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She was fine. And pretending was easier than trying to get others to understand.
Chapter Four
Daniel
As Daniel put in his PTO request, he couldn’t help but think of just how well the dinner went. Amelia was honest, discussing things with him directly rather than beating around the bush. Her smiles took over her whole face and felt far more genuine than Lucinda’s ever had.
And now that he had a better understanding of what kind of person Amelia was, he felt better about his impromptu plans. He was excited for them, even.
He glanced at his watch. He’d gone back to the office after dinner to get a few more emails answered and to request the time off. It was eight when he finally acknowledged he had to leave, and he was hoping it was late enough that he could fall asleep without his mind keeping him awake.
However, Daniel knew he wouldn’t be getting any rest the moment he walked through the door. Lucinda’s perfume wafted through the entryway, as if she had sprayed it just moments before.
She lounged on the couch, acting like she still lived there. She had meticulously dyed light ash blonde hair that showed no hints of her natural dark color. She kept it cut in a sharp bob that stopped right at her jawline, a new style she’d kept ever since she found herself with an older man. Her gray eyes had always been piercing, and now, they were focused on him as he walked into the living room.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice tight. He hadn’t seen her since their divorce, and it hurt to be in the same room.
“I just came to see how you were doing with the news,” she said airily, even though it always carried a sharp edge. “I know Michael called you today.”
“He did, but you shouldn’t be here. Does your new boyfriend know?”
Lucinda smiled. “Of course he does. He just wants to make sure you’re okay.”
“Yes, because the man who stole my wife from me definitely cares about my well-being.”
“You let me go,” she reminded, her smile fading. “This was on you, not me.”
“You cheated.”
“You left.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Emotionally, you did. You never cared about me in the way I needed. So I found someone who did.”
Daniel sighed. They had been through this a million times over. It was opening wounds that hadn’t truly healed. “I tried, Lucinda, but I’ll never be what you want me to be.”
He could remember when all he strived for was to be what Lucinda wanted. He worked so they had money. He got promoted even though his heart wasn’t in it.
It was exhausting.
But it was never enough. There was always someone with more money, with an easier job, and she had no problem with reminding him of that fact.
If it wasn’t the money, then there was someone more emotionally available. There was someone better looking or someone who looked at her the right way.
She was chasing a dream, and he’d spent far too long killing himself to keep up with her.
“You didn’t try hard enough. And now, I’m gone,” Lucinda said. It was meant to stab him. But he didn’t love her anymore. He didn’t miss her or want her back.
He wanted her gone.
“Why did you really come here?” he asked flatly. “Was it just to rub it in?”
Lucinda smiled again. That was exactly what she was doing. Daniel wasn’t really in the mood for this. He was never in the mood for Lucinda’s mind games.
He couldn’t believe that he once loved her. There was a time when he thought her words were a sign of how smart she was, and he had fallen for it and married her. Now that he was on the opposite end of that marriage, he looked at it as if it had been one of the worst mistakes of his life.
“And how have you been?” she asked, walking around the empty apartment. “You haven’t even decorated.”
