Chapter 4
The only one with enough guts to actually look at me was the receptionist. She stared, mouth hanging open, and finally squeezed out, "M-Morning, Mason."
"Morning," I replied.
I swiped my card to get in, sat down at my desk, and fired up my computer—just like any other day.
Even the sound of typing was weirdly soft today.
No one said a word, but I could feel everyone staring at me.
Dexter, who sat across from me, finally couldn't hold it in anymore. He leaned over and whispered, "Mason, you alright?"
I said, "I'm fine. Did you get a chance to review the module I pushed for testing yesterday?"
"Uh, not yet."
"Get it reviewed this morning, and we'll do the integration this afternoon."
"Okay."
He quickly ducked back down.
The office went back to its usual typing rhythm.
About twenty minutes later, I heard footsteps in the hallway outside my cubicle.
They were fast—the hurried clack of heels on the floor.
It was getting closer.
The door to the tech department was pushed open.
Emily stood in the doorway.
She clearly hadn't slept all night; her eyes were swollen, her hair hastily tied back in a messy ponytail, no makeup, lips cracked and dry.
She was still wearing yesterday's clothes.
The sound of typing in the office instantly stopped.
Thirty-plus heads snapped toward her.
Emily's gaze swept past everyone and zeroed in on me.
"Mason." Her voice shook. "Come out. We gotta talk."
"Come out. We gotta talk."
I didn't move.
I kept my eyes on the code on my screen.
"Mason!" She raised her voice.
I looked up from my monitor and glanced at her.
I stayed cool. "Take it up with HR. I'm working."
"Take it up with HR. I'm working."
"You—" Her eyes grew misty, and her lips quivered as she bit down on them.
Dexter, sitting next to me, quietly scooted his chair back a bit. Kaeden, across from me, angled his monitor like he was trying to secretly record the drama.
Emily took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and walked over to my desk. "Do you have any idea how much trouble that message you sent last night has caused me?"
I said, "Yeah, I know."
"Delete it, then."
"No way."
"Mason."
"Emily," I said, putting down my mouse and turning to face her. "At 2 AM, your intern sent your husband a pic, showing off that you were crashing at his place. Who do you think should deal with the fallout for that?"
She went red in the face. "It's not what you think. Aidan and I are just—"
"Whatever's going on between you and Aidan isn't my concern right now," I cut her off, taking a folder from my drawer. "This is."
I opened the folder, revealing a printed draft of the divorce agreement.
When Emily saw the word "divorce," her face went pale.
"You... you're divorcing me?" she said.
"It's already in motion. The official agreement will be ready this afternoon. I'll send it to you on WhatsApp," I said.
"Are you out of your mind? You're divorcing me over a stupid misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding?"
I picked up my phone and pulled up the photo Aidan had sent me.
I held the screen right in front of her.
"I got you that blanket last year during the big November sale, 2,500 dollars," I said, pointing at the photo. "When you brought it over to his place, did you mention the price?"
Emily's lips quivered. "I just... I worked late that night, and it was too far to go home—"
"Your office is only a twenty-minute drive from home. Aidan's place is all the way out east, forty minutes by subway from work."
She was at a loss for words.
I put my phone away. "Go home and wait for the agreement. I've got work to do."
"Mason! Just listen to me—"
"Emily," I said, my voice calm but firm. "This is my office. You're already distracting my coworkers. Please leave."
She stood there, her nails digging into her palms.
Tears started streaming down her face.
But I noticed something; even while she was crying, her eyes were scanning the room, checking how everyone was reacting.
She was searching for anyone who looked like they felt sorry for her.
It was subtle, but I caught it.
"Get out," I repeated.
She gritted her teeth and turned to leave.
Her heels clicked away down the hall, and the door shut behind her.
The office was silent for five seconds.
Then Dexter turned to me and said, "Holy shit, Mason."
Kaeden peeked out from behind his monitor. "Mason, you were so badass just now Wait, no, I mean, are you okay?"
I put the folder back in my desk drawer.
"Get that module reviewed before you clock out today."
"Got it."
I went back to my screen.
The code was still there.
The logic was clear, no bugs, not like my marriage.