He Brought Her A Bag And Me A Keychain Chapter 03

He Brought Her A Bag And Me A Keychain Chapter 03

July 20.

She posted a candlelit dinner at The Aerie, their fingers intertwined.

The caption read: [I love the night view when I’m with you. I love every meal we share.]

That night, Declan told me he was going out to dinner with a client.

July 23.

She posted a photo of a man kneeling to put flats on her feet, with a pair of red-bottom heels sitting next to her.

[That’s love—he knew I was uncomfortable before I even noticed.]

That day, Declan said he was going out to do some undercover site checks.

Then there was the day before Declan left on another business trip.

The same day I’d asked him to buy me a bag.

She posted: [She wants it. Would you give it to me?]

Declan had replied underneath: [I’d give you everything I have.]

I couldn’t help letting out a bitter laugh.

The bag hadn’t been sold out. There was no shortage.

It had all been a lie.

And yesterday’s Instagram post hadn’t been a mistake, either.

Piper had posted it to provoke me.

I glanced at the company Slack channel first.

Half an hour earlier, Declan had posted a company-wide termination notice in the Slack channel.

I handed my phone back to Maeve, thanked her, and went home.

Declan didn’t come home that night.

I messaged him.

[We need to talk.]

He didn’t reply.

The same thing happened for several days.

It was as if he’d forgotten he had a home. As if he’d forgotten he was married.

Declan ignored me.

Piper’s Instagram, meanwhile, was updating nonstop.

One sweet post after another. They looked like a couple deep in love.

That night, I was doing a face mask when Declan finally came home.

Two concert tickets slipped out of the clothes he’d left hanging on the rack.

Noticing me looking, he said flatly, “An employee was wronged. I had to make it up to her.”

He didn’t say which employee.

I didn’t ask what kind of making up required the boss to disappear from home for days.

“Declan, I need to talk to you.”

“Colette, I need to ask you something.”

We spoke at the same time, then both fell silent.

I gestured for him to go first.

Declan took a beat. “I know the other day upset you.”

“But Piper’s not like you. Manager or not, you’re still my wife.”

“You don’t have to worry about money. Piper’s a working woman—she needs this job, and she needs to have authority in the office.”

“So you’re using me to build her credibility?”

Declan sighed. “Colette, why are you so hostile toward her?”

“Didn’t you tell me once how hard it is for women in management?”

“You of all people know how rough it is. So why make it harder for another woman? Can’t you just be the bigger person?”

Honestly, I didn’t know how much bigger he expected me to be.

I peeled off the mask.

“Get to the point. Skip the lecture.”

Declan didn’t flinch at my tone.

“Piper’s the new PR manager.”

“We have a gala tomorrow. She has nothing to wear, no jewelry.”

“Lend her the emerald heirloom set from your grandmother. She needs it for the occasion.”

I narrowed my eyes, studying him.

“You do realize I’ll be at that gala tomorrow?”

If Piper showed up in my jewelry, I’d be the laughingstock of the entire event.

Declan only frowned. “You have plenty of jewelry. What’s the big deal if she borrows one set?”

“That belonged to my grandmother.”

I had plenty of jewelry. Yet he had to pick the one set everyone would recognize.

He was practically handing her my dignity on a platter.

Unfortunately, Declan didn’t see it that way.

Or maybe he just didn’t care because he wasn’t the one being humiliated.

His expression darkened instantly.

“Are you lending it to her or not?”

Any desire I’d had to discuss this calmly disappeared.

I handed him the documents I’d prepared long ago.