Chapter 2

2: 2

"Dad, Mom, the debt's paid off. Take this money and stop cutting corners on yourselves."

"There's something at the office, so I'll head back. I've hired a caretaker to look after you two."

"One more thing. I want this to be a surprise for Vera, so don't say anything to her yet."

Once they were settled, I hit the gas and drove straight to Joachim's place.

He lived over in the neighboring district.

The moment the car pulled up downstairs, the neighbors chatting outside all turned to look.

"Bet he's here to talk business with the great artist Kellerman again!"

"Joachim's really made something of himself. Three years ago he was still sketching portraits on the street for pocket change, and look how fast he's gone. He's put on several shows already. Haven't you seen his feed? This one's at Bloomcrest Plaza. The venue rental alone runs into the hundreds of thousands. Impressive stuff!"

Bloomcrest Plaza. The most upscale commercial district in all of Bayport.

I took out my phone and called Vera. It wouldn't connect.

I made a fake account and added Joachim under the pretense of buying a painting. He accepted in seconds.

His feed was packed, a new post almost every other day.

One day it was what he and Vera had eaten, the next it was where he and Vera had gone.

The latest post was a stamped receipt for a rental payment, sixty thousand, posted just a few minutes ago.

The caption: 【The woman I love most supports my dream the most. Love you forever!】

Vera called back, an edge of impatience in her voice.

"I already told you I'm busy. What do you want, calling over and over?"

"Vera." I cut her off. "There's something important I need to talk to you about."

A few seconds of silence on the other end, then a half-hearted grunt.

"Fine. It's loud over here, I can't hear you. We'll talk when I'm home tonight."

Right before she hung up, I heard Joachim ask, all fake concern.

"Maybe Clyde really does have something urgent. You should just head back, I'll be okay on my own."

Vera let out a cold snort.

"He's an old man. Three years pent up, it's obviously that kind of thing. Just thinking about it makes me sick!"

Joachim burst out laughing.

"That's easy. Just picture him as me. Back when you two used to do it, wasn't that exactly how you got through it?"

I gripped the phone, my knuckles white.

Five years ago, Vera had just started as an intern at the company, trailing me all day calling me Mr. James, pouring tea and never passing up a chance to learn.

She chased me for a whole year.

I told her, "I'm six years older than you. There's no way this works."

She said, "Older men are more mature, more attractive. I just like you, I look up to you!"

Once we were officially together, she took me to meet Joachim.

Introduced him, breezy as anything, as her old flame, the one that got away.

Right in front of him, she wrapped her arms around my neck and made a promise, dead serious.

"He was just a first love, back when I was too young to know what real feeling was. Now he's my best friend. But you, meeting you is what made me finally understand what real love is!"

Three years of marriage.

She said work wore her out, so I let her quit and took the overseas posting myself.

Every month I handed her my whole salary. Aside from the living allowance for my parents, she could spend the rest however she liked. I never once asked.

And she, with her old flame, hiding behind the word "friend," had made a game of my honest heart, calling me a disgusting old man.

The company called with business that needed handling.

Once I'd finished, I went to see the company's legal counsel.

"George Chavez, draw up two copies of a divorce agreement for me."