I stayed silent as Spencer reached into his pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper. It was a list he had printed using my own office equipment while I was sleeping.
The list included bullet points for a weekly allowance, a luxury gym membership, a salon budget, and even a wardrobe makeover. At the bottom, someone had written “self care extras” in bright pink ink.
Everything finally started to make sense in that moment. I thought about all the bills I covered because his payments were always late and the expensive dinners I paid for every weekend.
“She is staying here,” Spencer said while misinterpreting my silence as a sign of my surrender. “You can either pay for her or you can start packing your own bags.”
My anger disappeared and was replaced by a cold sense of clarity. I realized the charming man I met at that gala on Broadway was nothing more than a well dressed freeloader.
“Okay,” I told him with a small and precise smile. Both of them relaxed instantly as if they had just won the lottery.
Paige reached for a bottle of vintage champagne I had been saving to celebrate a big promotion at work. “Should we open this now?” she asked with a playful grin.
Spencer laughed and told her that everything was perfectly clear now. I walked into my bedroom and packed a single suitcase with my passport, jewelry, and a very important folder from my desk.
When I walked back into the living room, they were already pouring glasses of my expensive champagne. “Are you leaving already?” Paige asked while raising her glass toward me.
