Chapter 4

Early the next morning, Leonard returned home.

He looked like he hadn't slept all night. He had faint dark circles under his eyes. When he walked in, he was carrying breakfast from my favorite restaurant.

If it hadn't been for the photos last night, I probably would have gone soft.

He set the juice on the table, his voice low. "I was at the office last night."

I said, "Oh, were you?"

"Natalie, can we stop fighting? The company's already a mess. You acting like this, it really wears me out," he said.

See? He cheated, moved money, and forged my signature. But in the end, he was the one who was worn out.

I sat down, unwrapped my fork, and asked slowly, "When did you mortgage the nursery my mom left behind?"

He froze. "Who told you?"

"That's not the point. The point is, you used my assets to support another woman. Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I never spent your money on her."

"Oh, so that 400,000-dollar for the climate system's additional payment, where did that come from?"

"That was an investment."

"Oh, so building Rosalind a conservatory counts as an investment. Then what do you call forging my signature to mortgage the nursery?"

His face went completely dark. "Natalie, you've been digging into me?"

I put down my fork and looked up at him. "Leonard, get this straight. I'm not the one doing the digging.

"You're the one who stabbed me in the back, and now you're pissed that I turned around fast enough to catch you."

He held my gaze for a few seconds, then rubbed his forehead and softened his tone. "Okay, I admit I should have talked to you about the nursery. I was wrong.

"But that was for the company's funding round. If this round goes through, we can buy the nursery back soon."

"What about Rosalind?"

"She was just incidental."

Just incidental. Something that cost him over three million dollars. Something that built her a whole conservatory. Something that dragged my marriage and the company's name through the mud.

I looked at him and suddenly felt curious. "Leonard, when exactly did you start thinking I was this easy to fool?"

Annoyance flickered in his eyes. "Do you really have to let things get to this point?"

"Then how would you like it to go? Keep lying to me, wait for the funding to go through, put Rosalind in my place, and then push me out with a smile so you look good?"

His expression changed. Yeah, that said it all.

The last bit of unwillingness in my heart died right then.

Leonard must have realized he'd shown too much. He turned to leave.

I said flatly, "If you walk out that door right now, I'll take it as you admitting everything."

He stopped, stood there with his back to me for a moment, then looked back. "Natalie, yes, I've been seeing Rose outside.

"But don't make me sound so terrible. I never wanted to divorce you."

I almost laughed. "So let me get this straight. You want me to play the dutiful wife, and let her be your precious Rose, and everyone just knows their place?"

He didn't say anything. But his silence was the answer.

I nodded. "Fine. I understand."

He seemed unsettled by how calm I was. He stepped forward. "Natalie, I really do have feelings for you."

"You have feelings for me. So you mortgaged my land to build her a conservatory."

"I told you, that was an investment."

"You have feelings for me. So you forged my signature."

"That was for the company."

"You have feelings for me. So you spent our anniversary with me, then went to stay up all night with her, waiting for the flowers to bloom."

A vein pulsed at his temple.

I stood up and looked him straight in the eye. "Leonard, you don't love me. You just can't give up the parts of me that are useful to you."

His face went cold instantly. "If you insist on seeing it that way, there's nothing I can do."

"Fine, don't bother explaining." I turned and went upstairs.

Behind me, his voice came out tight with anger. "Natalie, don't regret this."

I didn't stop. "Regret? That won't be me."