Chapter 3

"Adrian, please calm down. We should talk about this at the apartment."

I cut her off. "You mean that $700-a-month dump with the peeling wallpaper?"

I almost laughed.

Her face tightened as office workers in the lobby started staring.

She tried to grab my arm. "Don't do this here—it's embarrassing."

"Let go." My jaw ached from clenching.

She wouldn't release me. "You're just mad I didn't spend money on you? Must you play the victim in front of everyone? I've been with you for seven years and never asked for anything! You should be grateful! The more you act like this, the less you'll get in the divorce!"

I stared at her in shock. I never thought I'd hear those words from my own wife.

Lucas watched our struggle with an amused smirk.

"Come on, Di. This is getting ridiculous. Didn't you promise to pick out that new watch before our meeting?"

"Absolutely. We'll get you that watch—and a new car too! Can't have my business partner driving around in that old thing, right?"

Lucas shot me a triumphant look. "You heard her. Her money's my money. You think you'll get $800k in the divorce? Keep dreaming, loser."

"But hey, you did take care of Diana for me all these years. Even if you didn't do a great job, you tried. If you beg me nicely, I might convince her to buy you some new shoes—you know, ones without holes."

That stung worse than a slap.

I thought about all those years pinching pennies.

The five-year-old winter coat I couldn't replace. The video game skins I never bought. The customers who called me a loser while I delivered their food, saying I wasn't worth the $5 tip.

Rage and humiliation boiled up inside me.

When Lucas leaned in, sneering in my face, I snapped. My fist connected with his perfect, arrogant jaw.

Lucas stumbled back, clutching his face.

The lobby went silent.

After a beat, Lucas's face turned crimson with rage.

"You son of a bitch! Diana! He hit me!"

Diana was instantly at his side, cupping his face.

"Adrian, have you lost your mind?!"

She grabbed her designer bag and started swinging it at me.

The bag's metal clasp caught my cheek. I tasted blood.

I grit my teeth. "Don't make me hit you back."

Diana shrieked. "Hit me? Go ahead! You don't have the balls! You never did!"

"You're nothing but a deadbeat! Seven years of marriage and you're still just a code monkey! If you had any talent, would you still be delivering takeout after all these years?!"

"You're the one who can't cut it! Stop taking it out on everyone else! If you want to blame someone, blame your own sorry ass!"

"You know what? I'm ashamed to even mention I'm married to you!"

Blood trickled down my cheek, warm and sticky, then turned cold.

So cold. I felt it all the way to my bones.

I thought about my boss walking all over me—dumping extra work on me, making me pull all-nighters while paying me the same as everyone else. He knew I was stuck paying her debts, so he could treat me like garbage.

I never told her about any of it. I didn't want her to worry.

Now all that pain had become weapons she used to stab me in the heart.

I stared at them, my voice raw.

"Diana, we're done."

She blinked. "What?"

"You think $800k is too much? Fine. Every cent you owe me, every drop of blood I spilled—I'll get it all back in court."

And I meant everything—the company she started with my money, all those years of profits, the house, the car, that watch she bought Lucas. Half of it was mine, and I was going to take it.

Lucas's head shot up. "You wish!"

I didn't say a word. I just turned and walked toward the door.

My cheek throbbed with every step.

Blood kept dripping onto my shirt.

But I held my head high. A man can fall, but he doesn't have to crawl.

As for whether I was dreaming—my lawyer would handle that.