She was already using Derek’s presence as a weapon against me, even though he had gone there voluntarily.

I called Derek that evening after he finished his shift.

The phone rang four times before he answered, his voice thick with exhaustion.

“Yeah?” he mumbled.

“How are you holding up?” I asked.

“My back hurts,” he said. “My hands are blistered. I didn’t know dirt could get into so many places.”

“Do you want to quit?”

“No,” he said, and there was a sudden sharpness in his tone. “I’m not giving her the satisfaction. She sent me a text today telling me she bought me a ticket to Boston. She wants me to interview at a hedge fund.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I didn’t reply,” he said.

I felt a small tightening in my chest, a mixture of pride and dread.

“We have the board demonstration on Friday,” I said. “The directors will be at the main facility. They want to see the microgrid run a full simulated load.”

“I’ll be there,” he said. “Marcus said I’m ready to help with the physical setup.”