Chapter 2

2.

The European company had been trying to recruit me for six months as they planned their U.S. market entry. I had turned them down, but they valued my skills so much that they kept the offer open indefinitely.

I always thought I would work at the company Grant and I built until I retired. I never imagined this day would come.

Just as I was finishing up my handover notes, I received the draft of the divorce agreement from Wallace.

He advised me to find concrete evidence of Grant's infidelity to get a more favorable settlement.

I emailed a digital copy of the agreement to Grant and printed a hard copy. I tried to call him, wanting him to see it. If he refused to sign, I would file a lawsuit.

But he never answered his phone.

Frustrated, I was about to drive to the office to find him when my phone finally rang. It was Grant.

"So now you're in a hurry to talk?"

"Claire, I think you need time to cool off. We're adults, let's not be driven by emotions."

"I have an important business dinner tonight, so I won't be coming home. You should really think about whether you're being too emotional," Grant said, his voice calm and controlled, as if he had everything figured out.

Before he finished, I heard Amber's sweet voice in the background, "Grant, hurry over, I need your help!"

The line went dead.

An important business dinner? So his "work" was just entertaining Amber.

A bitter taste filled my mouth. When we were first married, he wouldn't even hold my hand in public, saying it was too unprofessional.

But now, his Instagram was filled with affectionate photos of him and Amber.

Love really is a miracle cure. It healed all his "can'ts." The roses he couldn't give me, he could give her. The public affection he couldn't show me, he could show her.

He stabbed my heart, again and again.

I pushed the thoughts away and immediately met with my team and the head of the new company, Damian. We finalized everyone's compensation packages.

Damian was a recent Wharton grad who had just moved back from London. He wasn't very familiar with the local Texas market, so he asked me a lot of questions.

The more I talked to him, the more certain I was that this was the right decision.

After the meeting, my team gathered around me. "Claire, listen to us. You have to get rid of a scumbag like Grant."

"You've got the looks, the body, the brains… why are you wasting your time on him? That Damian guy seemed pretty great."

I could only manage a bitter smile.

I remembered when he pursued me so passionately on our college campus, promising to love me forever.

But people change. Now he was a pathological liar who hurt me at every turn.

And maybe I was the one who let him become this way.

In the beginning, I loved him so much. No matter what he did wrong, a few sweet words were all it took for me to forgive him.

He must have thought I had no backbone, because he just got worse.

Eventually, his mistakes were met with nothing more than a casual remark. If I didn't give in, he would start making my life difficult.

Today, he finally crossed a line I could no longer tolerate.

It was me. I was the one who gave him the chances to hurt me, over and over, foolishly hoping he would change. I was so naive.

I shook my head, changing the subject. "My treat tonight! Texas BBQ and drinks to celebrate!"

We partied late into the night before I finally headed home.

Exhausted, I opened the door to my house, ready to collapse into bed. But there was Grant, who had said he wasn't coming home, sitting on the living room sofa as if he'd been waiting for me all night.

He frowned when he saw me. "Where have you been? A business dinner until this hour?"

I almost laughed. Just because he said he didn't like it, I would always wait outside after any event with alcohol, letting the smell fade before I came home.

He had no idea that more than half of our company's biggest deals were closed by me in settings just like that.

And for what? A while ago, Amber had sent me a video, gloating.

In it, she was tipsy, looking at him with puppy-dog eyes. "I'm sorry, Grant. I know you don't like it when people drink. I won't do it again."

Grant cupped her face, his voice soft. "Silly girl. Drink if you want to. It's just socializing, I get it." And then he leaned in and kissed her.

Remembering that, I replied coldly, "Weren't you staying out tonight?"

Grant sighed, pointing to a takeout bag on the coffee table. "I was worried you wouldn't eat dinner by yourself. I brought you your favorite Thai food."

I used to love him so much I lost myself.

Every time we fought, I'd be the one crawling back within two hours to make up.

This time, however, I hadn't responded to a single one of his texts all day.

He must have finally realized something was seriously wrong.

I looked at the food he brought. It was all my favorite dishes.

But I didn't touch it. First, he hurts me deeply, then he tries to win me back with these cheap gestures. It was his classic move. I wasn't falling for it again.

Grant didn't notice my mood. He thought he could smooth things over like he always did. His expression softened. "Alright, this silent treatment is pointless. We're adults, let's be rational."

"About Amber, I admit I could have handled it better. But you need to transfer the MegaCorp account to her. It's a great growth opportunity."

"She's actually very capable. You've just always been biased against her and never gave her a chance to shine."

"If you cooperate this time, I'll consider reassigning you to a more promising project. It's what's best for the company, and for us."

So that's why he came home. That's why he brought me takeout for the first time in ages.

It was all for Amber.

He really must love her, to be willing to put on this whole act for me during a cold war.

I sneered. "Fine."

A smirk played on Grant's lips. My quick surrender didn't surprise him; he'd seen this play out many times before. "See? That's the Claire I know. Rational and professional."

"You need to think about the bigger picture. We built this company from nothing. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."

"Anyway, it's over now. Go draft the handover documents."

I pulled my employee ID from my pocket and tossed it onto the coffee table in front of him. "Why stop at one account? Let her have my job title, too."