself breathe.