Chapter 4

SAVANNAH

After my two-hour update about the business trip, I submitted my resignation on Monday morning. Amara picked up the envelope and stared at it, but she wasn’t surprised.

“Effective next week. You know I like you, right?” she said.

“I’m so sorry, Amara.”

“Savi, you are smart, obedient, and enthusiastic. You met deadlines and submitted outstanding ideas that helped me numerous times. Can we talk about this first?”

“Believe me, I’m grateful to be here and I will be thankful forever, but—”

“But my nephew is an asshole. Yes, he is.”

Amara might be Edward’s aunt, but she was fair. I had a colleague who was cheating on his wife with another colleague. Amara fired them the next day she found out. She was strict with work, but the employees loved her. She was still single at age forty-four, so relationships and men were never an issue. I now understood why she was that way. She always said men were always the problem.

“Edward told you.”

She stood up and turned around her desk. “What happened? I don’t like what’s going on.”

“I don’t know. But he’s right, our marriage is getting nowhere, so I will accept it.”

“Just like that? I didn’t know there was a problem with your marriage. I thought everything was going great.”

I refused to see the problem too, but it was there. I just didn’t know what it was. I felt it before Edward uttered his decision.

“It turned out it wasn’t.”

“You aren’t going to try to fix it?”

“You know Edward. He meant what he said.”

“How about what you want? Look, Savannah. I’m not going to pick sides, but something must’ve happened between you two.”

I shook my head. “I guess you’ll find out soon. He’ll tell you.”

“I’ll talk to Edward.” She turned to her desk again and perched down. “Have you found a new job? Is this why you are leaving on such short notice?”

I couldn’t tell her I wanted to go to Sebastian Entertainment. She saw that company as her biggest nemesis in the industry. She thought if only she bought JK Studios and Dreamland Media first, she’d be as successful as them. She wouldn’t let me go if she knew or she would but wouldn’t give me a recommendation. She had her ways.

“I have a few companies in mind.” It was true because I wasn’t so confident I’d get a job at Wesley’s office.

“Very well.” She placed her palms on her desk. “But I never thought we would part ways like this. I’m not happy with it.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Well, I can’t stop you, can I?” Her expression turned dismal. “Do you have someone in mind that can temporarily fill your position until HR finds a replacement?”

“May I suggest Emma?” I referred to my assistant. She’d been a great help to me for a couple of years. “She’s knowledgeable and very attentive—even more than me.”

“Alright. I’ll count on that.”

“Is there anything I can help you with before I go back to my desk?”

“Nothing. In fact, you can leave early. I at least owe that to you.”

I smiled a little. “Thank you.”

I pivoted and headed to the exit, but Edward appeared when I was about to pull the door.

“Savi...” He looked at me sincerely as if he didn’t piss me off the other day.

“Amara’s in.”

“No, I’m actually looking for you. Your assistant said you’re here. Are you free?”

I glanced at Amara, who was watching us curiously, then turned back to Edward. “Yes, I can leave. I’m done here. What is it?”

“Join me for coffee downstairs. Let’s talk.”

“I don’t have time with you, Ed.”

“Please. You need to hear me out.”

I grunted. “Fine!”

He let me walk first. We were silent the whole time in the elevator, and the air around us thickened at each second. It suffocated me.

What the hell happened to us? I needed answers. I wanted to know what had gone wrong.

When we reached the café, it was only then I could breathe.

We sat across from each other with two untouched Americanos for a few moments. I thought he said he wanted to talk, but why wasn’t he talking?

“What do you want?” I cut the silence. It was deafening.

“Where did you stay?”

“At Michael’s.”

“That’s good. I was worried. Did you tell him?”

“Of course. Why not? It’s time he sees your true colors. Now, just tell me what you want.” I grabbed my cup of Americano and took a sip.

“What I said on Friday night...” he paused. I just wished he’d take back what he said and apologize. But that wasn’t Edward. He’d always been decisive.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get this over with.”

“I will give you the divorce papers to sign next month.”

God, he was unbelievable. Why did he sleep with me if he was eager to get rid of me? Was that how he took me? Some trash he could throw away when he was done?

He had a mistress. I was sure of that now because his action didn’t make sense.

“You’re not really going to explain?”

“I already told you,” he whispered.

“Told me what? That I lost myself and became less attractive? Cut the bullshit, Ed. I’m not stupid.”

“I didn’t say that.” He heaved a sigh. “Look, I don’t know what else to say to you. Can you just see how we’re not moving forward? I’m only worried about you.”

I leaned on the chair and crossed my arms. “I’m fine, so don’t worry about me. I already gave Amara my resignation.”

“You’re quitting?” He sounded surprised. “Savi, you can stay here. I won’t ask you to leave.”

Why did he sound so surprised? “This isn’t about you anymore.”

He sighed. “And your cell? Did you change your number? I just told you about the divorce, and you’re already cutting me off?”

Wow. He really was incredible. Did he fall from his crib and hurt his head when he was a baby? He was the one cutting me off.

“Please don’t assume I will really change it because of you. Well, it doesn’t matter.” I couldn’t still ring my phone, and no one contacted the sexy stranger either. I was already thinking of getting a new one.

“But should I call you? I can’t call your house or your brother.”

I snorted. “Did you really think I won’t go back to our apartment?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I was only saying that you don’t get to take your mistress there until I signed. Clear?”

“There’s no mistress.”

Yes, there is. I just hadn’t proved it yet. “You could’ve just waited for me at home to talk, you know?.”

“You’ll come home tonight?”

“Yes, because that’s where I lived for five years. That’s where my belongings are. So sleep on the couch, you cheating bastard, because I won’t share beds with you. Should you have anything else to say, just tell me later. I need to see Wes and Riley this afternoon.” I hooked my bag on my shoulder and sprang up.

Edward caught my arm. “Wesley?” He laughed without mirth. “That guy liked you ever since high school!”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re a moron.” I yanked my hand away and left.

***

I went to the restroom to fix my makeup and took out my powder and lipstick. I scowled at myself in the mirror.

I used to be Miss Popular, won the prom queen crown, then graduated with an MBA at NYU and married my first love. I thought I could convince Edward to have a baby after one more year. Everything was going great. At least, I thought.

Edward could’ve just told me he didn’t love me anymore. It wasn’t that I was still madly in love with him like I was when we first dated, but I loved him, nonetheless. I cared for him.

The truth was, I didn’t really want to divorce him.

But he made a choice. I wouldn’t beg him to stay because that was out of my principles. Edward wanted to be free, then so be it.

Mindlessly, I swiped the lipstick on my bottom lip, but the damn thing slipped from my clumsy hand. My mind was flying elsewhere, and I didn’t notice someone was standing next to me. A woman with slender legs and feet, wearing black stilettos.

She bent down to pick up my lipstick, and our eyes met.

Damn. She was beautiful. She had an hourglass body to die for and a black fitted dress that emphasized her ass. I realized I was bumping into gorgeous people these days.

She smiled and gave me my lipstick.

“Thank you,” I whispered, smiling back, then looked at my lipstick. “Oh, gosh!” It broke.

The woman was watching me in the reflection. She took out something from her bag and handed it out to me. It was another lipstick.

“It’s new,” she said.

“You’re giving it to me?”

“Yes. I just bought that today. It’s pinkish nude, so it will match your skin tone,” she answered with her sexy Spanish accent. I thought I had heard that voice before.

I accepted the lipstick. “Thank you.” I grinned at her one more time and tried it on. She then curiously watched me put it on.

“You don’t recognize me, Savannah?” she said after some time.

I stopped, dazed. What? “How did you—”

The side of her mouth quirked up. “It’s me, loca.”

I stared at her pretty face. I still didn’t get what she was talking about or how she knew me.

I squinted, trying to recall when I had seen her or if I really knew her. Was she an artist I signed to the company before? But I would remember if she was. She was too beautiful to forget.

“I’m sorry, I still didn’t...”

She cocked her head. “It’s me, Sofia...”

My jaw dropped. “Sofia Estrella?”

She faced the mirror again and straightened her shoulders. She then started retouching her makeup. I studied her one more time. She had lost so much weight. She used to weigh over a hundred and eighty. No wonder I didn’t recognize her. Sofia was already beautiful before, but she was more stunning now. Like a movie actress.

However, there was something different about her.

“W-why...” I swallowed dryly. “Why didn’t you tell us you came back?”

Sofia left Manhattan because it was what her multi-millionaire father wanted. She studied music in Mexico City. The last time we spoke was five years ago after I married Edward.

“I didn’t know I had to.”

I made the first move to at least hug her because I missed her badly. I was happy to see her so healthy and well, but Sofia stepped away.

“It’ll ruin the dress.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” I moved back. “But we can hang out, right? Wes and Riley will be happy to see you.”

“Sure, but I’ll be swamped this week. Unlike you guys, I don’t have much time to play.”

“W-what?”

She smiled sweetly again. “How’s Edward, Savannah?”

Her question caught me off-guard. Five years ago, when I invited her to my wedding, she told me Edward and I weren’t meant for each other and that I didn’t know him very much. I got annoyed, and we had a misunderstanding. I didn’t understand why she said those things, but I hated to think now that she was right about my husband. But that wasn’t the last time we spoke. Sofia called one day and said she wouldn’t have time to see us anymore.

“He’s...he’s fine. He was just here in the restaurant,” I said so she wouldn’t think something was wrong.

“Yes, I just saw you two together.” Her gaze drifted to my outfit, back to my face. “But time hasn’t been good to you, no?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You look—” Her gaze traveled from my head to toe. She folded her arms, “—exhausted. You used to be, you know, fresh?” She grinned in a way that irritated me. “You’ve never looked this boring, Savannah.”

And what the fuck did she just say? My blood pressure rose. “I’ve been busy.”

“Me too, but that’s the difference between us.” She smiled again, but only then did I know she was faking it. “See you around, Savi.”

She hooked her designer bag on her shoulder and exited. Her butt swayed as she walked.

Who the hell was that woman? That wasn’t Sofia.