Chapter 3
Now that I'd made it into Edward's office, there was no way I was just gonna walk out without a fight.
I stalled for ages, making a dozen trips to the bathroom just to kill time.
Then I pulled the classic "I'm too tired to keep my eyes open" move and sprawled out on his couch, refusing to budge.
Because of the meds, I get wiped out way faster than most people.
And honestly, I really did drift off for a bit.
Half-awake, I could've sworn I saw Edward cover me with his jacket.
Meanwhile, Anna kept popping in to see him.
She was always dropping off coffee or handing him files.
And the whole time, she kept glancing my way, like she just couldn't help herself.
I vaguely overheard Anna say, "Mr. Sterling, if this is making things difficult for you, I can get security to escort Ms. Lane out. She's causing a fuss and now everyone's laughing at you."
Edward paused, his pen hovering in the air as he shot her a cold look.
"What did you just call her?" he said.
Anna went pale when Edward stared her down.
She kept biting her lip, looking so pathetic anyone would feel sorry for her.
Edward finally relaxed a little.
His tone softened up. "Go home. No need to work overtime with me tonight."
Anna, who always went along with whatever Edward wanted, was digging her heels in today.
She fidgeted with her fingers, stubbornly refusing to leave.
"Mr. Sterling, back when you were at your lowest, Ms. Lane made you a laughingstock in front of your rivals and snatched away the project you'd spent a year planning. Why are you still letting her mess with your life?" Anna pressed.
Edward's expression turned grim.
He glanced at Anna, her eyes shimmering with tears, and finally spoke up, "It wasn't her fault. I didn't explain things clearly, and she misunderstood."
Anna's eyes brimmed with tears.
Then she said, "It's just a cup of hot water. What else is there to explain?
"Back then, I explained it. I told her I have a heavy workload, and when I'm on my period, I get really bad cramps. You always cut me some slack, so of course you'd remember my cycle.
"But she never believed me. She always took advantage of how much you spoiled her, stirring up drama again and again.
"You always gave in and tried to make peace. Now that you finally got divorced, do you really want to get tangled up in this mess again?"
The next second, Edward swept the papers off his desk.
They hit the floor with a loud bang.
Anna, who'd been all fired up just a moment ago, jolted in shock.
Edward shot me a look.
Then, his voice dropped to a low growl. "Get out!"
I was out for a long time.
By the time I woke up, it was already dark.
The whole office was completely dark, except for the desk lamp shining at Edward's desk.
He was still at his desk, working away.
Even before we got married, Edward was a total workaholic.
Sometimes, he'd get so caught up in work that he'd forget to eat, forget to drink, and even lose track of time.
I used to come up with all sorts of ridiculous excuses just to get him to leave work early.
Like making him go out for milk shake from the west side and pastries from the east side.
Just so he'd leave work early.
Old memories kept popping up in my head.
If it hadn't been for that whole mess, Edward would've actually made a pretty good husband.
After all, he never once turned me down.
When Edward saw I was awake, he closed the file in his hand and pulled his jacket off my shoulders.
Then he turned his back to me.
"Let's go. I'll take you home," he said.
Was he actually waiting for me?
He could've just woken me up.
Anna was nowhere to be seen outside the door. Did she already leave for the day?
But Anna was supposed to be Edward's girlfriend.
She probably wouldn't feel comfortable letting Edward be alone with me.
I thought about it for a second, then just blurted it out.
"Edward, Anna really gives you a lot of freedom, huh? She actually lets you be alone with your ex-wife."
Edward stopped in his tracks and turned around, looking genuinely confused.
"Why would I need her to give me freedom?" he asked.
"Aren't you two together?" I pressed.
He stepped closer, looked me straight in the eye, totally serious.
"No, we're not together," he said.