Chapter 5

The door shut behind Calvin, and the conference room went quiet again.

When the meeting was over, I packed up my laptop and returned to my desk. My phone showed 23 missed calls and 17 messages from Calvin.

The last one read, "I've already called your parents. You can explain everything to them yourself."

My fingers went cold as I stared at it.

I couldn't believe he had actually dragged my parents into this. Did he think I'd cave under their pressure? Or did he think getting them involved would somehow make me admit that I was wrong?

I opened my contacts. Just as my finger hovered over "Mom", her call came through.

"Jolene, your dad and I have been worried sick! Calvin said you had a—"

"Mom, listen to me first," I interrupted her.

"And what is this nonsense about getting a divorce?" my mom, Sophia Mendes, demanded. "What on earth is going on?"

I stepped into the break room and closed the door behind me. Then I put my phone on speaker.

"He's been making breakfast for a female coworker for three years. He woke up an hour early each morning to cook, cut up fruit, fry eggs, and pack it all up so nicely for her."

"What?" My mom's voice was laced with shock.

I continued, "He did it for three years—over a thousand days. Mom, I was grabbing cold sandwiches from the convenience store while she got a homemade breakfast every morning."

There was a long silence on the other end.

I said, "I asked for a divorce, but he refused. He even showed up at my office to make a scene."

"He went to your office?"

"Yeah, he barged in right in the middle of my meeting just now, and security had to drag him out. Then he called you and Dad to tell you I was cheating on him."

My mom's voice hardened. "Jolene, don't worry. Your dad and I will always be on your side."

We talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. I leaned against the break room wall and finished the last sip of water.

When Calvin and I got married, my dad had a bit to drink at the wedding. With red eyes, he told Calvin, "Jolene is my only daughter. You have to take good care of her."

Calvin said, "Don't worry, I will."

So much for his promise to take care of me.

After work, I drove back to the hotel.

I'd extended my stay for another three days, but that wasn't a long-term solution. Besides, I needed to go home to pack some clothes and grab my essential documents.

The garage lights were sound-activated. I kept quiet, so they stayed off. When I walked to my apartment, something caught my eye.

Calvin's car was parked a short distance away, its headlights on. There was someone else inside.

I moved a few steps to the side and hid behind a pillar.

A woman was sitting in the passenger seat. She was leaning over toward the driver's side, her hand resting on Calvin's shoulder.

He didn't pull away. Instead, he tilted his head toward her and smiled.

I pulled out my phone and quickly took several photos. Then I walked to the car and knocked on the passenger-side window.

The woman turned toward me and froze. Calvin turned too, and the color drained from his face.

The window slowly rolled down.

I smiled at her, then looked at him. "So this is your coworker with the sensitive stomach? What, did she need some help digesting after dinner?"

Calvin said nothing, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.

The woman hurriedly unfastened her seat belt and tried to open the door.

I reached out and blocked the door. "What's the rush? I haven't sent the photos to our parents yet."