Chapter 24
Philip's POV
Late in the morning, I woke up in our king-sized bed in our new Upper East Side mansion. I stretched lazily, enjoying the rare luxury of a weekend morning. From here, I could see the meticulously manicured garden below-another of Sarah's essential upgrades to our living situation.
My gaze drifted to her vanity, crowded with elegant bottles and jars. The sight brought a fleeting thought of our previous home, which had been perfectly adequate. But Sarah had insisted Brian needed "the right environment to thrive," and I couldn't deny that she seemed to know what was best for our family's social standing.
A piercing scream shattered my contemplation.
"Philip!" Sarah's voice carried from the kitchen. "Oh God, it hurts!"
I rushed downstairs to find her cradling her hand, face contorted in pain.The kitchen counter was cluttered with cooking implements-an unusual sight, given that Sarah had always proclaimed her disdain for cooking since we moved here and hired a chef to manage our meals.
"I burned myself," she whimpered, extending her finger for inspection.The skin looked barely pink. "I just wanted to make you a special breakfast..."
"We have a chef for this now," I reminded her gently, even as she pressed herself against me.
"But I wanted to do something special for you." Her lower lip trembled."To show how much I appreciate everything you've done for Max and me.""Let me make it up to you," I heard myself say. "How about some shopping to cheer you up?"
A radiant smile suddenly transformed her face, erasing all traces of her earlier pain from the burn. Before I could process the abrupt change, she leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. Lost in the moment, I returned her kiss without a second thought.
The jewelry store's lighting seemed designed tomake everything sparkle,including Sarah's eyes as she made a beeline for the most elaborate pieces in the display. She selected an ornate piece with barely a glance at the price tag, which she did so proficiently and rapidly that it surprised me a bit.
"Max needs something special," she declared, her perfectly manicured fingers trailing along the glass display cases. "A piece to remember his childhood by." Her eyes lit up as they landed on a sterling silver compass pendant. "This is perfect. He's always been fascinated by exploration and adventure."
The pendant was beautifully crafted, with a polished finish and clean design that would appeal to a young boy, quite expensive for a child's accessory. But Sarah was already waving over the sales associate, her voice carrying that soft, vulnerable tone she used when she wanted something."It's just... he's missed out on so many special moments. I wwant him to know how precious he is to us."
The sales associate began wrapping the pendant in a plush velvet box while Sarah detailed how she wanted Max's name and the date engraved on the back. Watching her fuss over every detail, I was struck by her maternal devotion. It made me think of Annie, how she'd always... Speaking of Annie, it seemed that she had found her new love. So soon?And after what Robert had did to her? Maybe that man beside her was just an actor or a dumb fool. No way she could be in a new relationship so soon.I would find out.
"We should get another one for Brian," I found myself saying, and for a moment, something flickered across her face. But she recovered so quickly I was sure I'd imagined it.
"Oh, darling, we spent a lot today." she purred. "We could give this one to Brian. Max would be fine..."
Before I could respond, the sales associate returned with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but your card has been declined."
My stomach dropped. For a moment, I couldn't process the words. This platinum card had accompanied me through countless power lunches and billion-dollar deals. I was Philip Baker, for God's sake. My cards didn't get declined.
"There must be some mistake." The words came out strangled,foreign to my own ears. With trembling fingers, I pulled another card from my wallet,painfully aware of the growing line behind us, the barely concealed whispers. "Try this one." Sarah's perfect composure wavered for just a second. "It must be the renovations," she laughed lightly. "All those little upgrades add up..." I nodded, though something about her explanation nagged at me. Hadn't we discussed the renovation budget in detail? But she was already moving on, suggesting lunch at her favorite restaurant, and I let the thought slip away.
Back home, Sarah pulled out an ornate box from her shopping bag presenting it to Brian. "Look what your father and I bought for you,darling. Do you like it?"
Brian took the box without much enthusiasm, opening it quietly. His subdued reaction was unusual for a child receiving a gift.
Sarah nudged Max with her elbow.
Max lifted his head and looked at the box in Brian's hands."I wish I had a pendant like that..."
"My dad never bought me anything like this," he continued softly. "Not once in my whole life..."
He glanced at me, while Sarah watched expectantly.
"I did suggest buying two," I said, absently running my hand through Brian's hair.
"I was just trying to be mindful of your money," Sarah explained quickly."But now that Max wants one too..." She lowered her voice. "You wouldn't want to play favorites,would you?" Something felt off about the whole scene, but I couldn't quite grasp what.The way Max and Sarah looked at each other, how quickly the situation had turned... or was I just being paranoid? Sarah was trying to make everyone happy,wasn't she? "I'll go to the store and pick another oe tommorrow after I got off work. And I'll hear no more about it." I said to Sarah curtly.
That evening, alone in my study, I opened my laptop to review some contracts. A notification from my banking app caught my eye-a reminder about the credit card statement I'd been meaning to check. Might as well get it over with.
The screen filled with transaction after transaction. At first, the numbers blurred together as usual.
My eyes widened as I scrolled through the endless list of transactions.Designer boutiques, five-star restaurants, luxury spas, private car services...The amounts were astronomical. Sarah had spent more in a month than most people earned in a year.
I sat back in my chair, stunned. What exactly had I gotten myself into?