eavy parchment crackled with the weight of my decision. He was on the phone, laughing, Aimee

I placed the envelope on his desk. It contained the

s phone. "What's this, Garnet? Mo

n my throat. "It's a termination of

igh. "Garnet, we can talk about this later. Aimee needs

ppened two nights ago?," I asked, my voice trembling now. "My mothe

weeks. "Garnet, that's unfair. I did everything I could. Aimee'

fed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Wh

about your mother. Truly. But you can't blame me for everything. This is what you want, isn't it? A

rything. He thought my mother' s death, my shattered heart

a raw, agonizing disbelief. "You think this is about

. She swayed dramatically into the room, a hand pressed to her

what's wrong?" His concern was instantaneous, his foc

he living room! The ones you said would look so good in your penthouse." She then turned her gaze to me, a s

' t just a building; it was where Brennan and I had built a life, where he had promised me a future. It was wh

ing me, he tightened his arm around Aimee. "Yes, Garnet. Aimee will be mov

ou promised me. You said we would grow old there!" My

arnet. She saved my life." He spoke as if Aimee' s fabricated heroism outwei

with a delicate handkerchief. "Oh, Brennan, I don't want to cause any trouble. Maybe... maybe I shouldn't

serve this. Garnet is just being unreasonable." His eyes flickered to me, cold and dis

me, a tiny, triumphant smirk playing on her lips before she disappeared around the corner. It was a fleeti

s of the office, the hollow ache in

elf felt alien. Aimee's luggage was already stacked by the door, an aggressive claim on my space.

eded to gather her things, to hold onto some fragment of her memory. Inside her jewelry

t piece, but invaluable to us. I asked Mrs. Henderson, our

wide with worry. "That Aimee girl... she was in here ye

perched on the edge of a velvet couch, casually wearing my mother's pea

" My voice was sharp, cu

his morning. Said it was a little something to welcome me to my new

me. "That belonged to my mother!" I lun

instantly, a blur of protective fury. He grabbed my arm, twis

kward, falling hard onto the marble floor. My head hit the c

anger. He stood over me, his hands still shaking from the force of pu

pearls!" I gasped, clut

ught they were for me!" She made a show of trying to take them of

ee. They're yours now." He glared down at me. "Are you really so desperate for money, Garnet?

g humiliation, the sheer audacity of his words. He saw my tears, but he saw nothing but greed.

nger, Brennan," I whispered

e away, his arm still wrapped protectively around her. "I'll be back lat

de, then the muffled sounds of laughter and intimacy from upstai

eparation agreement. The paper felt solid, rea

ty-three more hours until I was free of him, fr