3: 3

3

Early the next morning, I went in to the office as usual, ready to pack up my things.

I'd made up my mind to end it, and I didn't want it dragging out.

I'd barely stepped into my office when Merlin came in right behind me.

"Well, well. Weren't you the one with all the backbone? What are you doing back here, looking so eager?"

"Enough. I already had a good talk with my parents last night. When you get off work, come home with me and apologize to them properly."

I didn't even bother to look at him. I just kept packing.

"You've got it wrong. I'm not here to work. I'm here to clear out my things."

"And while I'm at it, I'm letting you know I'm resigning."

The smugness dropped off his face in an instant. He strode over and slammed a hand down on the files I was sorting.

"Joyce, do you really have to take this so far?"

"I'm already backing down here. Can't you see that?"

I pulled the files out from under his hand.

"Nobody's taking anything too far. This is just a clean split after a breakup. Don't write yourself extra scenes."

"As for that lofty head of yours, don't bother lowering it. You might snap your own neck."

Along with the ordinary office files, I deleted every design in the computers.

Back when Merlin first started the company, he had no one at his side.

To get the business on its feet faster, I carried the whole design department alone, entering competition after competition with my own work.

Every award I won breathed new life into his company.

I still remember it, even now.

The day after I won my first national award, Merlin, who had been barely holding on, finally landed the company's first seven-figure contract.

He grabbed me and pulled me into a hug, thrilled.

"Lulu, you're my lucky star. You're the reason this whole company works!"

"Being with you is the best thing I've ever done in my life!"

In all the years since, his company got where it is on my designs. Little by little, it found solid ground in the industry.

It wasn't as if bigger, more established firms hadn't tried to poach me. They had. Every time, I turned them down.

I loved that man for twelve years. I wanted to stand beside him.

To be there while he built it all from nothing, there while he made his name.

I really did think, once, that he would give me a home.

Once everything was wiped, I picked up the box and turned to leave.

Behind me, Merlin's voice came again, low and mean.

"Joyce, are you really going to take this all the way?"

I stopped. But I didn't answer him.

"By the way. Your company's main earnings all these years came from my designs, and I've never received a single royalty payment or copyright contract from you."

"We no longer have any working relationship, so I'm asking your company to stop profiting from my designs, effective immediately."

"If your company keeps using my designs after this, I reserve the right to sue to protect my rights."

With that, I walked straight out of the building without looking back.

I thought that was the end of things between Merlin and me.

But that night, my home got an uninvited guest.

I'd just finished dinner and was about to take the dog downstairs for a walk when someone started pounding on my door.

I opened it to find Victoria standing there.

The moment she saw me, she jabbed a finger in my face and started screaming.

"You little tramp, are you trying to ruin my son on purpose?"

"Let me tell you, you hurt my son, and I'm not letting you off that easy! You're nothing but a vicious witch!"

I couldn't be bothered to trade words with her. I just dialed 911.

"Hello, I need to report a break-in. Someone's trying to force their way into my home."

4: 4

4

The police being called didn't scare Victoria off. If anything, she screamed louder.

"Breaking in? I'm your future mother-in-law! I'll discipline my own son's woman, and I'd like to see who dares stop me!"

"Yesterday was your birthday. I was kind enough to cook a whole table of food for you, and today you want to break up with my son and cart off some designs of yours?"

"Twelve years you've been with my son. How can you be so vicious?"

At this hour, every family had just finished dinner and was either heading out for a stroll or settling in for the night.

Victoria's shouting quickly drew a crowd of neighbors.

I looked at her coldly.

"As for why I'm breaking up with your son, you know perfectly well in your own hearts."

"I've already called the police. If you don't leave, you can wait to sit in a cell and think it over."

I had nothing more to say to her. I turned to shut the door.

But Victoria slammed a hand against the door frame, stopping me.

Seeing more and more people gathering, she reached straight into her bag and pulled out a surgical payment bill.

Seven bold words printed across the top.

Bill for a pregnancy termination.

"A shameless woman like you, pregnant with my son before you were even married. What kind of parents raised you?"

"You're thirty, and you've already had a life die inside you. My family isn't even holding it against you, so what more do you want?"

"Now you insist on breaking up with my son. Back then you refused to keep the baby too. Is it because you've got someone else? Have you been cheating on my son all along?"

Merlin, who had only just rushed over, heard what his mother was saying.

Flustered, he tugged at her arm.

"Mom, what nonsense are you spouting?"

My throat tightened, and my whole body was trembling.

I fought to hold back the emotion pushing me toward the edge and looked straight at Merlin.

"My miscarriage. Did you tell your mother about it?"

Merlin avoided my eyes, and for a moment he didn't dare answer.

Victoria shoved him behind her.

"How dare you compare yourself to Merlin? You had the nerve to do it, but no one's allowed to talk about it?"

"Merlin, don't be afraid. Mom's here. I will never let this slut bully you like this!"

Watching Merlin cower like that, the ground seemed to tilt under me, and I nearly lost my footing.

That child had been lost six years ago.

At the time Merlin's company was on the rise, and I was working overtime night after night, when the blow of losing both my parents at once landed on me.

Only when I started bleeding did I realize I'd miscarried.

The first time I ever knew that child existed, I had already lost him for good.

In that stretch of time, I lost not only my parents but my baby too.

After the procedure, Merlin cried, tears rolling down in great heavy drops.

"I swear I will never wrong you in this life."

"That child never got to see this world, but I will love him forever."

Yet now he had told his mother, and let her rip open my wound in front of all these people.

And worse.

Twisted the truth into a lie!

Seeing my expression, Victoria grew smugger still.

She was about to open her mouth again when I cut her off.

"Merlin, this was your child too. You're just going to stand there and watch your mother throw filth on me and on the baby?"

Merlin couldn't meet my eyes.

After a moment, he mumbled his answer.

"As long as you're willing to come back to the company, I'll clear your name."

In that instant, the last taut string in my mind finally snapped.

The past twelve years, I really had been blind.

I drew in a deep breath and looked at Merlin and his mother, and the whole pack of gawking relatives.

"Yes, I was pregnant once. But I don't see it as a disgrace. It's part of what I've lived."

"And another thing. If everyone insists there's something wrong with me for having been pregnant, then isn't there something far more wrong with an irresponsible man? Especially one who's standing here right now letting his mother throw filth at me."

"And last of all, I never did a single thing wrong in this relationship. If there's one thing I got wrong."

"It's that I was blind."

Just then, several men in uniform arrived.

"Who called the police!"