Chapter 3
Monday morning, as I walked up to the office building, Andrew's car caught my eye.
His black Maybach was parked right at the entrance, impossible to miss.
Leaning against the car door, Andrew was dressed in a suit, holding the breakfast I always got from my favorite spot.
When he saw me, he frowned and strode over.
"You've been sulking for two days. Over it now?" Andrew asked as he held out the breakfast, his tone patronizingly indulgent.
I didn't take it.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, looking at him.
Seemingly annoyed by my cold attitude, Andrew lowered his voice. "Lily said she wants your sweet and sour pork ribs. Come home with me tonight, and let's move on."
Move on.
In his mind, leaving my mom stranded at the station, handing over what I worked for to Lily, and letting her use my personal stuff, none of it mattered.
All it takes is a breakfast and a casual "come home," and suddenly everything's forgiven.
Looking at the man I once loved, I suddenly felt utterly disgusted.
"Andrew, did you even look at the divorce settlement agreement I sent you yesterday?" I asked, stepping back to put some distance between us.
His face darkened. "Charlotte, don't take my kindness for granted. I came all the way here to pick you up, what more do you want from me?"
Just then, the passenger door swung open.
Lily stepped out, dressed in a white dress.
Her face was pale, she looked so delicate, like she needed someone to protect her.
"Charlotte, don't be mad at Andy," Lily said, walking over and naturally linking her arm with Andrew's.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have had that soup or worn your pajamas. I came with Andy to get you today, please, give him another chance," Lily continued.
It was rush hour, and the area outside the office was packed with people coming and going.
My coworkers were starting to stare at us.
Andrew gave Lily's hand a reassuring pat, then shot me a cold look.
"Look at Lily, she's not feeling well, but she still came all this way to apologize. Can't you show a little compassion, be the bigger person for once?" Andrew demanded.
Watching them play the perfect couple, I nearly laughed out loud.
"Lily, you don't need to act like this," I said, looking at her. "That soup? I might as well have fed it to the dogs. And those pajamas? I can't stand them anymore, so you can have them."
Lily's face turned ghostly pale, her eyes welled up with tears.
"Charlotte, how could you say something like that?" she whispered, barely holding back tears.
"Charlotte!" Andrew's voice shot up, and he stepped forward, his eyes cold and menacing.
"What's with the attitude? It's just some soup and some clothes. Is it really that big of a deal? Why are you being so harsh?" Andrew snapped.
He said I was heartless.
I cooked for them every day, dealt with his mom's endless criticism, and in the end, he called me heartless.
"Andrew," I said calmly, watching him stand protectively in front of Lily, "Monday morning at nine. Courthouse. Let's get this over with."
Andrew froze, completely stunned.
He never saw it coming, I actually said it with everyone watching.
"If you don't show up, I'll file for divorce myself," I said, my voice steady.
With that, I turned and walked into the office building, ignoring the shocked stares from my coworkers.
Andrew's furious voice rang out behind me.
"Charlotte! If you walk out now, even if you beg me on your knees, I'll never get back together with you!" Andrew shouted.
I didn't even bother to look back, I just kept walking.
As soon as I sat down at my desk, my phone buzzed.
Ryan texted me: [Charlotte, I found the account in Andrew's name that holds your marital assets. It shows a large transfer scheduled for this morning.]
I gripped my phone tighter and replied: [Who's getting the money?]
Ryan: [The recipient is Lily. 167,000. dollars]
Staring at the number on my screen, a chill ran through me, I felt frozen to the core.
One hundred sixty-seven thousand dollars was a fortune.
That was all the savings I had when we got married, plus his money, all meant for a second home.
That was money I'd worked my ass off for.
Without so much as a heads-up, he was transferring every last dollar to Lily.
I typed, my hands trembling: [Did the transfer go through?]
Ryan replied quickly: [It's a large interbank transfer, still under review. Should hit the account by 2 PM. Charlotte, grab your marriage certificate and ID, and get to the bank ASAP, ask them to freeze the marital assets before the money goes through.]
I shot up from my seat and called to my supervisor, "I need to take the afternoon off!"
I grabbed my bag and bolted out of the office.
Use my money to spoil another woman? Dream on.