Chapter 87
Leanne finally relented and invited him in in a gesture of obligatory hospitality.
But making coffee was off the table. Leanne’s politeness only stretched so far.
Curtis wandered through the door, taking in the surroundings leisurely.
After all, the house was a relic from twenty years ago, decked out in more of a classical style. Since Leanne had reclaimed the property from Violet, she had given it a thorough
once-over.
She changed the locks and, driven by a bit of germaphobia, cleared out all the old furniture that Violet’s family had used for nearly two decades despite being heirlooms from her parents.
After cleaning the house entirely, she replaced every replaceable thing, including toilets and appliances, and chose new furniture that echoed the old days’ style.
She even rehung her parents’ photographs on the walls.
Curtis commented, “You must have spent nearly all your savings after buying all this stuff.”
Over the years they had been together, Leanne rarely had to spend her money. She got. everything arranged for her, and she’d saved her salary and bonuses.
But a doctor’s salary wasn’t astronomical, and this endeavor had taken a big bite out of her savings.
“What’s it to you?” Leanne retorted. “What do you want to talk about, anyway?”
“Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to talk?” Curtis countered. “What was on your
mind?”
“There’s nothing more to say between us.” While wrapping herself tighter in her cardigan, Leanne said, “I’m free these days. Pick a time, and let’s get the paperwork done.”
Curtis felt a constriction in his breath, instinctively reaching to loosen a tie that wasn’t there.
It turned out the suffocation he felt wasn’t because of any
“No rush,” he said. “I’ll have my lawyer draft a prenup.”
tie.
“That seems unnecessary,” Leanne found the idea more complicated than needed. “We don’t have kids or shared assets. It doesn’t have to be that complicated.”
“How is it unnecessary?” Curtis lifted his chin defiantly. “You’re ditching the mansion in Crystal Cove Villas to live in an old and shabby house like this, making people think I’m so stingy with my wife.”
Chapter 87
“Ex-wife,” Leanne corrected, frowning. “And how is my place that old and shabby?”
“How isn’t it? This house is over twenty years old, for heaven’s sake,” Curtis said. “Aren’t you scared of the dark? Living in this old house doesn’t spook you?”
Ghosts weren’t something to fear if they truly existed, and the human imagination in the dead of night was the terror.
Leanne had never been frightened before, but now, thanks to him, she might begin to envision a horror movie in her head once the lights were off. This idea was especially unnerving considering her bedroom lacked a night light.
That morning, she’d been too exhausted to care, but when night fell…
“Shut up!” Leanne was livid, kicking out at Curtis’ shin. “It’s my parents’ house.”
Her kick was far from gentle, causing Curtis to hiss in pain, but somehow, it cleared the tightness in his chest.
It was bizarrely satisfying.
Maybe it was because she hadn’t shown her temper to him in a long time. She used to kick him when annoyed. With her stubborn nature and his indulgence, she’d never backed down in their spats, always waiting for him to come around and coax her out of her mood.
Leanne’s slipper flew off her foot, and she steadied herself against a nearby table to keep from falling.
Curtis bent down to retrieve her wayward slipper and crouched on one knee, offering to help her slip it back on.
Leanne bit her lip, withdrawing her foot. “I can do it myself.”
Still holding her ankle, Curtis pulled her leg back toward him. Leanne resisted, and they pulled back and forth for a few moments.
Curtis lazily lifted his eyelids and warned her, “Keep struggling, and you’ll expose yourself.”