4.
Since I was ready to lay it all on the table, the assets Craig and I shared needed to be split clean.
That afternoon, I left the office and went straight home to pack.
The wedding photos on the wall came down too, dumped in the trash.
He came back with Lucille just as the workday ended.
The sight of my packed suitcase and the bare walls pulled his brows together.
He rounded on me while I was cooking.
"Vanessa, what the hell are you doing?"
I turned around, calm.
"Craig, starting tomorrow, there's nothing between us anymore."
"You can be with her."
"But the price might be more than you can pay."
He gave a short, scornful laugh.
"So this whole show, this was all just to say those two lines?"
"Who do you think you are, the head of Whitfield?"
"Don't think I can't see it. You're doing all this to spite Lucy, because you don't want her living here."
"Well, don't worry. You won't have to look at her much longer."
"Whitfield, the major shareholder, handed down another assignment. A year-long posting to France. I already booked the flight for tomorrow afternoon. Lucy's French is good, so she'll be the one coming with me."
"You love your jealous little fits, don't you? Plenty of time to enjoy them now."
"Hurry up and cook. We're hungry."
With that, he sauntered back to the couch and picked the flirting back up with Lucille, in French again.
I'd just brought the food out when I heard Lucille say,
"Craig, once our baby's born, are you going to have one with Vanessa too?"
"Because then our child would have to share his daddy with someone else's kid, wouldn't he?"
"He wouldn't get pushed around, would he?"
Craig let out a cold snort.
"Her?"
"I will never have a child with her."
"When I get back from France this time, I'm bringing up the child-free thing with her."
"You've had a rough couple of days. Let me make it up to you tonight."
"Craig, you're so good to me."
"Though I heard you're not supposed to sleep together when you're pregnant…"
"It's fine. We'll be gentle."
That was when Craig noticed me come out, his eyes going to the food in my hands.
"Vanessa, I told you I don't like stir-fried chicken. Are you deaf?"
He glanced at the empty cutting board and the range hood already switched off.
"Why'd you only make one dish today? What are Lucy and I supposed to eat?"
I said flatly, "I already told you last time. I'm not cooking for you anymore."
"If you two want to eat, figure it out yourselves."
Craig shot to his feet.
"Vanessa, what exactly do you think you're doing?"
I ignored him and kept eating.
He started toward me to shout, but Lucille caught his arm and soothed him in French.
"Craig, don't be angry. Don't frighten our baby."
Craig forced the temper down, then turned it on me another way.
"Vanessa, why did you leave the office this afternoon without permission?"
"You violated company discipline. Your bonus this month is cut."
"And the company's trade documents. Go translate the foreign-language sections into English right now. I need them tomorrow."
"Consider it making up for the afternoon you skipped."
Once, Craig had told me I could come and go from the office as I pleased.
Now he was using it against me.
The documents couldn't possibly be finished in one night. He was doing it to get me out of the way.
But I couldn't be bothered to argue.
Tomorrow, all of it would be over anyway.
"Fine."
I rose slowly, took my suitcase, and walked out.
Lucille's worried voice trailed after me.
"Craig, Vanessa's not going to run away from home, is she?"
His sneer followed too.
"She's just putting on an act. Relax, first thing tomorrow she'll hand me those translations right on time."
"Not that I have any use for them."
Then he switched to French of his own accord.
"All right, she's gone. Let me order some takeout, and then I'll reward you."
My step caught for a beat, and I left, my eyes cold.
I didn't go back that night.
Early the next morning, I walked into the conference room for the shareholders' meeting.
Nathan stood behind me with the legal team.
That was when Craig called.
"Vanessa, where are you? Where are the documents I told you to translate?"
I didn't pick up.
When he called again, I blocked him outright.
Then a message came through.
"Vanessa, if you have the nerve not to answer my calls, I'll fire you the second this meeting's over!"
A moment later, the conference room door opened.
Craig nodded and smiled at the room, right up until he saw me sitting at the head of the table, and the anger came up all at once.
"Vanessa, no wonder I couldn't find you. So this is where you ran off to!"
"And why are you even here? Is this any place for you to be?"
I looked at him and spoke in French.
"To hear what assignment Whitfield's given you, of course."
"Or is it to go there and watch Lucy have her baby?"
