Chapter 5
My heart skipped a beat, then started thundering in my chest like it was about to explode.
"Being with her is just about duty and habit now," Andrew said, his voice eerily calm, like he was talking about someone else's life.
"If it weren't for Lily and my parents..." He gave a short, bone-chilling laugh. "I wouldn't even glance her way. Whatever love I had is used up. I feel nothing for her now."
Every word he threw out was mean and cold, and it broke my heart.
"Really?" Vanessa purred, pure cat-who-got-the-cream satisfaction in her voice.
"Really," Andrew shot back, fast and hard, no hesitation, voice flat as frozen tundra.
"From the second I met you, I finally knew what a real spark felt like." Andrew's voice was unexpectedly gentle—for someone who wasn't me.
"Charlotte?" he uttered my name with total detachment and exhaustion. "She's like a cup of coffee left out until it's gone cold—absolutely flavorless."
"Pretending we're still those crazy-in-love kids is just me fooling myself." He paused, then delivered the last line like a judge slamming a gavel. "This marriage should've been over years ago."
[What a jerk!]
[Hearing this out loud is more agonizing than binge-watching a hundred videos from Vanessa.]
[Cold coffee, huh? You never said such things when you were chasing after her!]
[Charlotte, just storm in there and slap the crap out of him! Stop holding back—make him eat his words.]
[My heart's breaking for Charlotte. I'm literally crying.]
[Record it, Charlotte. You need evidence.]
My view was flooded with a nonstop barrage of furious, scathing comments, swirling around me like a silent, freezing blizzard.
Those icy comments, mixing with Andrew's even colder words, became a storm of poisoned ice picks—each one stabbing deep into my already battered and broken heart, then exploding, sending a wave of agony through me.
An overwhelming chill and sharp pain crashed over my whole body, my vision flickered black, and my ears rang with the screaming buzz of a thousand furious bees.
The world spun around me, and I could barely stay on my feet.
That last, pathetic hope I'd clung to? Andrew ground it into dust himself—there wasn't even a trace of ash left, nothing to lie to myself with anymore.
I stumbled back, my body slamming hard into the cold wall with a dull thud that echoed through the silent night like a thunderclap.
The voices inside cut off instantly, leaving only a suffocating silence.
"Who's there?" Vanessa shot out, her voice sharp with a mix of annoyed alertness and barely concealed panic beneath.
I couldn't stay another second. Even one more heartbeat here was too much.
I turned and, using every ounce of strength I had left, burst out of that revolting apartment like escaping from hell.
I rushed straight into the thick, icy night—the autumn wind slashing my face like knives, but I couldn't feel a thing.
My heart felt completely gutted, nothing left inside but a huge, hollow void where the cold just howled through.
This was more than enough.
*****
At nine sharp the next morning, I stepped into the executive office on the top floor of Suncrest Financial Group.
Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the city skyline stretched out in all its bustling glory.
Sunlight streamed through the spotless glass, casting bright patches across the carpet.
The air was thick with the scent of premium cigars and expensive leather, a cold, unmistakable fragrance that spoke of power at its absolute peak.
I swapped out my soft loungewear for a razor-sharp, perfectly tailored black Armani blazer and skirt.
The luxurious fabric wrapped around me, sketching out cold, hard lines that matched my mood.
My long hair was pulled back into a tight, immaculate bun, highlighting my smooth forehead and the elegant curve of my neck.
My makeup was spot-on—just enough to cover every trace of last night's wreckage, leaving behind nothing but an emotionless chill, like I was wearing a flawless mask.
Sitting behind my massive mahogany desk, I pressed the intercom button.
My voice came out flat, steady, slicing through the heavy door. "Amy, get Mr. Hayden Brooks from HR."
I paused, then spoke each next word slowly and clearly. "And tell Deputy Director Andrew Shaw in Credit, plus Director Vanessa Grant at Seaview Branch, to come to my office—now."
[Can somebody tell me what's happening?]
[Wait, what the hell is going on?]
[The executive office? She's the chairwoman? Holy shit!]
[Am I losing my mind? Is Charlotte really the chairwoman of Suncrest?]
[What a plot twist! Turns out Andrew and Vanessa have been working for Charlotte this whole time.]
[Oh damn, it's finally payback time. Fire them both, ASAP. Go get 'em, Charlotte—show them who's the boss!]