Chapter 3

The last of the documents were the headquarters relocation plan and the draft of my voluntary retention agreement.

Carrington City was fine, but the size the company had grown to needed a bigger market. After several rounds of trial rollouts, we'd decided to move headquarters to Ashford City, which had far more room to grow.

As for the retention agreement, I tore it to pieces and dropped it in the trash.

Now that I knew about Reuben's betrayal, there was no way I'd give up my own business just to stay here.

Betty hurried out with the signed papers. The moment the door clicked shut, the lounge door swung open again.

Reuben's face was drenched in sweat. He'd clearly run the whole way here.

"Baby!" He threw his arms around me and held on tight, his heartbeat pounding against my ear like a drum.

I pushed at him and brought my heel down hard on the top of his foot.

"Ah!" He grunted, but his arms only tightened.

"Let go." My face went cold.

He lifted his eyes to mine, a thin film of tears making him look pitiful. "Baby, I can explain."

Looking at the flushed red at the corners of his eyes, I couldn't help but soften.

That look of his was the one I'd always liked best.

"...Go ahead."

"I really do know her—" His voice was strained, guilt threading through it. "She's a girl from my neighbor's family, just got into this school this year. My mom asked me to take her out for a meal, that's all."

"Just a girl from next door?" I asked softly, listening to my own steady heartbeat.

But he answered firmly. "Just the neighbor's girl. That's it."

He even made a joke of it. "We've known each other over twenty years. If anything were going to happen, it would've happened long ago."

Ha.

The childhood-sweetheart script, right on cue.

I couldn't stop the corner of my mouth from lifting, even as my heart throbbed in tight, stabbing pulses.

He still wasn't telling the truth.

He and I had met too late, gotten together too fast.

I'd never known his past, never known that for twenty years there had always been another girl at his side.

Seeing that I said nothing, Reuben spoke carefully. "Baby, if you don't like her, I'll tell my mom I'm done looking after her. Just don't be angry, okay? I'll cook dinner for you tonight, how's that?"

"Fine." I dropped my gaze, knowing some things had to be said plainly. "I'm going to stop by the company. I'll be back tonight."

"Okay! Baby, I'll make your favorite!" He pulled me in tighter. "I love you most."

Caught off guard, I felt him lower his head to kiss me.

Then a gentle female voice rang out beside my ear. It was his ringtone. "Reuben, Reuben, your little Penny's calling~"

The sound hit me like a bucket of cold water. Every bit of the moment vanished in an instant.

He hurriedly hung up and rushed to explain. "It's not me, it's her, she set that, I don't even know when."

The words were barely out before the ringtone started up again.

I pressed his hand down and answered the call labeled with a little fish emoji.

"Reuben! Why are you so slow!" A sweet, chirping voice burst out of the speaker. "I've already bought all our stuff. When are we moving into our new place?"

"Hello? Reuben, why aren't you saying anything?"

Reuben went numb, mouth opening and closing, wanting to explain but not knowing where to begin.

"That's enough." He snatched the phone away and hung up. "Sabrina, listen to me—"

"New place?" I cut him off. "The one at Newgarden?"

A row of villas had just been finished at Newgarden a few months back. Lakeside, with open grassland. I'd wanted to buy one.

When Reuben found out, he'd wrapped me up in his arms, smiling, and said we'd move in on our anniversary this year. It was his gift to me, and part of the bride price.

His throat worked. "She doesn't get along with her roommate, she's got nowhere to stay—"

"That's our wedding house." My nails dug into my palm, but the catch in my voice broke through anyway. "She is not moving in there!"

"...She's out here all on her own. My mom worries." He hesitated. The words had barely left his mouth when his phone chimed. He glanced at it, then shot to his feet. "I—something urgent came up at the company. Baby, wait for me to come back and explain."

Watching him rush out, I gave a bitter little laugh.

His mom worries, or he worries.

Maybe even he didn't realize it, but every time he lied, he'd bite his lip without meaning to.

I used to think it was cute. Now it only made me sick.