Matt nodded but his expression shifted, something dark forming behind his eyes as he glanced down at the envelope before him. “Well before we get started, there’s something I need to share with you…”
My heart screeched to a sudden stop inside my chest. Had Henry figured out what I was doing? Had he called Matt and threatened him? Was all of my careful planning going to be for nothing?
Matt peeled open the flap on the envelope and slid out the contents, three glossy black and white photographs. He laid them out for me. “Do you recognize this man?”
I leaned forward in my chair to study the picture and when a flash of recognition went off in my head, a wave of nausea rolled through my stomach. “His name is Val. He’s part of Henry’s security team.” I pressed my eyes shut, no longer wanting to look at the images. Or think about what they might mean. “He was here?”
“Yes. Two days ago.”
I forced my eyes open again and stared at Matt. “What did he want?”
Matt put the pictures back in the envelope as though he could sense that I didn’t want to see them anymore. “He came in asking why you were here two weeks ago. I don’t know how he found out you’d been here. Didn’t you tell me that you were using the cover of going to see your doctor?”
I nodded. “Shit.”
“Well, not to worry, Susie was a real stickler. She neither confirmed nor denied that you’d been here. Which, as you might expect, didn’t go over well with this Val character, but she stood firm.”
I made a mental note to bring her a gift of thanks on my next visit.
If there would be another visit.
“Okay.” I ran my fingers over my ear and blinked twice to clear the raging fear swelling in my chest. “So, what do we do now?”
Matt studied me for a moment. “That’s entirely up to you, Melissa. I have the paperwork drawn up. All I need is your signatures and then I can send someone out to serve Henry at any time. But I wanted you to have this information before you made that call.”
I tipped my chin and stared down at my shaking fingers. I’d been planning my escape for so long, and yet standing on the threshold, looking at the glimmer on the other side, a deep rooted terror tugged me back. A terror made even darker knowing that Henry knew I’d been visiting a divorce attorney. Having the element of surprise had been a critical part of my plan—it appeared that was now gone.
Which meant I only had one choice.
“Where do I sign?”
2
Melissa
“Mom, are there any fruit snacks?” Jackson, my five-year-old son, asked, pulling me from the checklist I’d been running through in my mind while standing at the kitchen sink.
I turned at his little voice and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. Jackson was my whole life. My sanity. “You’re in luck. Gilly just got back from the supermarket. Check the pantry, sweetheart.”
Jackson smiled and scampered off in search of his favorite treat. I watched him go skidding into the walk-in butler’s pantry and then turned back to look out the window over the sink. The view of the pool area was serene and peaceful. Watching the sway of the fruit trees and ferns Henry’s landscape crew had planted years ago, when we’d—well, he’d—first purchased the home was a comforting distraction.
“Mom? When is dad coming home?” Jackson asked, coming out of the pantry with a pack of fruit snacks in each hand. He shifted his blue eyes to mine and a ball of emotion lodged in my throat.
Matt had assured me that he’d fight like hell to get me sole custody of Jackson, but I knew the reality of the situation we’d be up against. And it wasn’t pretty. If Matt was a piranha, then Henry’s legal team were great white sharks. The only chance I’d have in getting custody of Jackson was if I made a back alley deal with Henry and turned down an alimony settlement.
Since we’d married before Henry had come into his fortune, we didn’t have a prenuptial agreement in place, so in the event of a divorce, Henry would legally be on the hook for up to fifty percent of his billions. If I turned that down, and walked away with nothing but child support, there was a chance Henry would sign over custody.
It would be a hail Mary, but it was my only shot.
“I’m not sure, sweetheart. Why don’t you go watch a show while I finish getting dinner ready?” I suggested. “Also, Jackson, let’s put one of these back, okay? You don’t need two so close to dinner time.”
He held out one of the brightly colored packs. “This one was for you, Mom.”