When I refused to take the bait, Marianne pushed in harder.
She carried the pine straight inside, set it deliberately out on the balcony, and started watering it with the ease of someone who already lived there.
"Ms. Lambert, this apartment belongs to Toby too, doesn't it?"
She didn't care whether I answered. "Toby told me that once you're gone I should move in here, so I can have his guidance whenever I need it. You won't mind, will you?"
I walked over to her, easy and unhurried, and slapped her across the face anyway.
"I really don't get it. You're a mistress who slept her way up, so where do you find the nerve to come here and pick a fight with me?"
Marianne held her cheek and looked at me, smiling, then kicked the pine over.
By the time I registered that something was off, Toby's roar came from behind me.
"Alison, what do you think you're doing?!"
He came striding in, shoved me roughly aside, and pulled Marianne into his arms.
"Marianne, are you hurt?"
His broad hand cradled her cheek. "Let me take you to the hospital!"
Marianne shook her head to stop him, turned to look at me, and choked out the words.
"Toby, I'm fine."
"Maybe there's some misunderstanding between you and Ms. Lambert? I only told her this was the pine you bought, that she should take good care of it... but she... but she..."
That pitiful, fragile picture of her sent the blood rushing to Toby's head.
"Alison, today I finally see you for what you are!"
"The problem's between you and me. Why are you taking it out on Marianne?"
Marianne was still clinging and pulling at Toby, pushing him away while drawing him in.
But the two of them kept drifting closer to me, until Toby's hand cracked across my face.
"You hit me?"
He'd hesitated in the instant before he did it. He landed it on my face all the same.
I thought back to the early days, when we were building the company, one cup of instant ramen split between us, a single hot dog torn in half.
Back then Toby had smiled and told me he would give me a happy future.
I believed his vows, and I waited until his success came.
But the person standing at his side would never again be me.
"So what if I hit you?"
He was uneasy at first, then steadied fast and turned it back on me. "You apologize to Marianne. Right now."
"And if I say no?"
I watched the scene in front of me with an aching heart. How familiar this past felt.
"Alison, I've given you more than enough face already."
His arrogance kept swelling, as if I were some class enemy.
"If you insist on throwing my goodwill back in my face, then don't blame me for not being gentle with you."
I was rather curious to see just how ungentle he intended to be.
"Toby, Ms. Lambert, please stop fighting. It's all my fault, all of it is my fault."
Marianne suddenly burst into loud sobbing, then ran off in tears.
Toby lifted a foot to chase after her, stopped, and turned back to point at me, biting off each word.
"Alison, you remember this. If anything happens to Marianne, I'll make sure you wish you were dead."
What big talk.
He seemed to have forgotten long ago, or maybe he'd never taken it to heart at all.
That he could get to where he was today, that he could build the company to what it had become...
That stood on every ounce of my energy and everything I'd poured in.
Fine, then. At the very least, before I left, I would take back what was mine.
I wouldn't leave him so much as a single cent.
The next night, I met with two of the company's partners.
Madge Floyd and Maxine Floyd, two sisters.
They were also the company's strategic partners.
Once we were in the private room, Maxine bounced over to my side.
"Allie, you're looking a little pale."
