“Yes, but here’s the thing. If I’d invested that money elsewhere, I would have made a profit, so that needs to be reflected in my share.”
Marshall had always been dismissive of my needs. But this was different—downright callous.
I stared at him, focusing on breathing in and out. “And if I had invested the last few years in someone else, I might havehad more to show for it than a huge amount of debt on my shoulders and a flailing career. So I guess we both made bad choices.”
“It’s not even remotely the same thing, and you know that. This was calculated on a spreadsheet. It’s demonstrable.”
I swallowed hard, feeling bile rise up my throat. He was sipping a yellowish drink that looked like vomit, which didn’t help my nausea.
“Who calculated that for you?” I asked.
“That’s none of your concern.”
“I’m just curious.”
“Adriana has a financial adviser.”
Adriana. Her name felt like a punch to the gut.
I laughed. “Right! So you’re asking your current girlfriend how to scam your ex-girlfriend.”
“This is not scamming. That was my money.”
“Which you’re getting back,” I said. “In fact, you know what I’ll do? I’ll send you a bill for everything I had to pay to move.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The hotel on that first night.” I swallowed hard. I’d been too heartbroken to even go to my best friend’s house. “All the things I had to buy for the house.” I could feel tears pooling at the corners of my eyes. I really, really didn’t want to shed any more tears over this asshole.
He shook his head. “I’m not accountable for that. Look, Phoebe, let’s be honest. The reason things didn’t work out was because you pushed for a wedding.”
“I…” My voice died in my throat. “You were going to propose on the trip,” I stated. “I didn’t imagine that.”
“Yes, after you’ve been dropping hints for years at weddings. You kept pointing out that all your friends were getting married and how their boyfriends proposed.”
I was determined not to let him see me cry. I crossed my legs, pressing them together tightly, and put my hands on the table.
“No, Marshall. The reason it didn’t work for us is becauseyou stuck your penis in someone else. I’m not budging on this. You have no legal right to more of the profits.”
“Don’t be difficult.”
I laughed without humor. “That’s exactly what I’m going to be from now on. For years I kept agreeing with everything you wanted. And perhaps that was my mistake. I never challenged you enough. I never asked you to treat me the way I deserved. But I sure as hell won’t allow you to walk all over me anymore. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go. I’ve said everything I wanted to.”
I got up from the table and left the bar without another word. I headed straight to the corner where Griffin told me he’d wait for me.
“Phoebe, come on. We haven’t finished the conversation.”
What the hell? He followed me?
I stopped in my tracks. I was almost at the corner. I wondered if Griffin was already here.
“I’mfinished.”
“I’m counting on that money. I want to make some investments in the future.”
I sucked in a deep breath.His future with her?But it didn’t matter. “You are not getting more than we agreed on.”
“What’s going on?” Griffin asked as we rounded the corner.
