Chapter 4

Last November, he told me Monica was borrowing the marital home for an interview.

That day I was at the hospital, looking after his mother.

When I got home, things in the study had been moved.

I asked the building staff. Dick gave me exactly one line.

【Monica used it for one afternoon. Don't make a thing out of it.】

Now he finally spoke.

「She only took photos in there. I never let her touch your hard drive.」

「You let her into my study.」

「Amy, I didn't know.」

「You never know.」

My voice went cold.

「You didn't know why the bangle shattered, didn't know why I left, didn't know what your precious first love walked off with. But every time something goes wrong, the first thing you think is that I'm the one stirring up trouble.」

Dick clenched his jaw.

Monica's eyes filled with tears.

「I can pull this section, and I can thank you publicly. But the exhibition has been in the works for six months. Shut it all down now, and the school and the Barnes family both lose money. Amy, you're a teacher here too. Are you really going to destroy everyone's hard work over one name?」

Stealing my work, and somehow it's turned into everyone's hard work.

Dick tried to talk me down.

「Let the exhibition open first. After that I'll compensate you, and I'll have the organizers add your name.」

I suddenly thought of the day after our wedding.

Reporters had cornered us outside the hotel.

Someone asked him why he'd gone to the airport to pick up Monica on his wedding night.

He said, right into the camera, that his wife was understanding and wouldn't mind.

I stood beside him and could only smile.

Three years on, he still wanted to use my name to save someone else's face.

「I won't accept any compensation.」

I stood up.

「Within forty-eight hours, the project team discloses where its material came from and pulls the content that's in question. Otherwise I file a formal complaint under my real name, and I sue the Barnes family and Monica at the same time.」

Monica's tears spilled over.

Dick pressed his hands flat on the table.

「Amy!」

「You can shout all you like. It won't turn my old draft into hers.」

I picked up my papers and walked out of the meeting room.

As my hand touched the door, Dick's voice came from behind me.

「If you walk out that door today, there's no going back for us.」

I looked back and smiled.

「The day the divorce papers reached your hands, I already left myself no way back.」

Outside, Miles was talking with the dean.

When he saw me, he held out an access card for the archives.

「The old footage has been found. The administrator says you have to go get it yourself.」

I took the card.

「How did you know I'd need it?」

「Your hiring file has a list of your papers. I only checked the school's public records. Whether you use it is up to you.」

In three years, this was the first time someone had helped me without deciding for me while they were at it.

My voice was firm.

「I'll use it.」

「Then go get it.」

Miles held the elevator door.

「Professor Coleman, this fight is yours to win.」