Amanda laughed at first, but when she realized that I was serious, the amusement on her face gradually changed to a pitying look.
Taking a sip of her coffee, she showed me the Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet on her wrist.
"Last month, Mr. Goodwin brought me along to a cocktail party. I didn't like the strong scent of alcohol wafting off him and complained a little. The next day, I found this bracelet on my workstation."
I paused in surprise. There was indeed a day last month when Chandler had imbibed quite a bit of alcohol, as when he returned home, his face had been completely red.
I was incredibly allergic to alcohol and would get rashes all over me with even a whiff of it, so I had voluntarily offered to sleep in the guest bedroom. That touched a nerve, and Chandler gave me the cold shoulder for an entire week straight.
"Then, there's this hair clip." Amanda unclasped the crystal hair clip on the back of her head. The Balenciaga diamonds embedded in them sparkled dazzlingly under the light. "Due to having to meet a client, Mr. Goodwin caused me to work three minutes overtime. He bought me this when he went to Faranga for a work trip."
Feeling a little dazed, I nodded.
My birthday had actually been a few days before Chandler's business trip to Faranga. One week before that, I had specifically reminded him to buy me a present. Besides that, three days before my birthday, I had even told him to set an alarm to wish me a happy birthday.
Yet, he had still forgotten.
In fact, when I confronted him about it, he had instantly exploded and spat out, "You know full well that I'm busy with work."
With that, he had stormed off coldly with his luggage for his business trip. Furious at him, I had given him the silent treatment for two whole weeks.
During the days when neither of us wanted to back down first, he had somehow still remembered to buy Amanda a hair clip.
The urge to laugh rose in me, yet my eyes were growing wet.
"Anything else?" I asked.
Amanda eyed me oddly, perhaps wondering why I was torturing myself so.
"Well… Your fight with Mr. Goodwin this time? You might be unaware, but the dress shirt you ruined was actually a gift from me to Mr. Goodwin. He had promised me to wear it when meeting his client."
Realization dawned on me when I heard that. I had been wondering why one destroyed dress shirt had been serious enough for him to move out.
Memories of last night flashed through my mind, of how I had been wiping away my tears while earnestly writing the apology letter.
"Chandler, I know I was wrong. Next time, I'll be even more careful when doing the housework. I'll definitely do it well. I'll buy you the same dress shirt, so please stop being mad at me, okay?"
Thinking back on it now, I found it all utterly hilarious.
No longer in the mood, I dipped my head at Amanda in a nod before leaving.
I now knew just how badly I had lost. At the same time, I finally decided just how my marriage to Chandler would end.
The fight this time was the perfect fuse.
…
After leaving the coffee shop, I headed straight to a law firm, where I paid extra to customize a divorce agreement.
While waiting for the lawyer, I happened to run into Chandler. It seemed like there was a problem with the company's legal team, so he was here to discuss a business collaboration.
Upon seeing me, Chandler instantly frowned. "Have you come to corner me here?"
He seemed to automatically assume that I was here to apologize, his gaze flicking to my bag.
"I don't have time to read your letter right now. Once I'm done with my work—"
"Ms. Lane, it's your turn."
At that moment, Adam Chance, the lawyer I was meeting, popped his head out of his office to beckon me inside.
I stood up, only for Chandler to grab my arm. "You're here for a lawyer?"
