The Hales' driver deposited Alice in front of a small office tucked away in the West Village. The "Budget by Design" sign, rendered in elegant script, was both tasteful and eye-catching, filling her with hope. Perhaps Marissa Clark could help her recapture her lost sense of style and decorate her tiny new apartment to her liking. Alice certainly hoped so. She missed having control over her own space, although the Hales had been very welcoming.

She also missed her old apartment. Brock had changed the locks, preventing her from retrieving her belongings. Most of her possessions were clothes and jewelry; she didn't own many sentimental items. Still, those clothes held many memories. Fashion was an important part of her identity.

Entering the office, she was pleased. The space felt both cozy and open, decorated in calming neutral tones accented with pops of teal. Finding the front desk unattended, she settled onto the surprisingly comfortable couch and waited.

A woman with curly, medium-brown hair, wearing a sleeveless blue and white print dress and nude wedge heels, emerged from the back room and greeted her warmly.

"Hello, I'm Marissa Clark. Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes, I'm Alice Wheatley. We corresponded a few days ago."

"Oh, Alice! So nice to meet you. Why don't you come back and tell me your budget and what you're looking for?" she said, smiling.

"I have a one-bedroom apartment and no furniture, so I'm starting from scratch. My absolute maximum budget is ten thousand dollars, but I'd prefer to spend less. I enjoy neutral-colored furniture and watercolor paintings," Alice explained.

She'd already discussed furniture and wardrobe budgets with Keeley. Keeley suggested a maximum of $10,000 for the apartment and $5,000 for a new wardrobe. Everything else should be saved, as their alimony situation remained unclear.

Her new job wouldn't cover all her living expenses, requiring her to dip into savings each month. She had money, but it could disappear quickly if she wasn't careful. She was accustomed to spending freely.

"I'll need to see your apartment before we proceed," Marissa said. "Seeing room dimensions in person is different from photos. Is that alright?"

"That's fine. My apartment is less than twenty minutes away, if I remember correctly."

"Excellent. Let's go then."

Marissa instructed her assistant (whose presence Alice hadn't noticed) to mind the office as they left. Alice, preoccupied, collided with someone.

"I'm so sor—Roger?" she exclaimed, bewildered. What was he doing here?

"Hi, Alice. I'm here to help with furniture setup," he said, smiling.

She furrowed her brow. "But we haven't even bought anything yet."

"It's easier to be here for the whole process. Marissa tends to drag people all over the city, and she's hard to track down."

His sister scowled. "You're lucky you arrived when you did. We were just about to leave."

Roger smiled and offered to drive. The short trip passed quickly in a blur of small talk and sibling bickering.

Alice felt a pang of sadness. Her own brother was much younger, and they weren't close. She'd been married before he was ten. Now, estranged from her parentswhen would she see Sterling again?

Their lack of closeness didn't negate her affection for her younger brother. She missed him. Perhaps they could connect once he was older and on social media—a few years away, at least.

Alice's move-in date had been yesterday, but she hadn't moved in yet, lacking furniture. Unlocking the apartment door, she felt embarrassed showing Marissa the empty space.

"This is it," she said lamely.

"Not bad," Marissa mused. "I could easily incorporate rugs on these hardwood floors. There's plenty of natural light…"

Marissa continued her assessment, examining every detail. Alice stood in the living room with Roger, feeling like a superfluous ornament.

"Don't mind her," he said, seemingly reading her thoughts. "She tends to ignore everything else when she's focused."

"Oh, she's fine! I've just never done this before. I didn't even get to decorate my last apartment as I wanted because my mother-in-law hired a very expensive interior decorator."

She wondered if she'd said too much. Roger didn't know about her divorce, unless he'd deduced it from her texts. He very well might have; he was sharp. Aaron wouldn't have made him a dummy shareholder otherwise.

Alice had always found his boardroom comments insightful. She knew little about him beyond his intelligence, Harvard education, and his interior-designer sister.

Their boardroom conversations were always superficial. Alice was used to such small talk after a lifetime in high society. At least Roger's small talk was pleasant. Unlike most people she knew, he didn't use double meanings.