Chapter 5

I paid Herbert and Maxine no mind, turning to explain to Davina Harding. "Mrs. Harding, I came this time to say goodbye. I've changed jobs, so from now on—"

Before I could finish, Herbert cut me off. "Changed jobs? I never saw you as the ambitious type. You're putting on quite a show."

Davina sighed. "Never mind. I've heard about what happened between you and Herbert. He's the one who wronged you."

"Mom! What's that supposed to mean!" Herbert's voice was thick with anger.

"What do I mean? In these five years, how many times have you come back to see me? If Barbara hadn't looked after me all this time, you might never have seen your mother again!" Davina shouted back, giving no ground.

"And as if that weren't bad enough, you've gotten tangled up with an intern. How can you look anyone in the eye?"

Herbert let out a cold laugh, then said, "You think she actually wanted to do all that? All it took was a few little favors to buy you over. She just knows she'll never find anyone better once she leaves me!"

Maxine spoke up too. "Mrs. Harding, there's a lot you don't know. Mr. Harding is genuinely very busy, but Barbara throws tantrums over the smallest things all day just to get attention. Even we, as his employees, couldn't stand to watch it."

Davina snapped, furious. "How do you have the nerve to say any of this?"

Herbert went on, mocking. "What did I say that's wrong? Even she said herself she has no real skills and just wants to take care of the home. I've long been sick of that housewife act of hers!"

I froze. I'd said that once at a dinner with Herbert's friends. At the time I'd wanted to give him face in front of them. I never imagined he would twist it like this.

"I'm grinding it out in Capital City while she takes some cushy job back home and does nothing. Isn't that just her wanting to live off me?"

"Why do I like Maxine? She may only be an intern, but she's driven, she works hard, she's there to help me handle things when the company needs it. She's the one who truly deserves to stand at my side."

"And Barbara? What can she do? Besides curling up at home and enjoying everything of mine with a clear conscience, what else does she know how to do? And she uses a breakup to force me to give in, as if I actually care?"

"What have I done to wrong her? Being willing to give her the title of girlfriend was already more than enough. Am I supposed to be grateful and beg her not to leave? Do I need her?"

He spoke fast and hard, as if all of it had been pressing on him for a long time.

Davina cried out, frantic. "You bastard!"

I drew a deep breath and said, "Mrs. Harding, there's no need to say more. We've already broken up. There's no point arguing over who was right or wrong."

Herbert seemed thrown that my reaction was so calm. He went on, "Fine. You'd better never come back looking for me as long as you live."

I won't. Barring the unexpected, our paths will never cross again in this life.