Chapter 4

Eric shook off his hand.

"This is between Olivia and me. Stay out of it," Eric said.

David said, "City hall stamped it, so I'm not an outsider."

Ben coughed behind the counter and looked down.

Eric looked at me, his voice rough.

"Olivia, I was busy last night. If you're mad, yell at me, but marriage isn't something you should gamble with," Eric said.

"So, you do know it's not something to play games with," I replied.

I handed the file box to David.

Olivia shot Eric a sharp look. "So, when you had me put up 6,000 dollars to run your business, you called it our future. What happened to that?" she demanded.

Eric looked embarrassed for a moment.

Chloe jumped in right away.

"Olivia, we can sort out the money later. Don't put Eric on the spot with everyone watching," she said.

I looked at her.

"Since you want to make things clear, hand back the documents you used for the South Street deal," I said.

Her voice wavered.

"I was the one who organized it," Chloe said.

I replied, "You only worked on the cover."

Eric snapped, "That's enough. Olivia, if you keep this up, I might have to think about whether you should stay in the shop."

I picked up the keys from the counter and handed them back to him.

"You can have the place," I said.

David pushed the door open.

Rain poured down from the eaves.

As I walked out, Eric called after me.

"If you leave today, don't come crawling back to me," he said.

I didn't stop.

That evening, a client from South Street called.

They couldn't get through to Eric, so they found my number in an old email.

"Ms. Lane, we need to see the list of furniture to keep in the old house tomorrow. Chloe said you didn't have that part," they said.

I stood at the kitchen door of Susan's house.

She was inside, chopping vegetables with steady hands.

I said, "That list is in my file box."

The client let out a sigh of relief.

"Could you send it over? My mom can't bear to part with that wooden table. Chloe said everything had to be taken apart, and it made my mom cry right there," they said.

I paused for a moment.

"I'm not with Eric's shop anymore," I said.

There was a pause on the other end.

"We only signed the contract because of your preservation plan," they said.

Before I could respond, Eric called, cutting in.

I ended the call with the client and answered Eric.

Eric didn't waste any time. He started right in with a scolding.

"Where's the list? Chloe needs it for tomorrow, and the client won't stop calling," he said.

"It's in my file box," I replied.

"Then bring it over."

"Eric, I already gave you the keys."

He was barely holding back his anger.

"Cut it out. If the South Street deal goes wrong, how are we going to pay everyone this month? Weren't you always the responsible one?" he said.

Susan stopped chopping vegetables.

I said, "Stop using responsibility to guilt me."

Chloe's voice came through on the line.

"Eric, don't go begging her. I can stay up all night and get it done," she said.

Eric didn't even bother to lower his voice.

"Don't force it. She's the only one who knows the details," he said.

Chloe's voice was choked with tears.

"I knew she looked down on me," she said.

Eric snapped, "Olivia, did you hear that? See what you've put Chloe through?"

I said, "Will her tears get the list done?"

There was silence on the other end.

Susan came out with the dishes and said softly, "Come eat. The food's getting cold."

I hung up.

Ten minutes later, Eric sent me a long message.

[Olivia, I know you only got married out of spite. Bring the list tomorrow, and I'll pretend nothing happened,] he wrote.

I set my phone aside.

David sent me an address.

[I'll go with you to South Street tomorrow morning. The client wants to meet the person who actually put the plan together,] he wrote.