“That’s all I want.”
“Then explain why you needed to stay married to me and lie about signing the divorce papers. I could just sue you for illegal activities because of that. You do realize it. Don’t you?”
“That’s got nothing to do with you. I chose to stay your wife for my own personal reasons. Now, it’s done, and I need to move on.” Shay’s voice betrays her outward confidence. She’s scared of something. Or is she afraid of someone?
“What reasons would you possibly have?” I bite out, frustration taking hold of me. Her eyes spark with secrets, and for a moment, I think I’m about to hear something that could change my life.
“I was pregnant.” Her words have my heart falling to my feet with a heavy thud.
“What?” My voice is barely audible, croaked from my throat.
Her face twists into a grin, pure evil and satisfaction on her features, and I’ve never hated her more. I’ve never truly hated someone before, but with Shay, I do.
“I was pregnant, but I lost the child three months after I left,” she finally admits, and it feels as if my world is crashing down around me.
“And you didn’t think to tell me this?” Rage shudders through me like lightning in a storm, cracking, buzzing, alive with electric energy.
“Like I said, I’m done. Time to move on.” Her cold, aloofness is her act, because she doesn’t look at me as she says this.
“Shay—”
“I said I’m done. Send me the money and I’ll leave you for good.” There is no arguing with her. She’s made up her mind. Not that I’d take her back, but she doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.
Pushing the chair away from the table, I head into the office to grab my laptop. When I return, everyone is still seated. Morgan is flicking through documents as I settle back in my seat and open my computer.
Once the browser is open, I log into my online banking and make the transfer. I know it can’t be as easy as this, but I’m going to do it anyway. Anything to get away from my ex-wife. Anything to be free to make a new life for myself.
The moment the transfer is confirmed, I hear Shay’s phone beep in her purse. She takes it up, flicking the screen with her long nails, and she nods.
“Thank you,” she says, shocking me at her being thankful for anything. She forced me into this, coerced her lawyers into doctoring paperwork, and now she wants to say thank you?
I bite back my retort. If I say anything now, it may just backfire on me. One of her lawyers pushes the paperwork toward her along with a pen. I watch as she signs the documents, initialing the pages. She looks up before she signs the last page, and I wonder if she’s waiting for me to stop her.
I won’t.
I will never stop her.
Once it’s done, I sign my name where needed and initial the same way she did. My gut still churns because I didn’t believe she would go away this quickly, so easily. Even though she wanted a large sum of money, it doesn’t make sense that she would come all this way to do it.
Mr. Lewis passes me my copies after he’s gone through to make sure we all have signed copies. I allow Morgan to look them over before he pulls his phone out and calls someone.
“I’d like to confirm paperwork with you,” he speaks into the phone, and I sit back and wait for him to send through photos of all the pages, then he waits on the line to hear what his contact says.
I’m almost certain he’s talking to a judge I know he’s been seeing. She’s one of the best, and I wish she were here just to oversee this bullshit.
“Thank you,” he says and hangs up before looking at me. “All good.”
I take the copies and rise. “You can see yourselves out. Morgan, thank you again for everything.” I shake his hand before he leaves. As the two other men rise, I watch them for a moment, and as they head for the door, I turn and make my way into the privacy of my office. Hearing the clicking of heels behind me, I groan in frustration. In the office, I make sure to file the documents away and turn to find Shay.
“I wanted to ask you a favor.”
“You’ve already done enough. You can see yourself out the same way you did when you left me the first time.” I don’t go to her. I don’t even move around the desk because I don’t want her near me.
“Julian—”
“No, Shay, it’s done,” I bite out, more frustration taking ahold of me, and I’m about to slam my fist into something when the door swishes open, the floorboards attracting my attention with their haunting creak, and Nea steps into the office.
Her eyes are on me, but I can tell she’s nervous being here. She came back. My heart does some stupid flip, and my gut churns both with anger at her seeing Shay and with happiness at her coming to me.
At least, I hope she’s coming to me.
Chapter 25
Nea
Two sets of eyes are on me. They watch me intently, what my move is, but even I don’t know that. Julian sent me home, told me he didn’t want me here, but the way he’s looking at me right now tells me that he may have made a mistake. That he probably regrets it.
“Is this your new pet?” Shay mumbles. She looks nothing like the woman I pictured Julian to be with. Her stare is filled with jealous anger, and for some reason, I want to smile. I may not be a pet to anyone as she thinks, but I know I make Julian happy.
“I’m no pet,” I spit the word, finding my confidence, and straightening my spine. “I
