Chapter 11
It had been two weeks since I left Alexander.
There was still time before the court hearing.
I hadn’t reached out to him, and he hadn’t contacted me either.
With his resources, finding me wouldn’t be hard.
I figured he was too busy playing house with Charlotte to bother.
One day, at a dinner meeting, I overheard people gossiping at the next table.
Heard them talking about their boss going through a nasty divorce.
Said he’d been a wreck for two straight weeks–completely falling apart.
“Even Miss Charlotte tried cheering him up, but no dice.”
“I heard he actually kicked her out.”
“No way! Wasn’t he totally into her?”
“Yeah, and he wasn’t even supposed to come on this trip to San Diego… but suddenly insisted on tagging along. Weird, right?”
I didn’t even connect the dots.
The idea of Alexander being a mess over me, turning Charlotte away?
That was more fairytale than fact.
Impossible.
When I walked into the restaurant, I didn’t expect to see her sitting there.
Charlotte.
13:20 O
He Cheated. I Left. Now He’s Crying Outside My Lab
8.7%
Leaning back in her chair like royalty, chin tilted just enough to show off her elegance.
Some investor I didn’t know was standing beside her, pouring her tea like she was a queen.
When I approached, she gave him a look.
He took the cue, puffed out his beer belly, and waddled over to sit beside me.
He looked me up and down.
“They sent a woman to talk business with us?”
“Do you even know chemistry?”
“You even understand what this order’s about?”
I swallowed my annoyance. No point arguing with a pig.
“If your whole company is full of guys like you, then maybe we shouldn’t be working together at all.”
He got mad, slammed the table, and demanded to know why I was being disrespectful.
“Actually,” I said, “I’d like to know why you picked this place to talk ‘business.“”
“Are you here for chemistry or for cocktails?”
“I could walk you through the formulas, but I doubt you’d get past the oxidation reaction.”
I broke down the molecular structure, the strengths and flaws of our current tests, and
where we were on the timeline.
He just blinked. Totally lost.
“If you don’t understand any of it, stop wasting my time.”
“I’ll talk to your engineers.“/
Charlotte’s smile froze on her face.
13-20
He Cheated. I Left. Now He’s Crying Outside My Lab
9.0%
Chapter 11
What I didn’t know then… was that Alexander had been standing behind me the whole time.
He’d heard everything. From the very first word.
And just like that, he remembered how we first met.
I was still in school, arguing in the lab with a senior about catalyst measurements.
He’d been waiting at the door to pick me up.
I always thought I looked ridiculous when I argued.
But to him, I’d never been more captivating.
That’s when he first fell for me.
But slowly, bit by bit, he tried to mold me into someone else.
The investor was furious, pointing at me and shouting.
“She’s just faking it! Probably slept her way into that lab.”
“A woman can’t know chemistry like that!”
“She’s the one Professor Richard Foster wanted for his PhD program,” Alexander said, stepping up beside me, hand on my shoulder.
“She’s published more in peer–reviewed journals than you’ve signed business contracts.”
“She doesn’t get it? Do you?”
The investor paled when he recognized Alexander.
“Mr. Westwood… she’s your…”
“She’s my wife,” Alexander said, looking at me like he wanted a pat on the back.
“I’m not,” I replied.
13:21
