No. Thank you. See you tomorrow. Madeline responded. She stood up and walked to her closet, thinking of what to wear. What does one wear to meet the ex-wife of your ex-boyfriend who is blackmailing you? A suit seemed too formal. Jeans, too casual. She slipped into black slacks and headed out the bedroom door.
“Where are you going now?” Brandon asked, this time with his attention on her. She could see how it looked. Hunter in town, she slipping out late at night.
“I have an errand to run,” she responded. “Just trust me.”
“Uh huh.” Brandon’s eyes focused back down on his laptop.
Chapter 32
The truth was that Rhonda had thought often about Madeline over the years. She was a constant shadow in her marriage. Not because Hunter had brought her there, but because Rhonda did. She often found herself comparing herself to Madeline—she would never be as skinny, have hair as soft and straight, skin as bright and smooth. But while she feared her looks were way behind Madeline’s, she was sure she could have been just as smart had she been given the same opportunities. But alas, she was born and raised in Harlem without a trust fund to pay for college, let alone someone who even spoke to her about higher education.
She often wondered what Hunter had seen in her, how he could be with her after being with someone like Madeline. If he would have stayed with her had she not gotten pregnant. She had asked him that a million times and each time he promised her the answer was yes, baby or no baby, they would have gotten married. Maybe not as quickly. Rhonda was sure if she had asked him a million and one times, the answer could have been different. Because why would he tie himself to someone like Rhonda? When he had already tasted a life of privilege?
These questions, Rhonda’s doubt, sprayed every fight the couple had had over their relationship. If Hunter came home late—was he cheating with somebody better than her? If he didn’t hold her hand in public—was it because he was embarrassed about her? When he once took her to dinner in Manhattan—was it because he was too good for Harlem?
Objectively, Rhonda knew that she was the one comparing herself to Madeline. Whether or not Hunter thought about her, he never brought her up, never once mentioned her name. Rhonda wasn’t even sure if Hunter knew that Madeline had helped her those years ago. But still, Rhonda felt Madeline’s presence in every aspect of her marriage, and she was afraid that one day Madeline would come back and ruin it for her. And she did, even if she hadn’t known it.
Rhonda and Hunter were married for 13 years when she filed for divorce. They were a full thirteen years. In that time Rhonda had also gotten her GED, and somewhere in the middle of their marriage, after her daughter needed less attention, she had gotten certified as a TSA agent and gotten a job at LaGuardia airport. When she received her certification, it was the first time she had been proud of herself. She had accomplished something and this proved that she was just as smart and as capable as Madeline. She hoped Hunter was proud of her, that she could finally be someone worthy of being with him.
But the years rolled on. Rhonda worked hard and took her job seriously. Hunter also worked hard. When he purchased the landscaping company, Rhonda was proud to call her husband a businessman. She was even pleasantly surprised that Hunter owned a fancy Brooks Brothers suit that he wore to meet with the lawyers who finalized the purchase. He did look professional in that thing. But when he decided to run for city council, well, that was a different story.
Rhonda had secretly followed what Madeline had been up to. It wasn’t hard since she had been involved in a very public career and had married a very public family that loved displaying their announcements in newspapers. Rhonda herself had celebrated when Madeline Clark became Madeline Thomas, after all, she was sure families like the Thomas’ didn’t believe in divorce, probably thought it was some mythical being like the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. She was sure people like the Thomases would never step in Harlem and that Madeline would never come in contact with Hunter again. Her fears of losing everything to Madeline were swept under the rug like dust that wouldn’t disappear, but could be temporary hidden under a delicately woven accessory.
When Hunter announced that he would run for city council, it was like a gust of wind scattered the dust out from under the rug and all over the living room. All over the house, in fact. Why was Hunter going into politics? She railed at his decision, calling it selfish, even when Hunter tried to explain that his motives were about helping the neighborhood, the kids at the community center, where Hunter still volunteered. This was his chance to make a difference. But Rhonda wasn’t having it. In her mind, all politicians were in an elite club where they all knew each other and met together to laugh at the common-folk they served. The last thing Rhonda wanted was Hunter and Madeline in the same club, where they could stand around together in their fancy suits and laugh at people like her.
But Hunter ran for city council anyway, even without Rhonda’s support. He thought she’d come around once he saw all the good things he was doing. He hadn’t really understood her resistance. This was the first big crack in their marriage. From then on, Rhonda questioned everything he did. City council meeting? She had to know exactly who was there. Why were all the meetings all the way down in Manhattan’s financial district? Wasn’t that
