Chapter 3

After I told her I wanted a clean break, Delia did not panic. She simply leaned back against the couch, as though she had finally gotten me to give in.

Poppy was even happier. She turned and ran back to her room to pack, her little slippers slapping against the floor. "I'm bringing my robot! And the new clothes Papa bought me!"

I stood by the doorway and watched her dump her old backpack on the floor and stuff her toys into it one by one.

I had bought her little jacket at a thrift store last year. The cuff was torn, so I stayed up until midnight stitching it back together. When she put it on, she hugged me and said I was the best daddy ever. Now, she did not even glance at it.

Delia pulled a card from her wallet and set it on the coffee table. "Take this."

"What's this supposed to mean?" I asked.

"You don't need to work at the restaurant anymore." Her tone softened a little, as if she were granting me some dignity out of charity. "I'll send you money every month. Just stop making a scene."

I stared at the card and spoke slowly. "So I take your money and keep living as someone you hide from the world. Is that it?"

She said nothing, but I understood.

I picked up the card, and as relief crossed her face, I bent it in half and tossed it into the trash. "Delia, I'm not some man you keep on the side."

Her expression darkened at once. "Simon Wheeler, don't overestimate yourself. Without me, you couldn't even scrape together 100,000 dollars."

I looked at her, and there was no emotion left in my eyes. "Just leave, both of you. And don't come back."

The next day, I went to the restaurant as usual. I needed the money. Even if I was alone now, I still had to survive.

At noon, a brand-new car pulled up in front of the restaurant. The window rolled down, and Jensen took off his sunglasses, looking down at me with contempt. "Make sure you wash it properly."

He tossed the keys at me, and everyone around us turned to look.

I bent down to pick them up, and my bag tipped open, revealing the secondary card inside. Delia had slipped me another one before she left last night, and I had forgotten to throw it away.

The moment Jensen saw it, he exploded. "That's my fiancée's card! You stole my fiancée's card!"

I straightened up. "That has nothing to do with you."

His leather shoes clicked against the ground as he walked closer, his voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You live off a woman's money, and you still act all high and mighty? People like you just want to cling to Delia for as long as you can, right?"

I tightened my grip on the rag in my hand, my voice strained. "You're the one who taught Poppy those things too, aren't you?"

The smile on his face slowly faded.

The next second, he slapped me hard across the face.

My ear rang sharply, and my head snapped to the side. Before I could steady myself, he grabbed me by the hair and slapped me a second time. "You steal someone else's fiancée, and you have the nerve to come after me?"

I shoved him away hard. "Touch me one more time and see what happens."

He stumbled back two steps, then suddenly pressed a hand to his face as tears spilled down his cheeks. "Why would you hit me?"

I froze for a moment, and people nearby were already raising their phones.

My boss, Eddie Mullins, rushed out from inside.

Jensen pointed at his car door, his voice trembling. "He keyed my car! I just picked it up!"

I followed his finger, and sure enough, there was a new scratch along the door. But I had never touched it.

"I didn't do that. I want to see the security footage." I stared at Eddie.

Eddie looked guilty and stammered, "The camera broke yesterday."

As I looked at him, the pain in my face suddenly felt like nothing. "It broke yesterday?"

He could not meet my eyes.

Jensen had already pulled out his phone and called the police. "I want him to pay for this."

The police arrived quickly.

I said he had hit me, and he claimed I had thrown the first punch.

I turned to Eddie. "Eddie, I've worked at your restaurant for three years. Tell them the truth."

He rubbed his hands together, unable to look at me. "The truth is... Officer, Simon really did hit him."

That one sentence shut down any chance I had.

When the damage assessment came back, the repairs came to 100,000 dollars. The officer told me that if we could not settle it, I might be detained.

I sat on a cold chair at the police station, my fingers slowly going numb.

Jensen sat across from me, unhurriedly wiping his hands. He looked up at me and spoke softly. "Delia said you've been through a lot. But from what I can see, you still haven't learned your place."

A chill ran through my entire body. This was the lesson he wanted to teach me.