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Not in the sense that a heart can be broken by love. It was

never that. But you were my best friend. We went to school

together. Came up together. We worked together. Opened our

first restaurant as a team. Then you got greedy. You tried to

take everything from me, including all my trade secrets. You

forced me out of something that I myself had created and

financed with my family’s money. You didn’t have a penny to

your name, and you took what was ours and you stole that

from me. You went on to create an empire. But that’s the thing

about empires—they always topple in the end. You went for

chains, and you borrowed and borrowed and you spread

yourself thin. Your places were slipping and shoddy long

before the health inspectors started to shut you down for

violation after violation.”

Robert exploded out of his chair, red faced, waving a finger

at Claire. “It was you, you foul bitch. You called them in. You

hired people to sabotage me. You undermined my entire

operation. You took a multi-million-dollar name and you made

it dirt. You did it because you wanted payback.”

Claire shook her head. “No. But if I had, I would have

learned from the best. The seafood, Robert, really? You didn’t

think I wouldn’t figure it out after you humiliated me, ruined

me, and bought me out because I felt guilty over what

happened? No. Your demise was entirely your own. The shit

reviews. The slippery slope. You expanded too far, too fast.

The US wasn’t enough for you. You had to go to Europe, and

that was your real mistake. They’re even less forgiving there.

When people pay two hundred dollars a dish, they expect

perfection. You served up turds.”

Robert’s face drained of color, and it was oh, so satisfying.