~~Ben~~
The silence in my apartment has usually been a comfort. But tonight, it was an accusation. I’d been staring at the same financial report for an hour, seeing nothing but Jennifer’s face, lit up with a joy I’d never seen, as Croft slid that sapphire monster onto her finger. And Stanley’s face, the one I pictured in his cell, feral and furious.
I’d ignored three encrypted messages from Stanley's lawyer, Henderson. I knew what they wanted: an update. But what could I say? “Surprise! Your ex-wife is engaged to your arch-nemesis. The party was lovely.” Every day I didn’t reply was another day I delayed the inevitable explosion.
The frozen moment shattered with a polite knock.
I opened the door, expecting a neighbor. Instead, a wall of muscle and cheap cologne filled the frame. Three
