But that didn’t mean her love for him were any less than the day they exchanged vows. It was just that they’d worked their way into a routine. Lena saw it with her parents. They each had their own role to play in the marriage and it worked. Her father was the main bread winner, her mother the homemaker and peace keeper. It was everything she had ever wanted. But somehow I’ve managed to stuff it up.
Her lawyer nodded his head. “Agreed, and I’ve reminded them of that before now. It doesn’t make any difference. He knows you’ll give him what he wants and he’s playing hard ball.”
How dare he? “I’ll take the deal just so Kyle doesn’t have to deal with his shit anymore but that was my only income.” Struggling as a young mum on her own had been harder than she’d thought possible. Making her business grow came second to making sure Kyle was well loved and cared for, but once she was on her feet, they both enjoyed the journey together. When she met Cole it was as though it was meant to be. They were finally a family unit. How was she going to let that all go? Cole knows he has me over a barrel.
“I suggest you offer to work a deal on a lease then, or get him to buy you out of the premises. The building’s in both of your names so you have some pull there. Suggest he gives you a lump sum up front and pays rent for the balance over a couple of years. His lawyer’s already tried to tell me he has no money, but I don’t believe him for a second.” Joel shook his head.
“He’s got a damned sight more than I have in the bank. Cole stashed away the money from his mother’s estate when she died and we haven’t touched it. It was for a rainy day. The bastard can dip into that. By rights I should be entitled to half anyway, but I won’t go there. If you could get the property valued in the next couple of days we can set a price for it.” How has my life come down to value? She rested her head on the cold glass and peered out the window with unfocused eyes. There was no point letting her emotions get in the way. Cole told her the other night there was no going back.
She’d stood at the door of the spare bedroom and watched the man she had promised to love and honor make up the spare bed. “Why, just tell me why? I deserve that at least. You can’t just throw four years down the drain like a bad batch of fish stock. You have to give me something, Cole. Some reason why you’re acting like this.” Anything, please.
“Did you hear what you just said, Lena? Fish stock. You think more of the damned business than you do of our relationship. How long is it since we had sex? Huh, apart from awards night, I bet you can’t even answer me that.” He pointed a finger at her, looking as though he was winding up for a lashing she didn’t want to be a part of. “It’s been over two months. Two fucking months when my wife thinks more about the menu than she does about me and what I need. When I came into this relationship you couldn’t keep your hands off of me.” Cole shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying and the shame churned in her stomach because
Lena knew he was right. She was nearly always asleep when he came upstairs to bed and his advances were easy to ignore if she pretended not to notice the hand that crept up around her breast, squeezing her nipple in the hopes she would wake up and put out. With her workload, she was too tired in the evenings unless it was on one of her rare days off.
“I can’t do this anymore.” He threw the pillow down on the bed, the frustration and anger coming from every pore of his skin and turned to look at her. Even angry he still had the ability to make people stand up and take notice of him with his good boy looks. Cole brushed the slightly too long blond hair from his face, stood with his hands on his hips, and glared at her.
He doesn’t mean that, surely. She focused on what he was saying, or more importantly, what he wasn’t saying. “What have you done?” Dread was snaking a trail down her spine, gripping at her bowels.
“I spoke to my lawyer last week. I’ve filed for divorce.”
“What? Just like that without talking to me first.” Struggling to breath, Lena gripped the door frame in her hand to steady herself. He couldn’t be serious, not even the slightest. Stars flitted around her peripheral vision and she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, her tongue swollen in her mouth. Try to stay on your feet, do not fall down in a crumbling mess here.
“Don’t go all dramatic on me for God’s sake. What’s done is done and there’s nothing more to say about it.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, picking at his track pants, pulling off a speck of fluff from the wash and rolled it between his fingers before he raised his head and looked at her again through cool pale blue eyes. There was a time when those baby blues burned for her. What had changed? “I
