Chapter 4
Charles stepped out of the restaurant, the night wind cutting straight through his collar, chilling him to the bone.
He stood by the curb for a while.
He didn't smoke, and he didn't make a call.
He just stood there.
After about three minutes, he pulled out his phone and scrolled to a chat he hadn't opened in forever.
He typed and hit send: [Busy?]
The reply came back almost instantly: [Not busy. What's up?]
Charles: [Wanna grab a drink?]
The other person: [Your call.]
Charles sent over the location.
Twenty minutes later, a black Land Rover pulled up to the curb.
The door swung open, and a man stepped out.
Nathan Wade.
He was Charles's college roommate. After graduation, he dove into investment banking, and now he ran his own fund.
Nathan was one of the few in their circle who knew the truth about Charles, including his real background, not just the public image.
Nathan spotted Charles standing under the streetlight, his suit immaculate and his tie still tight, but no matter how put-together he looked, he couldn't hide the exhaustion in his eyes.
"Who bullied you?" Nathan joked as he walked over.
"I'm just being hard on myself," Charles said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Come on, let's get a drink."
They walked into a quiet bar.
They settled into a booth in the corner, where the dim lighting and smooth jazz set a relaxed vibe.
They poured themselves some whiskey and clinked their glasses together.
Charles took a sip of his drink and briefly summed things up for Nathan.
His tone stayed flat from start to finish, like he was narrating someone else's story.
Nathan listened, swirling his glass.
"So, you broke up?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah," Charles replied.
"What about the house?"
"It's back in my name."
"She agreed?"
"She didn't have a choice," Charles said, swirling the ice in his glass. "I put down the down payment and paid the mortgage every month. I only put her on the title because I thought we'd get married eventually. But that's not happening anymore."
Nathan nodded.
They sat in silence for a moment.
"When did you find out?" Nathan asked.
"Five days ago," Charles replied.
"You found out five days ago and only confronted her today?" Nathan raised an eyebrow. "So what were you doing all that time?"
"I was looking into things," Charles said. "Had to make sure."
"Make sure of what?" Nathan asked.
"Just wanted to be certain I wasn't wrong about her," Charles replied.
Charles finished his drink in one go.
"I've never gone into anything unprepared," he said. "We were together for eight years, but I had to dig into the last three. Flight logs, hotel check-ins, bank statements, call history, everything matched up.
"Every single detail lined up.
"Not a shred of it could get her off the hook."
Nathan looked at him.
Charles's eyes were completely dry.
No redness, no tears.
Just completely dry.
Like burned-out acreage after a wildfire.
Nothing left.
"So, how do you feel now?" Nathan asked.
Charles thought for a moment.
"Honestly? It's like a weight's been lifted," he said.
"Really? A weight off your shoulders?" Nathan echoed.
"Yeah," Charles said, setting his empty glass down. "You know what drained me the most these eight years?"
"Making money?" Nathan guessed.
"No. It was all the waiting," Charles replied.
He leaned back against the booth, staring up at the ceiling.
He said, "I kept waiting for someone to say 'yes.' Waiting for someone who'd actually want to marry me. Waiting for someone who'd see me as the guy she wanted to settle down with.
"I waited eight years, and finally, I got my answer.
"Even if that answer was 'it's not you'
"At least I don't have to wait anymore."
Nathan didn't say a word.
He just waved the bartender over for another round.
They clinked their glasses together.
They drank.
That night, Charles threw back a lot of liquor.
But he didn't let himself get drunk.
Or rather, he made damn sure he kept his head straight.
Because at nine the next morning, he had a meeting with the underwriters.
It was about the IPO launch.
That was more important than anything, or anyone.
*****