You had been furious with Alexander for missing your calls. Even though he had apologized, you decided to make your displeasure unmistakably clear. And what better way than a little indulgence at his expense?

Alexander was still at work when his phone buzzed again. Expecting it to be yet another call from you, he glanced at the screen—only to find it was his bank. With a resigned sigh, he answered.

“Mr. Sterling,” a professional yet cautious voice greeted him. “We’re calling to verify two recent transactions on your account. One for $385,990 at Cartier Maison and another for $290,850 from an online purchase at Bergdorf Goodman. If these were not authorized by you, we can flag them as fraudulent and halt the charges.”

For a moment, Alexander simply stared at the numbers, his jaw tightening. Then, exhaling slowly, he leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“$385K at Cartier and another $290K online?” he repeated, his voice laced with weary exasperation. A low chuckle, void of amusement, rumbled in his throat. “No, it’s not fraud. That’s just my wife throwing a tantrum. Go ahead and process the charges,” he muttered before ending the call.

He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. He should have picked up your calls.