EVERGLOW

XIII. When she plays dirty

His anger had been palpable. It had filled the air and she had almost fled without even saying a word. Two days after that disastrous conversation, Yue could still see the fists he'd clenched, the massive scowl on his face and the way the muscle in his jaw jumped. She could still hear the raw rage in his voice. The worse, though, was the accusation and the pain in his eyes.

She hadn't heard a word from him since that night. Not after what he learned. No sign that he might want her back. He was far from accepting her. And though she had convinced herself that she was no longer hoping, she had proved herself a liar when she felt that tiny hope die as he stood unmoving when she arrived.

Years had passed and she'd thought he would be indifferent. She'd expected him to be relieved that she was now ready for what was obviously the logical step forward. She'd thought he would gladly end the marriage. She would grieve alone through the whole process and all the way back to New York.

It turns out she had hoped for too much.

She hadn't expected him to refuse. Nor to blackmail her into postponing it. It didn't make any sense. Everything he said that day made no sense. He even had the gall to accuse her of seeing someone else.

He thought he was dealing with the old Yue. But that naïve girl had grown up. Living alone in a foreign city did that.

Two years ago, she never would have thought of doing what she was doing now.

She strode to the massive desk where a woman sat in front of tall windows looking out to the smog-obscured skyline. The last time she was here, she had informed the executive that she was going to be gone for an indefinite period. Non-negotiable. And that if she got slapped with a breach lawsuit, she would pay it but she would need time.

She had seen the questions the intimidating woman tried to mask, but she didn't ask them. And she didn't offer any answers. She owed nobody anything.

"Mrs. Wang. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" Madame Zhu did not at all look surprised. Her face was devoid of any emotion, just as her desk was clear of anything but her laptop.

In the same way as the last time, Yue left off any pleasantries. She was talking to a busy woman. And she had somewhere else she needed to go afterwards.

"The only reason I am here is because you know exactly how this whole farce started. And because I know you're the only one who might be capable of knowing what I want to know."

Madame Zhu raised a brow. "Which is?"

"What has he been doing since I left?"

Why does he need the six months? But she bit her tongue. She knew very well how the shark in front of her could use the slightest bit of information.

She didn't know how it was possible, but Madame Zhu's brows rose further. This was a new side to the actress. From what little she'd seen before, she had always been straightforward but never this brisk. Not for the first time that day, she wondered again what drove the girl to leave.