We walk down the hallway to the conference room where the Voltaire group is waiting for us. Fred’s shiny bald head peeks over the top of one of the leather chairs at the table.

I’ve felt nauseous all morning. I’ve never felt this way before closing a deal. The usual rush of excitement and thrill of victory is nonexistent.

Carl and I enter the room and shake hands with the Voltaire group. Fred’s meaty hand palms my shoulder when he tells the others about how he beat me at tennis two days ago. My smile is forced, not because I give a fuck about our tennis match, but because in this moment I don’t give a fuck about anything. Except Chloe.

While Carl talks to Fred’s legal team, and verifies that the independent notary has everything she needs for the signing, Fred motions me over to the side of the room.

“I’ve got to show you what I picked up at the jeweler’s earlier.”

Fred pulls out a small velvet box from inside his suit coat pocket. My heart lurches in my chest and I plead for there to be a set of earrings inside that box. When Fred opens it, the nausea I felt earlier returns, tenfold.

Inside Fred’s box is a huge diamond ring.

“Fred, I—” I can’t believe he is planning to propose to Frankie.

“I’m ready for the next chapter of my life,” Fred says. “I’m going to ask Frankie to marry me tonight. It has been fun getting to know you and Chloe, so I wanted to share the news with you.”

“Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

Fred shrugs. “I have no doubt that she’ll say yes.”

Fred’s right. There’s no doubt Frankie will say yes. This is clearly what she wants, to marry Fred, gain access to his money and have an affair on the side. Fuck.

“No, I mean in your relationship,” I say.

“When you know, you know.”

Except Fred doesn’t know anything. He doesn’t know that Frankie is cheating on him and therefore likely using him for his money and status. Fred is too territorial about Frankie for him to know about her disloyalty and not care.

“Just tell me you’re happy for me and we’ll get this deal done.”

I clear my throat. “I’m happy for you, Fred.”

Fred must take my struggle to congratulate him as jealousy.

“It’s not a competition. You’ll get there with Chloe soon enough.”

He has no idea that Chloe left me.

We take a seat and Carl starts to go over the documents. I don’t hear a single word he’s saying. All I can think about is Chloe. Our time together and what I’d started to envision for our future.

What I’ve been working for, this deal with Voltaire, means nothing without her.