Chapter 3

"Ethan, don't try to scare me. I've been wanting a divorce for ages!"

"Your dad is a leech who's been making your life harder by existing. He'd be doing everyone a favor by dropping dead."

"Jason is young, he's the company's biggest star right now, he's got an amazing future. You should be thanking him for taking out the trash—instead you're swinging at him? You don't know a good thing when it's right in front of you!"

A crowd of employees and executives had started gathering, whispering and pointing.

Jason was peeking out from behind Victoria, a smirk creeping across his lips.

I looked at Victoria's face, twisted by her own bitterness, and the last spark of love I had for her flickered out.

"Sign the papers. That's fine."

I kept my voice level.

"But you'll be the one signing."

Victoria laughed like I'd told the joke of the century.

"Why would I sign for you? Ethan, your dad's your problem—I never considered him family."

"You misunderstood me. The one who's dead is your father. The waiver needs your name on it, not mine."

"Ethan! Is this what I get for being good to you?! How dare you keep cursing my father like that!"

Jason jumped in.

"Even if he's Victoria’s father, he’s still your father-in-law. You don't even know how to respect your elders?"

"Enough, Ethan!"

"You've lost it! You'll say anything just to mess with me!"

"Since you have zero respect for my father, you brought this on yourself!"

She snapped at the security guards across the lobby.

"You, all of you—get a sack. Stuff that old piece of garbage into the hotel's septic tank out back!"

The guards looked at each other. None of them dared to step forward and touch the body.

Jason rushed over to back her up.

"What are you waiting for? You heard Victoria! Old trash like that deserves to die out there in the gutter! Hurry up and clean it up!"

"Nobody's ruining my day! Throw it! Now!"

Victoria practically spat the words out.

The guards, intimidated, finally moved to comply.

"If it were your father, would you still throw him out like that, Victoria?"

She let out a cold laugh.

"My dad's in Vienna watching fashion week. Some hick like that deserves exactly what he's getting!"

I just stood there, watching her hysterical performance. The crowd buzzed around me.

"Ethan's gone too far. He's actually wishing death on Victoria’s father."

"Seriously. After everything Victoria's done for him? Ungrateful. Dresses like a hobo and acts like he's somebody. He deserves to be dumped."

Victoria heard the murmurs and lifted her chin higher, her eyes glittering with triumph.

"Hear that? Every person in this room thinks you've lost it! My father must have racked up some serious karma to end up with a son-in-law like you. And your dad? He should've dropped dead a long time ago, with a son like you!"

That was when my phone rang.

It was my father.

I hit speaker without hesitating.

"Ethan, just finished a round—played really well today!"

His voice came through clear as a bell.

"How's things on your end? Did you see Victoria and her dad? He told me he wanted to come back early to surprise her."

"I saw him."

I watched Victoria's face go stiff.