Avery Collins, thirty four years old, stood in the kitchen of her apartment in Seattle, phone pressed tightly to her ear while she listened to a silence that felt heavier than noise. The call had ended minutes earlier, or at least she believed it had ended until something faint reached her.
“I love you,” said Adrian Blake earlier, his voice warm and familiar as always, and he added that he just wanted to say hello before dinner got busy because Harrison always threw loud parties.
She had smiled and told him to enjoy himself, then she heard the click and assumed the call ended, yet the line stayed open as if forgotten in his pocket. From the speaker came muffled laughter, glasses clinking, and overlapping voices that slowly sharpened into something unmistakable.
“So when are you finally going to do it,” a man asked, likely Harrison based on the tone and confidence.
“In two months,” Adrian answered casually, sounding like he discussed routine errands instead of something life changing. “I need the company valuation finalized first, because once the paperwork predates the lawsuit, her attorney cannot touch it.”
Avery froze completely, her fingers tightening around the phone as her breath slowed without her noticing.
“That is smart thinking,” another voice said, sounding impressed and amused at the same time. “How long have you been planning this whole thing.”
“Since the promotion,” Adrian laughed, and it was the exact laugh she recognized from moments when he felt proud of himself.
“The moment she made partner at the firm, I knew the payout would be worth it, and since Washington follows community property rules, I just needed the right timing.”
Someone whistled softly in the background, clearly impressed by the calculation.
“That is cold,” the same voice said, almost admiringly. “Really cold.”
“It is not cold, it is practical,” Adrian replied without hesitation. “I have been managing her for three years, keeping her satisfied and focused, and she thinks we are building a future together while I am just collecting what is coming to me.”
Avery slowly lowered herself into a chair because her legs no longer felt steady enough to hold her upright.
“What about Savannah,” Harrison asked, bringing up the name that made everything worse.