Eight full days of posts. I read every single one, down to the last word.
Those eight days stretched like eight years, and the grief seeped into every corner of my being.
Derek had vanished without a trace—off playing the perfect boyfriend in someone else's world.
By the eighth day, when work resumed, Derek still hadn't come to see me.
Instead, he went to the office and handed out red envelopes to everyone.
The BIGGEST return-to-work red envelope ever!
Adela's red envelope contained $26,000.
I froze.
I called Derek immediately.
"You gave Adela a red envelope that big for the return-to-work bonus? Have you lost your mind?"
"What are the other employees supposed to think? Derek, if you want out of this marriage, just say the word. I'm not someone who can't live without you."
Derek said nothing.
After a long silence, Adela's timid voice drifted through the line.
"Viola..."
"That red envelope was my bonus for landing the Southport project. It wasn't a return-to-work gift..."
I didn't buy it.
Bonuses were paid quarterly. The Northridge contract had been signed before the holiday—if anything, it wouldn't be disbursed until March.
And since when were bonuses given in cash?