Page 52 of Fighting Mr. Knight

I avert my gaze out the window and bite together my trembling lips to hold back the flood of tears. I feel like the last four years meant . . .nothing. If he really loved me as much as he said he did, this would be much more difficult for him.

When I look back, I catch him checking his watch. He only gave himself thirty minutes for this meeting.

“How long? How long have you been shagging her?”

“Don’t be abrasive.” He draws in another deep breath. “We startedgetting closera few months back.”

“When?” I need precision. “A few is anything between two and eleven.”

“Three, maybe four.”

I make a noise like wind being sucked from a windpipe.

Four it is then. Maybe five. Only two months after our wedding was cancelled.

“You have to be fucking joking.” Unless…I stare at him, horrified. The timing is so close to our break-up. “Did you start seeing her before we separated?”

“No. You’re being ridiculous.” He scowls at me. “Don’t you know me at all?”

I breathe a little easier.

“I thought you were over me, Bonnie,” he says in a tone that sounds like he’s blaming me.

“I didn’t expect you to move on with someone in the bloody office as both of us,” I snap.

“That’s why I couldn’t tell you in case it didn’t work out. I didn’t want to unnecessarily hurt you.”

“Gee, thanks, you’re so considerate.” I stiffen. “Is she the reason that we broke up?”

His frown deepens. “No, of course not.”

“And you choose work hours to tell me. Right beside the office.”

He at least has the grace to look sheepish. “I apologise for that. I wanted to do it today before I’m out of the office tomorrow afternoon.”

“You have the sensitivity of a cockroach.”

He opens his mouth and then closes it, deciding arguing is fruitless.

I narrow my eyes. “Why is it suddenly urgent now?”

Now he looksreallyuncomfortable. “Olivia and I are taking a few days’ break. It may become more obvious around the office. I’ve informed Bradshaw and Brown, so it’s all out in the open. They’re fine with it.” He looks at me as if I should care what the partners think about my replacement.

Of course, they are. They’re both old millionaires. So long as we’re making them money, they wouldn’t care if we all have a massive orgy together.

Notably, the partners are higher up the list of people to be notified about the new happy couple than me.

I don’t know if I want more details or not. “Where’re you going?”

There’s a long, loaded pause. “This hasn’t been easy for me either, Bonnie.”

“Answer the question.”

“Since I had done so much research about it, we’re heading to Svalbard.”

No.

Pain funnels into my heart. I don’t understand this version of Max. “Ourhoneymoon destination?” The trip we lost a hefty deposit from. The trip of a lifetime we were due to go on in a few weeks as a married couple.

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