abcnovels
Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Chapter 80
I missed my wife. Getting on that plane had been the hardest thing I’d had to do as of late but I had to leave her to work. The time away in Paris had been good for us. I loved every single second of it. We were much closer than we had been in a long long time.
I wasn’t overly worried about the Prince Charming wannabe, I trusted my wife and if she wasn’t worried then I had no reason to be worried either.
She had my name, not his and I was the one who she was coming home to, not him. I should have had all the confidence in the world but I was still so damn annoyed at that man. He looked so smug in that hotel lobby.
“Hello, Earth to brother-in-law.” Corinna waved her hand in front of my face. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Sorry, what?”
She gave me a pensive look and huffed. “You’re meant to be a support here but you’re busy spacing out when I need you to
focus.”
“I am focused.” Why did I decide to accompany her? I could barely tolerate her as it was and now I was here, in Angela’s
office.
Truthfully she could have gone by herself but my wife made me go with her for ‘moral support. The woman was fine. She was tough as nails and didn’t need hand-holding
I had my suspicions that my wife had her reservations because she didn’t like Angela.
“I just want this whole mess behind me and I don’t want your sleazy brother to get even a cent of my money.”
“We all want the same thing here.” I sighed, digging into my pocket and looking at my wife’s messages.
She was on set right now and I knew she would only wrap up much later. I hated that we had to be far apart but it was only two weeks then she would be back in my arms again.
“How much longer will your friend be?”
The
way she said friend made me believe that she didn’t like her-I was sure that my wife was to blame for that one. “She should be here any-oh there she is.”
Angela walked down the long hardwood hallway with a smile on her face. She was still rocking her blonde hair but this time she had it styled in loose waves similar to the way my wife wore hers. Hmm, I guess that was the new fashion of today. “Hello, there.” She beamed as she neared the waiting area. “It’s so good to see you, Damon.”
I stood to my feet and greeted her with two kisses on the cheek. She then turned her attention to Corinna who was eyeing
up and down. I gave her a pointed look that read, “Be nice!
her
Angela was doing us a favor. We needed to at least be cordial with her.
I knew Corinna would always take Adie’s side but this was about her right now and right now we needed Angela.
“I’m Angela,” she said, extending her hand. “It’s so nice to officially meet you, Corinna. I wish it were under better circumstances, of course.”
Corinna took her hand and gave it a solid shake. “Thank you for finding the time to help us.”
“Of course.” She smiled. “You guys can just follow me this way. I briefed Ronald on the gist of your case and he is one of the best divorce lawyers in the state so I have all the confidence that you will be in the most capable hands.”
Corinna gave her a tight-lipped smile.
Angela led us down the hallway to where all the offices were.
“So how was Paris?” Angela asked over her shoulder. “I hear it’s lovely this time of year. Not a lot of tourists.”
“It was great.”
“I swear, the man didn’t want to leave his wife,” Corinna piped up. “My sister had to physically put him on the plane her so he could leave.”
That’s not fully true. It was true if I was being honest. If she had not walked onto the jet with me and given me one mor quickie for the road I would have still been on that tarmac. “I’m a man in love, what can 1
Of course, Corinas smiled. True love. What a wonderful and grand experience it is Wouldn’t yo
course, those two are made for each other.
There was a slight edge in my sister-in-law’s voice that I wasn’t too sure what she was getting at. She was sounding a little bit
bitchy? Hmm, or maybe I was reading into things.
We came to a halt at an office door. Angela knocked on the door and a muffled voice called for us to enter.
We walked into the office and saw a man in his early to mid-fifties sitting behind a desk. He wore an expensive Brioni suit and a limited edition Van Dore watch.
A man of style. I liked him already.
He stood from his desk and greeted us with warm smiles.
“Hello, it’s so lovely to meet you. I’m Ronald,” he said as we shook hands.
Angela clapped her hands together and excused herself, leaving us to discuss my sister-in-law’s mess.
After about two hours of Corinna telling Ronald all that had transpired and what she hoped from the divorce we had a clear plan on how we were going to take down my brother. I was over the moon that the bastard was finally going to get what was coming to him. But I didn’t miss the sad glint that was in Corinna’s eye.
“You okay?” I finally asked her when I had put the car into drive.
She nodded silently but I could see that she wasn’t.
This was hard for her. She had loved my brother and that was no fault to her. She was fooled the same way that my wife had been fooled. She was sold a lie and she believed in it until it was too late.
“It’s okay to be sad over this. Divorce is hard even in the best of times.”
She looked over at me with a sad smile on her face. “You’re being nice to me.”
I shrugged. “I can’t kick an injured dog while it’s down. Making fun of you just isn’t the same when you’re depressed”
Thankfully she caught on to my sarcasm and laughed it off like I had hoped she would.
Thanks for coming with me today.”
“Did I have much of a choice? Adie made me.” I snorted but then I also added, “But even if she didn’t, I still would have come and held your hand if you needed me to.”
The car was silent for a moment and I dared to look her way and she was staring at me with a tilt in her head.
“What?”
“It’s just odd when you’re nice to me, but I like it. Makes you less ogre-like.”
“Ogre? Do I look like Shrek to you?”
“Do
you want me to answer that?” She smirked.
I rolled my eyes and fully focused on the road.
And we were back to our regular setting. It felt comfortable as we made our way back to the house. As we passed the gate to our community my sister-in-law decided to open her mouth again.
“She likes you.”
I looked at her briefly. “Who?”
“Angela.”
“She doesn’t. The woman is grieving a bad break up and I’m sure that she doesn’t want me, why would she? I’m married.” 1 waved my left hand just to make my point clear.
“Men know nothing, absolutely nothing.” She sighed. “Sad, you’re just a pretty face.”
“I will take that as a compliment.”
“Of course, you would.” She looked back out the window. “But seriously, be careful of her, I know a viper when I see one and she is as viper as they come.”
Why was I failing to see what everyone else was seeing? Was I just that blind? Or was she better at hiding her fang
“Adelaide