Chapter 2When His Devotion Came Too Late

My phone vibrated.

Adrian's message popped up on the screen, dripping with condescending charity.

"I've resumed your father's treatment. From now on, behave yourself. And stop lying to squeeze more money out of me."

"I know it's not easy coming from the gutter, but my money isn't that easy to scam."

I stared at those two lines with a strange kind of calm.

I typed back one word.

"Okay."

I set down my phone and signed the divorce papers in front of me.

Adrian probably thought I hadn't asked him to reimburse any expenses for three days because I was throwing a tantrum.

What he'd call giving him the "silent treatment."

After all, for the past three years, I'd lived like a dog for Dad's medical bills.

I had no income whatsoever.

Adrian wouldn't let me work. Said it was embarrassing for his wife to be seen in public.

But he never gave me money for the house either.

Every cent I spent had to be approved through the company.

Groceries? Approval.

Sanitary pads? Approval.

Even subway fare, a couple of dollars, had to come with a receipt uploaded.

The one approving it all was his personal secretary, Victoria Snow.

That woman who'd been by his side since college.

Three days ago, the hospital issued a critical condition notice.

Dad had a sudden brain hemorrhage and needed immediate surgery.

Two hundred thousand dollars.

For Adrian, that was barely the cost of a bottle of wine.

I called him frantically.

After a dozen tries, someone finally answered.

But it was Victoria who picked up.

"Clara, Adrian's in a meeting. What's so urgent?"

I couldn't care about anything else. I begged her through tears. "Victoria, let me talk to Adrian. My dad's dying, I need two hundred thousand for surgery!"

Victoria laughed lightly.

"Clara, you know the company rules."

"Two hundred thousand isn't a small amount. You need to go through the approval process."

"Adrian hates people who don't follow rules. If you ask for money directly like this, he'll be angry."

"Hurry and submit an approval request in the system. I'll approve it as soon as I see it."

The call ended.

My hands shook so badly I could barely hold my phone as I filled out the form in that goddamn approval system.

Reason: Dad's surgery fees.

Amount: $200,000.

Attachment: Critical condition notice.

Submit.

I stared at the screen. One second, two seconds.

Ten minutes later, my phone rang.

Not a transfer confirmation. A rejection notice from the approval system.

Rejected by: Victoria Snow.

Rejection reason: Attachment format unclear. Please rescan and reupload.

Every drop of blood in my body turned to ice.