Ashes of her heart

The hum of Hayes & Co buzzed around Lily like background static. She sat at her new desk, sunlight spilling in through the wide glass windows, illuminating the blank sketchpad in front of her. She had been given her first real task to design the upcoming fall collection to chance to show her skills.

Yet the lead in her hand felt heavy,

Every time the lead touched the blank page, his voice came through,

'You are not good enough, Lily'

'You are not a designer, you are just playing dress up'

'No originality, just scribbles'

Lily gripped her pencil so tightly that her knuckles turned white. No matter how hard she tries, the self-doubt won't go away. Even in the hustle and bustle in the design room, his voice echoed loud enough to her.

Aisha was sitting across, noticing Lily's trembling hands. She didn't say anything, but when she saw how restless Lily was being she silently pushed the coffee cup towards her.

"You okay there?" her voice was low but kind, "you have been staring at the blank page for the past 20 minutes." Hearing her, Lily gave her a weak smile with a small nod.

"Yeah, just first day nerves."

Aisha didn't press further, but she gave her a small smile, which clearly said You are allowed to be nervous, but you belong here.

It calmed Lily's racing heart. She took a deep breath, stared at her blank sheet, and with small encouragement from Aisha Lily, slowly began to draw.

***

Noah had the habit of walking the floor, not to intimidate, but to micromanage; he just wanted to see how his employees worked without him watching over them.

This morning, steps slowed outside the design room.

Through the glass partition, he spotted Lily. head bowed, shoulder tensed, her pencil danced shakingly over the sketch pad, hesitating every few lines, then erasing and redrawing. She was biting her lips, clearly showing how nervous she was. She looked like she was trying to will her thoughts into confidence.

Noah subtly leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He didn't interrupt, nor did she notice.

But something in him stirred. A strange mix of admiration and anger, not at her but at whatever ghost kept her hand from moving freely. He could see it in her eyes, even from this distance, the war between fear and ambition. She wasn't untalented, far from it. Her sketch, half finished already, carried grace in its curves. But there was hesitation in every stroke, like she was constantly bracing for someone to tell her she was wrong.

He'd seen that look before.

He hated that look.

Noah turned and walked away before she could notice. But in his mind, he filed her under watch closer, not because she was struggling but because she was trying to damn hard to rise.

Unknown to him, someone was watching his every move, she curled her hands into to tight fist. Vannes,a team leader of a design team 2. She was the best at her work, but like every other girl, she dreamed of marrying Naoh. She tried every way to gain Noah's attention, but every time he ignored her. He just didn't look at her.

But seeing how Noah's eyes softened every time he looked at Lily. How he stopped watching Lily made her mad. How could an intern gain his attention whom she had been trying to get for years?

"You have messed with the wrong person, Lily... just wait and watch how I'll make your life here a living hell."

***

By mid-afternoon, the sketch was done.

Lily didn't know what she had felt, but after the quiet reminder from Aisha, maybe the feel of the pencil finally flowing without resistance but something inside her unlocked. The lines grew steadier. Her vision sharpened.

She'd spent two hours erasing, redrawing doubting every shape.

Now she sat with a design that made her heart thump.

It wasn't perfect, but it was hers.

Aisha, making rounds through the studio, paused beside her. "Is that the concept for the midnight bloom piece?"

Lily nodded, suddenly shy, "It's... just a draft."

Aisha took the paper gently and studied it, her brows rising. "It's more than a draft. This is good lily really good."

The praise settled like warmth under Lily's skin, unfamiliar, almost too much. She smiled, blinking quickly.

"Im calling Noah," Aisha quickly added, tapping her phone.

Lily froze, "No, i mean, is that necessary?"

But it was too late.

Noah walked in a second later, as if he'd already been nearby. He stepped in quietly, eyes scanning the page before Lily could even say hello.

He didn't say much, just;

"Who drew this?"

Lily hesitated, "I...I did"

He looked at her. "Keep going, that's a strong start."

It wasn't extravagant praise.

But it was the first time in years Lily felt believed in.

Her chest fills her hands lightly.

Someone had seen her work and hadn't picked it apart.

He'd called it strong. And for a moment, the voice of her past, the one that used to tell her she'd never be enough, was silent.

***

The high from that small victory carried her through the rest of the day until her phone buzzed.

She was packing up her sketchpad, tucked neatly into her tote, when she glanced at her screen.

Unknown Number:

"Did you think you'd hide from me forever?"

Her breath caught.

The walls of the studio suddenly felt too close, and the buzz of conversation around her muffled. Her fingers trembled around the phone. The smile she'd been wearing slipped right off, replaced by a hollow stillness.

Lily barely made it to the bathroom before panic hit.

Cold tiles, shaky breaths. That same voice, the one that used to control her every move whispering reminders of how small she used to feel.

She locked the door, pressed her back to the wall, and slid down. Her arms wrapped around her knees as she struggled to pull air into to lungs.

How is that possible?

He's dead

How can he text me? Does he know im here? Do I have to run away again?

No, no, I dont want to

It's nothing, Lily, he won't come here, he can't touch you now.

Not now, not again.

The present blurred memories threatening to drag her under again.

But then a knock

Not loud, just steady.

She wiped her face and forced herself up.

When she stepped out, she didn't expect to see Noah there.

But he was leaning against the wall outside, arms crossed, eyes trained not on her, but on the hallway.

He didn't say a word when he looked at her.

Just offered a bottle of water and a nod.

She took it in surprise.

He noticed the coldness in her fingers. The way her eyes were red. But he didn't ask questions.

"Next time, don't hide in there. Come to the rooftop, fresh air helps."

And then he walked away. No demands, no pressure.

Just quiet presence and something in his tone like he'd been through storms too and knew the weight of breathing through them.

Lily stood there for a long time gripping the bottle. And for the second time that day, she felt something shift inside her.

***

Her Apartment was quiet. To quiet she had closed her door tight, closed down all the windows not even a fly could enter.

Lily stood near the kitchen counter, trying to bake. Baking her favorite cheesecake helped her calm her mind.

The adrenaline had faded, but the anxiety hadn't.

That message, five words, had pulled her halfway back into a world she thought she'd finally escaped. His voice still lingered in her ears, just like the cold grip of his control.

She focused on making the cheesecake, but she kept messing it up. Frustrated, she threw the spatula. She slides down on the kitchen floor, her hands go to her face, elbows on her knees, holding herself together.

She thought about the bathroom earlier. About how she didn't collapse in front of everyone. About Noah, the water bottle, the rooftop, the silence that said more than pity ever could.

She thought of Aisha, her smile, her steady voice, her praise.

"You're good, Lily, you belong here."

A deep breath, then another,

She reached down and picked up the spatula again,

This time she didn't try to make it perfectly, she just mixed the stuff slowly and simply just like she always does, without thinking about anything else than baking that perfect cheesecake.

She finally baked it she stared at it.

"Tomorrow I'll be braver, for me."

The city outside blinked with lights.

The storm inside her hadn't passed completely. But for the first time in a long while, she knew it wouldn't break her.