I pressed my lips into a tight line. "That's not just some ordinary restaurant."
"How is it not ordinary? It's a building, a few private dining rooms, a handful of tables. That's it."
"Sure, your dad spent his whole life on it, but that was his thing. What does it have to do with me?"
"I married you, not that restaurant."
I frowned. "That's not what you used to say."
"Used to?" She let out a cold laugh. "Exactly. Used to. I went along with whatever you said back then because I didn't want to fight. I didn't want problems between us."
"But I've had time to think, and I'm done. I'm not spending the rest of my life chained to some run-down restaurant, dealing with customers who get wasted and cause scenes."
"I have my own plans. I don't want to manage that place anymore. I want a better life, a more relaxed life. Is that so wrong?"
After a long silence, I asked, "Who'd you sell it to?"
"My high school classmate, Oswald Gilbert." She shrugged. "Good thing it was someone I knew, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten that much for it."
I looked at her without responding.
My stare made her uncomfortable. She glanced away. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I had someone appraise it." I spoke slowly, deliberately. "Based on the reputation that restaurant has built over the years, plus the monthly revenue, it's worth a lot more than a hundred and eighty thousand dollars."
She blinked, then scowled. "Who did you get to appraise it? They were talking out of their ass. Do you have any idea what the restaurant industry looks like right now?"
"I know exactly what it looks like." I nodded. "And deep down, so do you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She shot to her feet. "Oswald offered a fair price. You think restaurants are easy to sell right now? I negotiated with him for ages before he even agreed to take it off my hands."
"Negotiated for ages? When did these negotiations start?"
Her mouth opened. Nothing came out.
"While I was away on my business trip?" I pressed. "Or earlier than that?"
"What are you getting at?"
She glared at me.
"Julian, if you've got something to say, just say it. Stop with the passive-aggressive crap."
"I'm not getting at anything." My expression didn't change. "I just want to know when you decided to sell the restaurant, and how the deal came together."
"We first talked about it last year. Oswald runs a restaurant chain now. He liked our location and wanted to acquire it for one of his brands."
I kept pushing. "A hundred and eighty thousand. Was that your number, or his?"
Something flickered in her eyes. "Does it matter?"
"It does," I said. "If it was his number, then he took advantage of you not knowing the market."
"And if it was yours, then you sold my father's legacy for pennies."
Her face changed.
"Julian! You'd better explain yourself. Who sold anything for pennies?"
"I've been running that restaurant for two years. I know better than anyone what it's worth!"
"Then tell me. How much?"
Her mouth opened again, but no words came.
I watched her. Waited.
"The contract's already done anyway." She turned her face away. "There's no point arguing about it."
"Done?"
"We sign tomorrow." She paused. "The letter of intent is already signed."
I said nothing.
She waited a moment, and when I stayed silent, she spoke again. "Julian, I know you think of it as something your dad left behind. I know it's hard to let go."
"But have you actually thought about it? What are we keeping it for?"
"You never bothered with it. I've had enough of it. While we can still get a decent price, why not just sell and be done with it?"
"A hundred and eighty thousand is a decent price?"
"Maybe not to you, but it is to me." Her voice grew sharp, the words tumbling out faster. "All these years together, what have you ever given me? All you do is travel for work. Have you ever once taken care of things at home? Have you ever once dealt with the restaurant? Now that I'm selling it, now you decide to show up and have an opinion."
