Chapter 5
Damien's words were earnest and full of remorse and affection.
Before yesterday, reading this might've made me soften up, maybe even feel touched, thinking he was just lost for a moment.
But now, staring at these carefully spun sentences, my stomach churned with disgust.
He was still acting. He was pretending to be the perfect, loving husband.
He really thought his sugar-coated lies could just erase what happened last night and make me obediently hand over the money, no questions asked.
Then, another message popped up.
Damien: [Babe, I know you're still mad. So tonight, I booked a table at Nightshade, the spot where we had our first date. My mom and Caleb will be there too, so they can apologize to you. Let's clear the air, okay? Don't let this little thing come between us.]
Nightshade. A setup if I ever saw one.
I could already picture it. His family dropped yesterday's arrogance, fawning over me, staging a show of family harmony, and then, once the drinks flowed and defenses lowered, pulling out some new trick to scheme against me.
My finger hovered over the screen, a cold smile tugging at my lips.
They wanted to see me embarrassed. They wanted me to play the foolish idiot.
I picked up my phone, didn't bother replying to Damien, and called my dad straight away.
He answered on the first ring, his voice steady. "Connie, what's the matter?"
I told him everything that happened yesterday, and filled him in on the texts Damien sent me this morning.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"He's a scheming guy," my dad said, his voice turning cold. "Damien's got more tricks up his sleeve than I realized. Since the hard approach didn't work, he's switching to the soft sell."
"Dad, what should I do?" I asked.
"Go," he replied, catching me off guard. "Why not? They've set the stage, and you're just gonna skip the show? Buy yourself a new recorder, keep it hidden on you, and make sure you get every word they say from start to finish. I want to see what kind of games they'll try to play."
His words steadied me right away.
My dad was right. I couldn't back down, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let them see me flinch.
I would go, and not just to show up. I would like to see just how shameless they could really get.
I shot Damien a quick reply: [Alright, see you at the restaurant at 7 pm.]
That afternoon, I made a point to hit the mall and pick up a recorder disguised as a pen. Then I got my hair done and put on a flawless makeup look.
Staring back at me in the mirror, my eyes were bright and clear, a faint smile playing on my lips, showing not the slightest sign of turmoil.
At 7 pm sharp, I walked into Nightshade.
Sure enough, Damien, Mattie, and Caleb were already seated by the window.
As soon as he saw me, Damien stood up and hurried over, wearing that perfect mix of apology and tenderness on his face. "Honey, you made it."
He reached for my hand, but I casually avoided his touch, making sure he didn't get to hold me.
Mattie and Caleb had totally flipped their attitude.
"Connie, you're here! Come, sit down." Mattie beamed, her face creased with an over-the-top smile as she fussed over me. "Yesterday was my fault, I was out of line and said some nonsense. Don't take it to heart, okay?"
Even Caleb managed not to scowl for once. He stood up, looking awkward and forcing out a stiff, "Connie."
For a while, glasses clinked, and everyone was acting like everything was fine.
They did not mention money at all. Instead, they kept putting food on my plate, reminiscing about the sweet moments from when Damien and I were dating, as if yesterday's fierce confrontation had been nothing but an illusion.
Damien kept giving me these puppy-dog eyes, all desperate and lovesick.
If I hadn't already seen through him, I might've got sucked in by his performance all over again.
After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, everyone was loosened up, and the vibe was easygoing.
Damien thought the timing was just right. He cleared his throat, pulled a document out of his briefcase, and slid it over to me.
He looked at me with deep emotion. "Connie, I know last night made you feel insecure. It's all my fault. To prove I mean it and help you feel safe, let's sign this. From now on, you'll handle every cent, my salary, my savings, everything. I'm handing it all over to you."
His voice was dripping with tenderness, almost enough to make anyone melt.
Mattie smiled and said, "Exactly, Connie! And you'll be the official lady of the Rowe household. Big stuff, small stuff, it's all up to you now. Whatever you say goes!"
Caleb chimed in, looking awkward, "Come on, Connie. Damien has already laid it all out. Just let him save a little face, alright? Sign it, and we're still one big family."