20. Melanie

"Where's your mother?"

"I don't know, isn't she away at that spa she goes to?"

"It's been more than two weeks, and she's not answering her phone. There hasn't been any action on her credit or bank cards either."

"Yeah, I think that's how that place is. They try to cut them off from the outside world or something like that so they can focus on their wellness."

"Oh, I see; it just seems odd that she'd go to a place like that. Your mother can't function without her phone for too long."

"You're not…"

"Thinking that she's sleeping around on me?"

"Yeah, you know Mom would never do something like that, right? She loves you."

"Yeah, I suppose so. It's just this is the longest we've gone without speaking to each other."

"I know, she'll be back soon. So, does this mean you haven't told her about…"

"About getting fired, you mean?"

"Yeah, that."

"That won't be for long. Marcus is just blowing off steam, but my mother would never let that stand."

"I thought Grandma never had anything to do with the business."

"Yeah, but she can get in my father's ear." He smiled self-assuredly, and that helped to ease the trouble in my chest and tummy. For days now, I've had this feeling that things weren't right. It's not any one thing I can put my finger on, but it has a lot to do with the relationship between Marcus and Justine.

Things are not turning out the way I'd hoped. For one, Justine was the one to file for the divorce, not Paul, so now things were going to be on her terms. Add to that the fact that she'd found his offshore accounts and all the vacation and rental properties, which had brought in a lot of play money for us.

Paul knows that I need to be kept in the style and manner I'm accustomed to, so he's been working hard the last year or so to make sure that that happens. But now that she knows about all of it, I'm not sure what's going to happen.

I know that Paul is pissed, especially over the claim that he'd abandoned the home and now wasn't allowed back there until after the court hearing. I know nothing about divorce other than the fact that it differs from state to state, but from the sound of it, he stands to lose a lot.

She wants half of everything: the house, ten thousand in child support, plus alimony. He also has to start paying her temporary alimony starting now, which the judge approved since he'd abandoned the home.

So where does that leave us? They were going after everything: Justine and her lawyer, who we were still trying to figure out how she could afford to pay. If things go her way, we'll be taking a heavy hit; at least Paul will be making more since he"d been promoted.

* * *

PAUL

* * *

How hadthings come to this? How had she gained the upper hand? None of this makes any sense. Even after she'd embarrassed me at that party, I didn't see this coming. I figured, okay, well, she found out about the affair before I was ready to serve her, but that was no big deal.

I didn't take into account that adultery plays a big part in divorce in our state. We'd been married in a no-fault state, but I didn't realize that didn't matter since our residence had been in this state for well over the year it takes to claim residency.

I can't seem to catch a break since that night, and the only thing I have going for me now, that was the only light I see at the end of the tunnel, is my promotion. I can't do anything to screw that up, but my concentration has been shot since I was served with divorce papers.

People have been gossiping about what she said and did at the party, but thankfully, I'm too high up in the company to hear it myself, but I have been receiving second-hand reports. I never realized how much people hated Melanie or that they'd claim I was only with her because she was related to the owner of the company.

That stuff wouldn't have bothered me before, not as long as Melanie and I became the power couple I dreamed we could be. But now I feel like things are slipping away from me.

Where did Justine get the money for such a top-level attorney, and who did she pay to find all the money and assets I had hidden? I never gave her any reason to suspect me of anything, so who was behind her? I had a sinking feeling that it was my new boss. But why would he do that?

He"d been the one to give me a raise, and even after I heard the whispers that he had been there that night and heard everything Justine had to say, I didn't see him as the type to get involved. The fact that he'd given me the promotion after that night proves that he wasn't interested in my personal life, just that I did a good job, which I always have.

So why was she working for him, and had she been telling him lies about me? Was he the one paying for all this? No, that doesn't make any sense. Why would he get involved like this?

Even Melanie swears my ex is not her brother's type. A divorcee with three young kids, yeah, good luck finding a man who would take all of that on. She'd be lucky if she could bag a cashier at the local grocery store.

I caught myself enjoying that thought and had a moment of conscience. The truth is, Justine hadn't done anything wrong in our marriage. She was the perfect wife and mother, but she didn't give me a son. That didn't use to bother me so much because I love my girls, but after Melanie made the comment once that it was a pity I didn't have a son to leave my wealth to in the future that, I kept thinking about it.

Before, I would've laughed off something as sexist as that, but the more I thought about it, the more I came to see it as some sort of weakness on my part, especially when Melanie made a point of saying it was the man's sperm that decided on the gender of the kid.

Now, it seems so silly that I'd let a silly thing like that get under my skin. For some reason, now that I look back on things, there wasn't anything wrong with my marriage; I guess I just grew bored and wanted something different, something better.

I never gave much thought to Justine moving on. I was too focused on my own future to dwell on hers, but I knew, again from Melanie, how hard it is for a single mother to find a decent partner, especially in this economy.

No man was going to take on that burden. I was fine knowing that Justine would spend at least the next five or ten years alone while the kids were still dependent on her. I'd even played around with the idea of going for primary custody. That way, I wouldn't have to pay so much in child support, but now she'd turned the tables on me.

Now, I can only go to my old house to pick up the kids, but I couldn't stay there any longer because there was an injunction against me for abandonment. To top that off, all future correspondence had to go through her lawyer, who didn't seem willing to give an inch on anything.

She was acting like I was some kind of criminal that she couldn't talk to without a lawyer present, and though she wasn't keeping my kids from me, I got the feeling that she was going to fight me in court to have as limited visitation as possible.

If I knew for sure that the boss was the one backing her, I'd handle things differently, but I have no idea who her benefactor is, and she's not talking. I was forced to get an app that was used only to communicate about the kids; if I tried asking anything else, she could use it against me in court and say I was harassing her.

I know because that's what she threatened the one time I called and asked her to meet and talk. She claims that she's done with me, but when I asked if she had a man, she refused to answer. I drove by her house every night this week, and there were no strange cars in the driveway, except the one that belonged to that new black lady she was friends with.

That's another reason why we were incompatible: her choice of friends. She doesn't seem to realize that with my position, we could only keep company with certain people. She was always going out of her way to help the homeless or any stray she found on the street.

Whatever, I don't have time to think about that nonsense now, but I'll be sure to bring it up to the judge that I don't want any and everyone around my kids. Justine might think she's won, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, ways to make her life miserable.

I could always stall the divorce since she wants to play hardball. Yeah, that's right. I can go for reconciliation; what's she going to do then? I know the courts like to see families staying together, so maybe they'd tell us to go to counseling first.

Yes, that's it. I'll get her back under my thumb and then turn things around back in my favor. I should get started on that right now before things get too out of hand.

* * *

"Hey,what the hell are you doing? This is my home."

"I don't think so, buddy. Looks like trespassing to me."

"I think you broke my fucking arm."

"That'll teach you to break into people's house in the middle of the night."

"Who's breaking in? Justine, tell this stupid bitch… Ouch, you fucking kicked in."

"Who are you calling stupid?"

"Let him go, Mo, he's not worth it. Paul, I'd get out of here if I were you, and if you call the cops, you'll be the one going to jail. You were served notice that you are no longer allowed here since you abandoned your kids."

"She broke my fucking arm. Call an ambulance."

You've got two hands; use the other one to dial. Come on, Mo; our show's about to begin." The two of them walked inside and locked the door.

What the hell just happened? I just came by to see my kids. I opened the door or tried to, but the locks had been changed. I banged on the door, and the next thing I knew, I was being tossed through the air like a sack of potatoes.

I limped back to the car looking back at the house all the while and feeling like I was caught up in some nightmare where nothing was what it appeared to be.

How is this happening to me? I'm a corporate executive, for fuck's sake. These kinds of things don't happen to guys like me. "Ouch!" I think she really did break my arm because it was swelling fast, and the pain was excruciating.

I looked back at the house and saw the two of them sitting on the couch, laughing at the TV. Justine? This is the woman who claimed to love me all these years? I felt blinding rage at being misled.