"A woman who reeks of bargain bins, and you put up with her for five years?"
Dirk kissed Amy's forehead.
"Exactly. That's why I appreciate you so much more now."
He waved his hand, and several bodyguards closed in immediately.
"Throw her out."
"And make sure everyone in the industry knows: anyone who hires her is making an enemy of me."
I was shoved out of the mansion.
Outside, rain was coming down in sheets.
I walked through the downpour, unable to tell whether it was water or tears running down my face.
I made it back to our basement apartment. Less than three hundred square feet.
His sketches still hung on the walls.
He'd told me I was his muse.
He'd told me that once he made it big, he'd buy me the biggest diamond ring money could buy.
I tore every single painting off the wall like a woman possessed. Paper flew through the air in ragged pieces, and through the chaos, I spotted an elegant gift box tucked inside a drawer.
I'd saved for six months to buy it. A birthday present for him.
A top-of-the-line handcrafted brush.
Now it was clear that to someone like him, it probably wasn't even worth polishing his shoes with.
My phone rang.
It was Professor Whitfield.