Page 44 of My CEO Neighbor
Monica stood on her toes to kiss him goodbye, and Ted felt that familiar flutter of gratitude for whatever cosmic accident had trapped them in an elevator together.
"Good luck today," Monica said."Not that you need it."
"Thanks.You too.Try not to corrupt any corporate warriors with your breathing techniques."
"No promises."
Ted left Monica's apartment feeling like he could conquer the world, or at least successfully launch a software platform without having a stress-induced cardiac event.The drive to CyberHub was peaceful rather than frantic, Ted's mind clear and focused instead of churning with anxiety.
The launch went flawlessly.CloudSync 2.0 exceeded every performance metric, user adoption was ahead of projections, and the press coverage was overwhelmingly positive.By six PM, Ted's team was celebrating in the break room with champagne and the kind of genuine joy that came from achieving something meaningful together.
"Speech!"Jennifer called out, raising her glass.
Ted looked around at the faces of people who'd believed in his vision, who'd worked countless hours to turn an idea into reality.A year ago, this moment would have been pure validation, proof that he was worthy of the risks people had taken on him.
"A year ago," Ted said, "I thought success meant proving I was worthy of your faith in me.I thought it meant working harder than everyone else, sacrificing more, caring more about the outcome than anyone thought reasonable."
The room was quiet, listening.
"I was wrong," Ted continued."Success isn't about proving anything.It's about building something meaningful with people you trust, that makes the world a little bit better.It's about balance—caring deeply about your work without letting work consume everything else that matters."
Ted raised his glass."So here's to all of you, for making this possible.And here's to whatever we build next."
The team cheered, and Ted felt the kind of satisfaction that went deeper than profit margins or market share.This was what achievement was supposed to feel like—shared, sustainable, connected to something larger than ego.
Ted left the office at seven-thirty, a reasonable hour that would have been unthinkable six months ago.The drive home was peaceful, his mind already shifting from work to dinner with Monica, to the conversation they'd been building toward about his next venture.
He found Monica in her kitchen, cooking a meal that smelled like heaven and looked like it required actual culinary skill.
"You were supposed to bring takeout," Monica said, accepting his kiss without turning away from the stove.
"I got inspired.How did the launch go?"
"Perfectly.Better than perfectly."Ted wrapped his arms around Monica's waist, breathing in the scent of her hair."And I had an idea I wanted to run by you."
"Oh?"
"What would you think about a wellness app?One that combines corporate productivity tools with actual stress management, meditation features, breathing exercises.A platform that helps companies support employee wellbeing instead of just extracting maximum output."
Monica turned in his arms, her expression bright with interest."That's...actually brilliant.You could reach people who would never set foot in a yoga studio but desperately need these tools."
"Exactly.And I was thinking...maybe you'd want to be my co-founder.Help design the wellness components, ensure everything is authentic rather than just corporate wellness theater."
Monica's smile was radiant."Ted Corwin, are you asking me to go into business with you?"
"I'm asking if you want to change the world together."
"Is that your idea of a romantic gesture?"
"Is it working?"
Monica kissed him, deep and sweet and full of possibility."It's working."
