Chapter 6
478words
I had the manager donate their belongings to charity.
Even Shadow got a bath and a fresh start.
By the time I finished all these things, the takeout I ordered had just arrived.
Shadow and I settled in—one human,one dog—watching the Christmas special.
I was having hot pot while it was having dog food. It was so cozy.
However, not long after, I received a call from the hotel under my name.
Nathan and his crew,unable to find a place,had shown up at my flagship hotel.
With holiday rates sky-high,Nathan tried to check in for free,banking on his connection to me, but he didn’t expect to be stopped..
I receive the call from my hotel manager, in the background, I heard his irritated voice:
“Why’s checking in so slow?Don’t you know who I am?Get your manager! What’s with this staff?When I’m back at work,I’ll have this hotel reamed!”
Chloe’s voice screeched:”This is Mr.Carter,your corporate exec! How can you work at the front desk without any sense of judgment?”
“One word from him,and you’re fired!”
I smirked.Talk about posturing with borrowed clout.
“You saw my memo,right?”I asked the manager.
“Yes,ma’am.The whole chain got it.”
“Stick to it.”
“Understood,Ms.Bennett!”
He hung up.
Ten minutes later,Nathan called:
“Olivia, is this your doing? You won’t even let us stay in a hotel? You’re too much!”
I scoffed,mocking:”Paying for a room is standard.”
Then I added:”But you don’t,do you?”
He choked,speechless.
“If you pay for the hotel room, the hotel’s door will always be open for you. But if you want to stay without paying, I don’t think any hotel will allow that.”
He roared:”I’m your husband!”
Watching a comedy sketch,I laughed.
You didn’t act like my husband when you ditched me on the interstate or bossed me around.
Now you remember our marriage when you want a freebie?
People might think I’m your ATM—and honestly,I kind of was.
I gave him everything he wanted,no questions asked.
Even so, he had never been grateful to me. He even thought it was only natural. Why keep feeding this ungrateful leech?
“Oh,by the way,”I said,”check your email.The divorce papers are there.We’re done soon.”
I hung up,blocking his number and texts.
Picking a piece of meat from my bowl,I fed it to Shadow,curled at my feet.”You’re way cuter.”
Animals are loyal—a scrap of food,and they’re yours,no betrayal.
Not like Nathan, who is never satisfied.He wants everything, but I want him to get nothing.
The midnight countdown began,fireworks popping outside.
Scrolling through holiday texts,I stumbled on Chloe’s Instagram post:
Caption:Family’s where the heart is.
Below,a photo of her with the Carters,posed like a family portrait.
I curled the corners of my lips and took a screenshot.
Wasn’t this the evidence that would make Nathan leave the house with nothing but the clothes on his back?
