Was he really going to punish her by taking everything away, including her relationship with her children?
Amy prayed their bond was strong enough to withstand whatever lay ahead.
“So, when are your kids coming down to visit?”
Amy and Ashley had been as thick as thieves since meeting at Lily’s house a few weeks ago, but even though they’d both dedicated their lives to their kids and their houses, Amy felt like they couldn’t have been more different.
Ashley was generous and giving, and she had a husband who adored her.
Amy, on the other hand, was left to fend for every scrap she wanted to take, and Eric wasn’t going to stop until he’d taken everything from her.
How could Ashley possibly understand what that was like for her?
Still, Amy felt the urge to talk to her, as if it would somehow change her reality into something better.
Amy needed someone her age to understand that she hadn’t lost her mind and it wasn’t some kind of crisis.
It had been building up for years.
Amy lifted a hand to her face. “After today’s phone call? I doubt they’re eager to be anywhere near here. They just found out about the divorce.”
Ashley frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that, but from what you’ve told me, you guys have a pretty good relationship. I’m sure they can find a way to make their peace with it. Nothing stays the same forever, right?”
Amy placed both hands on her hips. “It definitely doesn’t. Things change all the time.”
Ashley nodded and dropped her hands to her side. “Exactly. I never thought Jude would retire, for example, so yeah. Life has a weird way of working out though. Just give them some time, and I’m sure they’ll come around.”
Only Amy wasn’t sure time was what her kids needed.
She wasn’t even sure if time was going to make anything better, least of all for her.
But she clung to the notion anyway, knowing she needed something to hold on to to keep her tethered.
Chapter Eight
Amy shifted from one foot to the other. “We got interrupted earlier, so I thought we could start the conversation all over.”
Lucas exhaled. “Have you changed your mind about coming back?”
Amy dug her nails into her palms and stepped out of the kitchen. In her room, she paused to shut the door and lean against it. The phone felt cold and impersonal against her ear. “Sweetheart, I know you think that’s going to help, but it really isn’t. Your father and I have had problems for years. I know this seems sudden to both of you, but it’s been a long time coming.”
And she really didn’t want to go into any specifics.
Not with her kids, of all people.
Lucas and Sylvie deserved to be as far removed from all of this as possible.
But more and more, she was beginning to realize she couldn’t protect them from any of it, not any more than she could protect herself. Eric’s ego and pride were clouding his judgment and making him want to dismantle and pick apart everything, and she worried about what would end up as collateral damage.
After another phone call with her lawyer that morning, Amy was beginning to realize just how far he was willing to go.
It shouldn’t surprise her he wasn’t taking any of it well.
Even his emails, messages, and voicemails were coming more and more frequently. A few times a day, whenever her phone buzzed, Amy steeled herself for the barrage of insults and threats. Other times, she tried to ignore her phone and pretend like it didn’t exist.
Like Eric and his drama didn’t matter.
But even in Falmouth, she felt him, trying to seep everywhere and spread his poison.
