Chapter 5

There was a brief pause on the line, then Molly's voice changed, sounding a bit reproachful. "I'm not just siding with Tom, but have you ever thought maybe you might be part of the problem?"

I laughed. "What's wrong with me?"

She said, "You're too strong-willed. Tom's told me that even though he has the CEO title at the company, every little thing still needs your say-so."

"Men have their egos. How do you think he feels about that?"

I stayed silent, and Molly kept trying to persuade me. "I've been through this before. In a marriage, you both need to make concessions. Sometimes, you could try being a little softer. Men like that."

I scoffed and said, "Molly, your son is living in my villa, driving the car I bought, spending the money I earned, and still gets to call himself CEO at Baxter Group. Isn't that enough for him?"

I pretended to be considerate. "Maybe I'll switch out the CEO at Baxter Group tomorrow and let Tom stay home and be the gentle one for a change. Would he go for that?"

Molly was left speechless.

I continued, "If you really want to help your son, tell him to stop making a fool of himself out there. Next time, it won't just be about him mooching off me. He won't even have a meal to eat."

With that, I hung up and headed back to the hall to keep drinking.

After the birthday party wrapped up, I stood at the hotel entrance, shaking hands with each boss as they left. Once the last guest drove off, I finally slid into my own car.

By the time I got back to the villa, it was already past eleven.

The living room lights were on, but nobody was around.

I changed my shoes and headed upstairs, pushed open the master bedroom door. No one was in there.

Tom still hadn't come home.

I went back to my bedroom and picked up my phone. No missed calls, no unread messages, but there was a notification on my Instagram feed.

I opened it up. It was a post from Erika.

The photo was shot from inside a car, showing the man in the driver's seat, holding the steering wheel, a barely-there smile on his lips.

The caption read: [When you're feeling down, having someone take you for a drive, buy you new clothes, and just be there to cheer you up is so heartwarming. Some people seem perfect on the outside, but deep down, they're cold and ungrateful. They never know how to cherish what's right in front of them.]

The location tag showed it was on a winding mountain road on the outskirts of town.

Sure enough, the guy behind the wheel was Tom.

He was still in that dark gray suit from the party, tie loosened, top two buttons undone. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world.

There was a shopping bag on the passenger seat, the luxury logo just barely visible.

Erika sure went straight for the jugular with this one.

I set my phone down and walked into the closet. I opened a drawer tucked away in the corner, where I kept a bunch of old keepsakes.

At the very bottom, there was a red box. I took it out and opened it. It was a necklace.

The chain was silver, with a heart-shaped rose quartz pendant. The craftsmanship was rough, clearly something picked up from a market stall.

This was the first necklace Tom ever gave me, back when we were in college.

He was broke then, so he scrimped and saved two months of living expenses to buy it from a little trinket shop by the back entrance of the university.

I kept it all these years, not because it was valuable, but for the sentiment behind it.

I took the necklace out of the box. The chain had started to tarnish, and the rose quartz had lost its shine. It was not worth a thing anymore, just like how some people's feelings faded too.

I threw the necklace in the trash, snapped a photo, and posted it to my feed with the caption: [If it's dirty, just toss it.]

Then I hit send.

Tom came home about half an hour later.

He pushed open the bedroom door, marched right up to me, and held out his phone, showing my post. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Exactly what it says," I replied.

His chest rose and fell with frustration. "Do you even realize how many people have been calling and texting me, asking what's going on? How am I supposed to explain this?"

"Explain what?" I sat up straight and looked him in the eye. "Tom, I told you I'd give you three chances. You've used them all up."

I enunciated every word. "And you've crossed my boundaries."

His face turned red with anger. "Leslie, you've changed. You used to be so understanding and easygoing, but now you're always making a big deal out of nothing."

I stood up and walked right up to him. "Tom, it's not me who's changed. It's you who has forgotten who gave you everything you have now.

"Baxter Group? The startup money came from Vortex Group. The first big deal was handed to you by Vortex Group. Even the office building belongs to Vortex Group. You only got to be CEO because I allowed it."

My gaze went cold. "Tom, do you really think I'm the one who's changed? Or do you just think you've grown wings and don't have to respect me anymore?"

Tom's fists clenched, his jaw tight with anger. "Do you have to be so harsh with your words?"

I let out a short laugh. "It only sounds harsh because it's the truth."