I frowned slightly, glancing down at it before looking up at Emily and Theo.
My sister was perched on the arm of the sofa, legs elegantly crossed, while Theo leaned back in his chair as if he owned the place. I’d just finished telling them what happened with Vani that morning and how she was mad at me. Neither of them was sympathetic.
“Idiot,” Theo said. For the fifth time today.
Emily shook her head, still laughing. “I have never seen you act so tactless before.”
“I wasn’t trying to be tactless,” I muttered, though even I could hear how weak that sounded.
"I warned you that waiting would only lead to more problems, not only that you had the gall to put her in a guest room.” Theo shot back, shaking his head.
I rubbed my temple. “I thought giving her space would make things easier.”
Theo scoffed. “Women don’t marry men they want space from.”
Emily grew serious. “She moved her things into your bedroom, Cal. Your bedroom. She wasn’t exactly subtle.”
“I know,” I said quietly.
They weren’t wrong. They were actually spot on with their assessment of the situation, which made it that much harder to reflect on where I went wrong. Knowing that my lack of honesty and initiative caused such a major falling-out reminded me of how insecure I was in relationships.
I was about to ask them to pause mocking me for a bit to offer some advice when my phone started ringing. At the exact same time, my accountant, Ryan, rushed into the room, looking extremely stressed.
Ryan never showed up unannounced. That alone was enough to make me straighten. I gestured for him to take a seat while I answered the call. “Callahan speaking.”
“Mr. Sterling, this is Jackson Simmons from American Express,” the representative from my bank began, voice carefully professional. “We’re calling regarding several high-value transactions made from your account this morning. We also need confirmation before processing a pending three-million-dollar payment.”
Theo slowly straightened in his chair.
Emily’s eyes widened.
Ryan made a strangled noise in the background, while I felt shock washing over me, unable to process what I’d just heard.
“Three million?” I repeated, because surely I had misheard her.
“Yes, sir.”
I knew Vani would spend a lot when I handed her my card. When she asked for my pin, I assumed she had spent around $100,000, which I was fine with. I hadn’t expected millions in a single day. I was both curious and impressed by how quickly she spent my money.
“It's fine,” I said evenly. “That’s my wife, having fun. You have my authorization to process the payment.”
There was a brief pause. “You’re confirming the transaction, sir?”
“I am.”
“Very well.”
As soon as I ended the call, Theo spoke up. “What could she have bought that cost three million dollars?”
Emily looked like she was about to start laughing again. “I don't know, but she's definitely playing her role well.”
Ryan, however, did not look amused.
“Sir,” he said carefully, already sweating. “That’s not even the largest attempted purchase.”
I stilled. “What do you mean?”
Ryan swallowed. “Your wife just tried to purchase a Barnes & Noble.”
