After I Left, His Empire Collapsed Chapter 06

After I Left, His Empire Collapsed Chapter 06

I took a breath. Didn’t pack the letters. Dropped them in the trash with the string art.

His promises had expired. Keeping them would only make me sick.

I finished packing my files. Looked at the nearly empty study. My suitcase wasn’t even half full.

I laughed. It came out hollow.

Julian always complained about cash flow. Said the company was bleeding money. Told me to save every paycheck. Save for the wedding. The ring. The down payment on a house. The renovations. So many expenses.

I believed him. I saved every penny I could.

Texas summers hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk? I wore cheap sneakers from the clearance rack. That freak blizzard? Same sneakers.

Ordering takeout meant cycling through every coupon app. Fighting for a dollar or two in savings.

All that money I set aside? I gave it to Julian.

He cleared his own wishlists. Latest gaming console. Thousands of dollars. Designer watches. Tens of thousands on his wrist. Always the most polished man in any room.

I’d been drunk on his promises. Ruined my health for a man who didn’t love me. A terrible trade.

The time and money should’ve gone to me. Making myself better. Building my own life.

I shook my head. No point dwelling on what I couldn’t undo.

I grabbed my suitcase handle. Started for the door.

A clang behind me.

My suitcase had bumped the metal safe in the corner.

That safe was Julian’s most precious possession. During Hurricane Harvey, the windows shattered. Julian risked his life to drag that safe to safety before anything else.

Nobody knew what was inside.

I’d been curious. Four-digit combination lock. I’d tried everything.

Our anniversary. My birthday. His birthday. His mother’s birthday. The day his parents divorced.

Nothing.

Once, my curiosity got the better of me. I called a locksmith.

The man took one look at it. Packed up his tools. Turned to leave. I offered him more money. He just shook his head.

Finally, after I wouldn’t stop pushing, he told me. The safe was unremarkable on the outside. Makeup-case size. But the lock core used some advanced European nano-tech. The body was imported aerospace-grade material. Couldn’t be forced open.

It had cost Julian a fortune. He’d put real effort into it.

No way in. No way through. I gave up.

All these years together. I never learned what was inside.

Now I was leaving. Maybe it was lingering attachment. Maybe I just wanted to confirm a suspicion.

I punched in the date Julian and his ex broke up.

I didn’t expect it to work. He’d never mentioned this ex. Not once. I only found out because a drunk friend let something slip at a party years ago.

The safe beeped.

Unlocked.

I stared.

Who was this ex? Someone worth remembering like this? Someone he’d risk his life for?

I opened the door.

My pupils contracted.