Chapter 3

My hand jerked, and I almost lost my grip on the urn.

"Nigel, you bastard!"

I didn't want anything more to do with him. I turned to step past him and go.

But he blocked me again.

"I really don't have a cent to my name right now. Transfer me some money, fast. And don't forget the mortgage is due at the end of the month."

"So you do remember there's a mortgage." I stared at him, eyes red.

"I…" Something in his face said he knew he'd gone too far.

He lowered his head. "But your sister-in-law has it really hard, and Hannah's worn out from school every day. I just thought they deserved a chance to relax."

"They got to relax. And what about me?"

My voice shook.

"Last year I worked overtime for weeks, pulling all-nighters, and I finally got the project bonus. I wanted to celebrate. I wanted to travel, to see the ocean. And what did you say?"

Nigel looked down.

I said it through tears.

"You said, what's so great about the ocean, can't I watch it on TV?"

"You said, better to put that money in the bank and earn interest."

"But the second your brother's widow said it was a hassle picking the kid up from school every day and she wanted to buy a car—"

"You didn't even ask me. You just transferred that money to her. You didn't even make her write an IOU."

"That was my bonus. Countless nights, countless sweat, and that's what I got for it."

"Money I earned myself, and I'm not entitled to enjoy it, not entitled to a single trip."

"But your brother's widow only has to open her mouth. She's the one who's struggling, she's the one who's tired, and she gets to take the money I earned with my own sweat and go enjoy herself, go traveling, for no reason at all?"

Nigel heard all of it and didn't feel the slightest shame. Instead he looked at me with disgust.

"Geraldine, listen to yourself."

"No matter how hard it is for you, no matter how tired you are, you still have me, don't you?"

"But she has nothing."

"So how can you even compare yourself to her?"

His words nearly made me sick with rage.

Every urge to argue with him drained away.

I looked at him, cold. "Move. I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Nigel said, "Fine, I'll move. Give me the money."

My voice trembled. "Give you money? So you can take my money and buy her a car?"

"So you can take my money and send her on another trip?"

Nigel snapped, "Geraldine! You've gone too far!"

I gave a cold little laugh. "Not one cent of my money is ever going to you again. Move."

Rage flashed across his face.

"You don't give me the money, I'm not moving!"