Watching the two of them nestled together like that, the pain I'd been fighting so hard to ignore surged back, sharp and relentless, like a thousand needles driving into my skin all at once.
I pulled out my phone. The color had drained from my face as I dialed a number. "Fire Cindy Pruitt. I want her blacklisted across the entire industry." My voice didn't waver. "And start consolidating my assets. I want a divorce."
That evening, Brendan showed up with Cindy in tow, ready for a fight.
"Debbie, you promised me you wouldn't fire Cindy. How could you go back on your word?"
I tossed the photos of the two of them at the café onto the table.
"Brendan, who lied first? You really want to play this game?"
The color drained from his face. Before he could respond, Cindy stepped forward with a scornful laugh. "Debbie, when are you going to get it through your head? The only reason you can stand here with any authority is because of Mr. Sanchez."
"He's the one who gave you money to spend. He's the one who gave you a job. Everything you have was handed to you by Mr. Sanchez out of charity."