Engraved with the Wrong Name Chapter 10

Engraved with the Wrong Name Chapter 10

I took a long, hard look at the man I had once loved so deeply.

There was a time when I trusted him completely..

He said it was a habit, and I forgave him.

He said it was a slip of the pen, and I tolerated it.

Now, he was saying he regretted it all, that I was the one he truly loved.

I took off the ring.

My fingertip brushed against something rough on the inside of the band.

When I saw what it was, all I felt was a boundless, bitter irony.

“Griffin, is this what you call regret?”

Inside the silver band, a string of numbers was engraved.

Jade’s birthday.

Griffin’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

When I got home, Dad was still sitting on the porch, a golf club resting against his

chair.

The neighbors had dispersed.

He looked behind me warily.

“Is he gone?”

I nodded.

I didn’t know if Griffin would be back.

But it didn’t matter. I was never going to see him again.

From now on, I was going to live for myself.

With my experience from Chicago, finding a new job was a smooth process.

The director of the foundation where I used to work heard I was back and actively sought me out for an interview.

Looking at my resume, he clicked his tongue in approval.

“It’s been a few years, and your resume has only gotten stronger.”

“Were your bosses in Chicago really willing to let you go?”

Before I could answer, he offered me a director position on the spot.

I was flattered.

But the director just shook his head.

“Worth it. If you hadn’t left, you’d have been in this position years ago!”

He clapped me on the shoulder.

“A lot of the old team is still here. Come on, let’s go say hello.”

My old colleagues were thrilled to see me.

When they learned I was the new director, they laughed and joked about fighting to be

on my team.

The atmosphere in the Chicago Family was tense and rigid; it was a world away from the warmth here.

After three years away, I only now realized how poorly I had truly fit in there. Not with the people, not with the life.

Looking around at the familiar, smiling faces, my eyes welled with tears.

Before long, I had thrown myself into my work.

The skills and experience I’d gained in Chicago allowed me to close several major projects in quick succession, proving my worth.

I was still busy, but now my home was less than a mile from the office.

My retired mom invented new, elaborate meals for me every day.

My life was no longer filled with pressure, but with purpose.

One day, I came home from work to find Dad on the phone, a pained look on his face.

When he saw me, he instinctively covered the receiver.

Under my questioning, he finally told me the truth.

“It was Griffin’s father. He said his son had lost his mind, quit his job in Chicago, and

moved back here.”

He watched my expression carefully, sighing in relief when he saw I was unfazed.

“I was worried you’d get upset, so I didn’t want to tell you.”

I reassured him that I had truly, completely let it go.

I quietly hid my phone behind my back.

Dad didn’t know that Griffin’s departure from Chicago was partly my doing.

I would never forget what he and Jade had done to me.

Not long after I returned, I hired a specialist to recover my phone’s data.

I sent all the evidence-the proof of our relationship, the context for the vicious rumors to the Chicago Family’s anonymous tip line.

I also posted it on the unofficial gossip channel I’d deliberately forgotten to leave.

The Family erupted.

Matilda even sent me some inside information.

That Jade woman was only brought on by Griffin. After this whole mess, the higher-ups cut her loose for ‘conduct unbecoming.’

Griffin is still capable, so the Don just demoted him instead of getting rid of him entirely.

But Griffin’s pride would never let him stay and face the judgment of his peers.

The drop from Capo to a common Soldato was a world of difference in status.

The penthouse we’d rented cost nearly thirty thousand a month.

On a Soldato’s salary, that rent would become an impossible burden.

His departure had been inevitable.

He destroyed my career, so I destroyed his. It was only fair.

Just now, my phone had buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

Kimberly, I’m back in Boston. I’m starting my own business.

Once I succeed, I’m coming to win you back.

I scoffed and blocked the number.

-Seeing that I was genuinely untroubled, Dad finally relaxed.

He picked up his spatula and headed for the kitchen.

“Come on,

tell me what you want to eat. Dad will make it for you.”

“Really? I want Boston lobster!”

My phone pinged again.

Director: First quarter profits are up three million. We’re counting on our star employee to lead the foundation to new heights next year.

The sound of the stove firing up came from the kitchen.

Mom came out with a plate of fruit. “Have a snack first, honey.”

I waved my hand.

“Don’t cook! Your daughter’s getting a bonus!”

“Let’s go! That Michelin three-star restaurant we wanted to try? My treat!”

In response, two voices cheered in unison.

“Really?!”

Moonlight streamed down through the window.

I linked arms with my parents, and we walked out into the night, laughing.

The road ahead was wide open, and for the first time in years, it was all mine.