CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED – COMPETING FOR ATTENTION

That evening, Joan met Larry for dinner at their favorite restaurant. She was determined to smooth things over, to recommit to their relationship. But as soon as she sat down, she could feel the tension between them. "How was your day?" she asked, trying to sound cheerful. Larry shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "Fine. Busy. Yours?" Joan hesitated. "It was... challenging. But good. I feel like I'm really making progress with my client." Larry's jaw tightened. "Your client again. It always comes back to this mysterious client, doesn't it?" Joan felt a flare of defensiveness. "Larry, what's going on? Why are you being like this?" "Being like what?" Larry shot back. "Concerned that you seem more invested in her client than in us?" Joan recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "That's not fair. You know how important my work is to me." "Your work, yes," Larry said, his voice low and bitter. "But this seems like more than just work, Joan. I see the way you light up when you talk about this