0.7%
< Chapter 4
Menu
Chapter 4
It was late when Chase and Sam finally returned home. Sam walked behind, his hand tightly gripping his father’s, reluctant to go inside. He’d enjoyed being out, especially since his mom’s arrival. Tanya said that Ashley had flown all this way to see them, and that she’d be upset if they didn’t go home. Chase added that if they didn’t go home, Ashley would follow them to the amusement park the next day. Sam reluctantly conceded, following his dad inside.
Still anxious, he mumbled, Dad, what if Mom insists on coming with us tomorrow?”
“She won’t,” Chase said confidently. Over the years, Ashley had always tried to find excused to be with him, but she was also smart enough to back off when he showed any displeasure. As far as Sam remembered, his mother had always deferred to his father. If Dad said she wouldn’t, then she wouldn’t.
Feeling reassured, Sam bounced into the house.
Maria handed Chase
envelope an
as
he
entered.“Mr. Sterling,
Mrs. Sterling asked
to me
give you
this.”
Chase took it, casually asking, “Where is she?”
“Well… Mrs. Sterling packed and left this afternoon. Didn’t you know that?”
Chase stopped, turning around.“She left?”
“Yes, sir.”
Chase hadn’t given Ashley a chance to explain her sudden arrival. And he didn’t care. Hearing she’d left didn’t bother him. Sam was equally surprised, a pang of disappointment hitting him. He’d been looking forward to having his mom around at night. And his hands were still hurting from polishing seashells; he wanted her help.
lot to come,
shadow.
Chase’s but didn’t even see went through a Chase for months. She seen Ashley hadn’t Remembering the apparent dejection on Ashley’s face when she left, Maria couldn’t help but mention, “Sir, Mrs. Sterling didn’t look happy when she left. She seemed… upset.”
Maria initially assumed Ashley had an urgent matter. Now, realizing Chase was unaware of Ashley’s departure, she sensed something was
amiss.
Upset?
Ashley was always patient and accommodating. It’s surprising that she might have been upset. This Chase shrugged it off, giving Maria a noncommittal answer before heading upstairs. He was about to open Ashley’s envelope when Tanya called. He answered the phone, tossing the envelope aside and leaving the house.
was rare.
Chase didn’t return that night. The next morning, Maria, found the envelope while cleaning. Assuming Chase had read it, she placed it on his nightstand.
Ashley landed back home and started packing. After all, it’s been eight years and there’s a lot of her stuff in this house. But she only took a few clothes, some daily necessities, and a few of her favorite books.
of part Chase gave her and Sam monthly allowances after she had married him, deposited into separate accounts. Ashley mostly used her money and Sam’s remained untouched. She loved Chase and often bought him clothes, shoes, cufflinks, ties–whatever caught her eye. For herself, her daily expenses weren’t much due to her work. So she had spent most of her allowance on Chase and Sam, Her account should be nearly empty, but Sam’s was not. Sam had been living in LA with Chase for over a year, which saved her a lot of money. Therefore, she had over ten million bucks left.
Ten million bucks meant nothing to Chase. But to Ashley, it was not insignificant. Since this was money she was entitled to, she transferred the money to another account without hesitation, leaving them two empty cards. Then, she left the house with resolution.
She had a small apartment not far from her studio, a cozy seventy–square–meter space. Four years ago, she bought it to support a new–join friend in real estate, but had never lived there. Now, it eventually served its purpose. It had been regularly cleaned, so all she needed was to put
her stuff in.
After a long day, Ashley washed up and went to bed around 10 PM.
Buzz… buzz… buzz….
The phone buzzed in the quiet night, pulling Ashley from sleep.
