Chapter 3The Tow-Away Zone

I looked at the storm clouds gathering outside. Then I looked at the man in front of me. This was the first time I suspected his jawline might be made of titanium, because his nerve was incredible.

I grabbed my purse and stood up.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not signing up to be your bang-maid, your ATM, or your chauffeur.”

“Matt, we’re done. Break up.”

I turned to leave. He grabbed my wrist, hard.

“Olivia, what the hell does that mean? ‘Break up’?”

He glanced at my keys and his face contorted into a sneer. “Oh, I get it. Land the big corporate job and the first thing you do is dump the poor boyfriend, right? I knew there was a reason you were ignoring me. You planned this!”

“And here I was, working my ass off for you, going to interviews in this disgusting heat, and you’re this cold? You can’t see any of my sacrifices?”

It was the dinner rush. The restaurant was packed. I could feel people staring.

My disappointment crystallized into pure, cold anger. I always thought he was just lazy. I never realized he was a manipulative, parasitic leech.

As my expression hardened, he must have sensed he was losing. So he switched tactics, playing the victim for the audience.

He took a deep breath, and his eyes weltered up.

“Babe... I don’t want to break up,” he said, his voice cracking. “To buy you that house... I’m willing to commute four hours every day. I’ll do anything. Just... just don’t leave me. We’re family. I love you so much.”

The restaurant, already quiet, went dead silent.

The whispers started immediately.

“Wow, she looks like a bitch. He’s willing to do that for her and she’s just staring at him?”

The girl at the next table nudged her boyfriend. “If I were him, I’d dump her. He’s trying to save for a house and she’s going to dump him after she gets a good job? Disgusting.”

Someone was filming me on their phone.

Matt held his hand out, his eyes shining with fake tears. “Babe, don’t listen to them. Only I know how much I love you. Let’s not break up, okay?”