Chapter 2

Callum was silent for a moment before unhurriedly adjusting his cuffs. "You've been acting strangely today. If this is about the 4,000 dollars, you can just say so."

I clutched Dad's coat and didn't look at him.

Callum's tone stayed even. "I understand you're grieving. That's why I didn't push you away at the crematorium. But understanding your emotions doesn't mean the rules stop applying."

With that, he offered compensation, as though he'd just settled the simplest dispute imaginable. "I'll add an hour to next year's allowance. And tonight's hug won't be timed either. That should be enough."

My eyes burned. "There's no need," I said quietly.

Callum looked at me for a few seconds. The rare patience in his eyes slowly faded. "Rejecting a solution and then sulking in silence only makes communication pointless.

"Leaving the firm was a choice you made of your own free will. Accepting this marriage was your choice, too. Reframing all of it as a sacrifice now isn't fair to me."

Every sentence was rigorous, clear, and airtight.

He stood in the courtroom of our life together and overruled my six years, one objection at a time.

Six years ago, I'd been a lawyer at the firm, too. After I won three cases in a row, Callum called me into his office and asked if I'd be willing to maintain a steady sexual arrangement with him. "I don't have time to get to know another woman. You know my habits. You're the best fit."

I asked him what would happen to my job.

He answered without the slightest hesitation. "Quit. When I need you, I don't want to have to wait for you to get out of court."

I had loved him for too long. In the end, I gave up a career that had only just gotten off the ground and stayed by his side.

Once, later on, I came to my senses and dragged my suitcase out, ready to leave.

Callum chased me to the train station and caught my hand in the crowd. His voice was unusually gentle. "Don't go. Come home with me. I'll marry you, and I'll make time for you from now on."

I believed him.

Now, my wedding ring had been traded for ten minutes of his company. And the career he'd cut short with his own hands had somehow become my own choice.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. The school had sent a new notice: Please report for enrollment in twelve days.

I stared at those words, and the tears finally fell.

Six years ago, Callum had known which train I was on, so he'd been able to drag me back. This time, I wouldn't tell him my flight.

Right up until he died, Dad couldn't bear to take up Callum's time. My goodbye wouldn't take up any of it either.

When I tapped to confirm my enrollment, Callum was still standing in the bedroom doorway. He glanced at the screen. "That language school again?"

"Yes."

"You applied there three years ago, too." His tone was flat. He clearly wasn't taking it seriously. "There's a lot of process between confirming enrollment and actually leaving. We'll talk once you've taken care of all of it."

He was certain I would never pull it off. He was just as certain I couldn't bear to leave him.

As I put my phone away, Callum's gaze landed on my left hand. "Where's your wedding ring?"

All that remained on my ring finger was a faint pale band.

That ring had been worth 95,000 dollars. Before the wedding, Callum made a point of taking me to a jewelry store. He looked over a single display row and pointed at the ring right in the center.

Choosing it took thirty-two seconds. Paying took fourteen. The tea in the VIP lounge hadn't even been served before we were walking out of the store.

Back then, all I remembered was that he hadn't even asked the price, and I'd been secretly happy about it for a long time. Only later did I understand: he was willing to spend money on me, just not a single extra minute.

"I pawned it."

Callum's brow twitched. "Why?"

"To pay the 4,000 dollars."

He fell silent for two seconds, then quickly regained his composure. "If you need money, you can draw from your supplementary card."

He didn't even ask whether the ring could be redeemed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Mia pushed it open and came in without waiting for an answer. "Callum, why'd you hang up on me just now?"

Her voice was coy, and her hand slid onto Callum's arm as naturally as if it belonged there. The diamond bracelet on her wrist glittered painfully bright under the light.

Last Christmas, Dad had given Callum a 1,250-dollar holiday check. Callum passed it straight to Mia, then spent four hours with her at the mall and covered the difference to buy that bracelet. One bracelet for Mia, and he'd patiently spent an entire afternoon picking it out.

Mia noticed where I was looking and dangled her wrist. "Recognize it, Tatiana? All the holiday money your dad gave Callum went into this bracelet."

She suddenly covered her mouth, as if she'd only just remembered my father was dead. "Now that he's gone, does this count as one of his keepsakes? You wouldn't make me give it back, would you, Tatiana?"