Her therapist had said she changed to prove her mother was wrong about her. But Kamila thought it was also to become the person Dad needed her to be when his mental health took a nose dive. Because Dad deserved it—he was the only one who made Kamila feel like she was more than a useless burden on her family.

And changing had been good for Kamila. She discovered how much she loved helping people. She found volunteering incredibly rewarding. She loved having a welcoming home for her friends and family. And she really loved discovering her own signature style.

But getting addicted to that positive attention meant sometimes she meddled. And she wasn’t always authentic. She put too much focus on what others thought of her and not enough on figuring out what was really important to her. What she valued. What she loved. Who she loved.

And whenever Rohan saw her deeply—saw that her parties and clothes and her social media didn’t mean she was frivolous or unworthy—she brushed him off. Flirted a bit and kept things playful.

Maybe because she didn’t think she was worthy. Not good enough to run Emerald. And definitely not good enough for anything serious with Rohan.

She hadn’t overcome all the things her mother had said, at least not as well as she’d thought she had. Kamila rubbed her hands over her face. Good thing she’d already made an appointment with her therapist for next week. She had a lot to talk to her about.

But right now…this decision to keep Emerald and grow it into her dream accounting firm was the first big thing Kamila remembered doing that felt like it was just for her. Not to prove Mom wrong or make Dad proud. Not to impress Rohan or her friends. She was doing this because she loved Emerald, and helping her clients, present and future, was incredibly important to her.

She was doing it because she thought she could do it, and she knew she should.

*  *  *

Eventually Kamila did get some sleep that night, but she woke up with major stomach butterflies about the day in front of her. This wasn’t fair—she’d planned everything for the puppy prom meticulously so she could really enjoy herself on the day of the party. But of course, fate had other plans, and instead, she was a nervous wreck over talking to her father this morning about keeping Emerald.