The gray winter rain of Manhattan streaked the high windows of the executive office, turning the skyline into a blur of concrete and charcoal. On the corner of Ryan’s mahogany desk, a roll of high-grade blueprint paper smelled faintly of ammonia and fresh ink.
I sat in the low leather chair, holding the monthly dividend statement from Calloway Development. The line for our joint account transfer was completely blank for the second consecutive month.
“The transfer usually clears by the fifth of the month, Ryan,” I said, keeping my voice deliberate and low.
Ryan did not look up from his tablet. He tapped his index finger against the face of his gold watch, the metal links clicking against his wrist in a rapid, impatient rhythm.
“We are reallocating capital, Claire,” he said, his voice clipped and dismissive. “It is a standard corporate adjustment to keep the cash flow liquid during the pre-development phase.”
“Our household expenses are not standard adjustments,” I said, choosing my words with precision. “The prenatal clinic requires a deposit for the high-risk monitoring next month, and our personal savings account is lower than it has ever been.”
He finally looked at me, his eyes shifting toward the street below before settling on my face. “You need to trust my financial decisions for the company. We are scaling up, and that means temporary tightening.”
“There is only forty-two dollars left in the active joint account, Ryan,” I said, my voice shaking slightly despite my efforts to remain calm.
He dismissed this with a brief wave of his hand. “That is a temporary administrative holding. The corporate lawyers are restructuring the accounts for the new entity.”
“I helped build this firm from the kitchen table of that apartment, Ryan,” I said, my voice dropping an octave. “My analytical models are the reason the banks approved the Queens project in the first place.”
Ryan scoffed, adjusting his cuffs. “The market has shifted, Claire. Spreadsheets don’t secure investors anymore. High-profile partnerships do. You have been working from home for months, hiding behind your risk assessments while I am out in the city making the actual deals.”
