Chapter 38
Chapter 38
My heart lurched into my throat.
86%#
But Dexter stayed calm. He glanced at the number on the phone and said, “You dialed the wrong number.” Then he hung up and immediately went back to arguing with me about Kimberly gambling debts.
I felt utterly defeated. I never thought it would come to this, but my parents were right all along. Dexter really was that kind of person someone who constantly played the victim, all show on the outside but rotten underneath.
It was me… I had let love cloud my judgment. I thought this was some kind of fateful, forever bond. I never imagined I’d fall
so hard.
By the time he finished. I couldn’t listen anymore. I waved my hand, cutting him off. “I get that you’re upset, but that’s no excuse to use me as your punching bag,
“When have I ever asked your mom to pay for my house? If I wanted her money, I would’ve asked when we got married, not
now.”
Dexter snapped back, “So, what you’re really saying is that you can’t get over the fact that you married me when I had nothing.”
“I’m just making a comparison,” I replied flatly.
“No need for comparisons. I get it now… I’ve done everything foryou, given you my heart, and you still can’t truly accept
me.”
Dexter stood up, grabbed a suitcase, and started hastily throwing clothes inside.
“Leaving, huh?” I asked, forcing a cold laugh, though my heart felt like it was cracking.
“Business trip. It’s probably good for both of us to have a few days apart to cool off,” he said. “I’ve got a lot going on, but don’t worry–I won’t make you take on the debt.”
With that, he grabbed the suitcase and walked out, not even looking back.
As the door slammed shut behind him, I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling. My heart felt like a crumpled piece of paper- no matter how much I tried to smooth it out, it would never be the same.
It wasn’t even my debt. It wasn’t my problem. And yet, Dexter stil managed to drag me into it. That final ‘generous” remark -like he was doing me a favor–pushed me into a place where couldn’t even pretend to care anymore.
I thought, ‘How ridiculous. After all these years sharing a bed with this man, I am only just now starting to see him for who he really is.
I wiped my tears, took a deep breath, and told myself, ‘It’s better his way. He’s giving me space, giving me time time to peel off his mask, layer by layer.
After Dexter left, Kimberly became much more cautious around me. She couldn’t even look me in the eye anymore.
I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her. As long as she didn’t make trouble, it was like just having another person in my home.
Life is full of ups and downs, I thought. My home was a mess I didn’t know how to fix, but then, something at work lifted
16:29 Sun, Feb 16
Chapter 38
my spirits.
A project I’d managed last year was reactivated, and they specifically asked for me to take over the handover..
Same partner, same project plan, but this time, the investment was ten times larger than before. Thanks to that project, I had earned more than 70 thousand dollars annual bonus last year.
This year, my boss told me my performance had been outstanding, and my year–end bonus would definitely be over seven figures.
I thought, “How to shake off the gloom? Simple: get rich. This news gave me the motivation I desperately needed.
Holly made a special trip to my office to sarcastically congratulate me on my upcoming promotion. During this time, she’d helped me quite a bit, and with her in a good mood, I figured I’d return the favor.
I invited her out for a meal, and suggested we also discuss the collaboration between our two teams.
She agreed right away.
