Chapter 2After Eight Years, I Said Yes to Another

"Hey Jenna, the buyer signed the paperwork. The condo title will be officially transferred next week."

Ben, my real estate agent, sounded perfectly crisp and professional over the phone.

"Perfect. Wire the final funds directly to my Chase account."

"Are you absolutely sure you do not want to reconsider? The property value is great, and since the deed is under two names, the other owner..."

"I do not need to reconsider."

I hung up the phone and stared at the calendar on my kitchen island. It had been exactly six days since Brian's wedding reception.

Six full days. Tedd had not called me once. He had not sent a single text.

He thought he was teaching me a lesson.

I thought the silence was a blessing.

I canceled the memberships we shared. I transferred my assets. I sat at the bank on Wednesday to close our joint checking account. The teller asked if I needed to notify the secondary account holder. I smiled and said no.

Brian helped me pack up the last of my things from the apartment, loading it all into a moving van in two trips. She squatted on the floor, taping up the final cardboard box, and looked up at me.

"Do you feel even a little bit of regret?"

"Brian, help me unscrew that coat rack."

She didn't ask again.

Day seven. Tedd's investor contracts were still sitting on my desk. Three thick binders, stamped and ready for the final signatures he needed. His assistant texted Brian, asking if 'Jenna could drop the files off at Mr. Rawlings's bachelor pad.'

I could have just paid a courier to do it.

But I wanted to walk this final mile myself.

His luxury apartment was on the thirty second floor. The hallway was lined with plush grey carpeting that swallowed my footsteps completely. I didn't hear the voices until I was standing right outside his heavy oak door.

He wasn't alone.

Valerie's voice slipped through the crack in the door. Her tone curled upward at the end, dripping with that perfectly calculated, flirty whine.

"Tedd, everyone at the office is gossiping about those flowers you bought me. You really need to clear those rumors up for me."

A man laughed. It wasn't Tedd.

"Clear what up? Are you really complaining about getting roses, Val?"

The room erupted into teasing laughter.

"Shut up, you guys are the worst." Valerie's voice was practically drowning in the attention.

Tedd didn't say a single word to stop it.

A few seconds later, another guy spoke up, his voice a bit raspy.

"So what is the game plan with Jenna? I got her wedding invitation in the mail. White cardstock, gold foil. It looked pretty damn legitimate."

Tedd finally spoke.

"Let her tire herself out."

Six words.

His tone was completely flat, like he was casually predicting the weather.

"I spoil her too much on a daily basis. This time, she needs to figure out on her own that throwing a tantrum is not going to magically get her what she wants."

Someone hesitated. "You do not think... this has anything to do with Valerie, right?"

Valerie let out a soft, breathy giggle, light as air.

"Oh, Tedd knows exactly what he is doing."

No one argued with her.

And absolutely no one defended me.

My mind flashed back to two years ago. A coworker had texted the company group chat saying, 'The boss's girlfriend is here,' attached to a blurry candid photo of me waiting in the lobby. That exact same afternoon, Tedd sent a mass email: 'Focus on your work. Gossip will not be tolerated.' The tone was absolute ice.

I had never stepped foot in his corporate office since that day.

But Valerie? How long had she been orbiting around him, playing these little games? Had he ever once told her to act like a professional?

Someone inside spoke up again.

"What does Jenna even bring to the table besides drama? She is not like Val. Val is sharp. She actually steps up when the company needs her."

I placed the stack of investor contracts quietly on the welcome mat.

My knees felt a little weak when I bent down.

I used my index finger to nudge the thick manila envelope right against the crack of the door.

The motion sensor lights in the hallway timed out, plunging the corridor into total darkness.

"Tedd, I think someone dropped something outside."