“Making it worse,” Mark muttered. “She’s furious they’re dragging her name into this.”
HR lifted a hand to quiet her, but Alyssa talked straight over it.
Someone slid a manila folder across the table toward Cole.
He stopped mid-sentence.
His entire posture collapsed, like the air had been knocked out of him.
**
About twenty minutes later, the door opened again. Cole stepped into the hallway—and froze when he saw me.
“Paige,” he said softly.
I didn’t move.
He walked toward me. “This isn’t what it looks like, honey.”
“I’m not doing this in front of strangers. You’ve done enough of that already.”
Mark snorted quietly behind me.
“You said you’d send money,” I told him. “I want it in writing. Then maybe you’ll finally learn how to live without hiding behind a paycheck and lies.”
His jaw tightened. “Paige—”
“No.” I lifted a hand. “You don’t get to say my name like we’re still a team.”
Behind him, Alyssa scoffed. “Oh my gosh.”
I turned to face her. She looked ready to explode—eyes narrowed, lips parting to speak.
Before she could, a woman in a navy blazer stepped into the hallway.
“Alyssa,” she said calmly, her voice cold as ice. “Your contract is terminated effective immediately. Legal will contact you. Do not return to this building.”
Alyssa blinked. “You’re kidding, Deborah. I work here.”
“This is not a discussion,” Deborah replied. The hallway went silent.
Cole turned toward her. “You can’t just fire her like that—”
“We can,” Deborah said evenly. “And we are.”
Then she looked at Cole.
“Effective immediately, you are on unpaid suspension pending termination. Turn in your badge.”
A security guard stepped closer with a clipboard.
That ended the argument.
For a moment nobody moved. Alyssa’s face drained white. Cole looked like someone had yanked the floor out from under him.
I stepped closer to him.
“I’m going home,” I said quietly. “To our children.”
“We need to talk.”
“We will,” I replied. “Through lawyers. You made your choice, and I’m done cleaning up the damage. Don’t come back.”
He stood there speechless. Alyssa stared at him like she’d just realized she’d tied her future to a man who couldn’t keep his life together.
I turned and walked away.
Back at home, the kids were waiting for me.
I crouched down and hugged each one of them. Rose held on a little longer than the others.
“Is Daddy coming home?” she asked.
“No, baby,” I said gently. “Not today.”
She frowned. “Tomorrow?”
I took a slow breath.
“Maybe not for a while,” I said softly. “But I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
For the first time, I was choosing myself—and my children.
He had made his decision.
And now, so had I.
