Amy hated it was working because whatever shred of dignity and confidence she struggled to hold on to was quickly diminishing.
At this rate, by the end of the meeting, there wasn’t going to be any fire left to fight back.
“Mr. Michaelson, if your client is here to spin wild tales and indulge in this ridiculous narrative, then I see no reason for us to continue here.” Kate snapped the folder shut and rose to her feet. “This is already a difficult time, and this isn’t helping anyone.”
Without waiting for a response, Kate pulled Amy to her feet and dragged her outside. When they were far enough away from the office, Kate reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of tissues. Amy blew her nose and offered Kate a watery smile.
Then, she drew herself up to her full height and balled her hands into fists at her side. “I’m sorry. I know he was trying to get a rise out of me, and I’m supposed to keep my cool, but the things he was saying…”
Why did it still feel like they were true?
Eric still knew exactly how to plunge the knife in and twist it.
Amy hated that, even after two weeks apart, she still cared what he thought.
Kate placed both hands on Amy’s arms and looked into her eyes. “Listen to me, you have nothing to apologize for. He’s trying to get a rise out of you, so he’ll say or do anything. Just take a minute. We don’t have to go back inside.”
“Mom?”
Amy glanced up and froze when she spotted Lucas and Sylvie coming out of the elevator, dressed similarly in a pair of jeans, T-shirts, and light sweaters. Sylvie immediately averted her gaze and let her hands fall to her sides while keeping a wide berth of space between them. Lucas, on the other hand, covered the distance between them and gave her a brief and awkward hug.
“What are you two doing here?”
Lucas cleared his throat. “We’re meeting Dad for lunch. What are you doing here?”
“Lawyer meeting,” Amy replied in a strange voice. “I…I wanted to tell you guys, but it didn’t seem like the right time.”
“It’s fine,” Sylvie responded without looking at her. “We were going to wait for you to be ready, anyway.”
Amy’s mind raced, but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
So, she allowed Kate to usher her back into the meeting room, where Eric spent the rest of the fifteen minutes trying to bait and goad her. In a daze, she sat there and tried not to look over her shoulder at her children, who were sitting outside on the metal waiting chairs. When the meeting ended, Lucas and Sylvie were nowhere to be found, and it was Kate who rode the elevator downstairs with Amy and waited until she got into a taxi to meet up with Emily.
“I’ll call you later. You did good today.” Kate gave her a forced smile and then stepped back and rapped on the hood of the taxi.
When she slammed the door shut, Amy pressed her face to the glass and didn’t look away until Kate turned into a speck in the distance.
At the restaurant, Amy left messages for Lucas and Sylvie before hurrying across the crowded floor to meet Emily, who was sitting at a table in the back, perusing the menu.
For the rest of the day, and until they arrived back in Falmouth, Amy felt like she was watching herself through someone else’s eyes. Being back in the city felt surreal, like she had to step into someone else’s skin to play a part, and she’d felt the pull of her old life, of familiar habits, the entire time. A part of her wondered if calling the whole thing off and going back to Eric would make things better.
Another part of her knew she’d left the old version of her behind when she walked out of the doors of his apartment. No matter how awkward or difficult it felt to watch herself struggle to navigate the parameters of her new life, trying to get to know herself all over again, it was better than the alternative.
Still, Amy couldn’t shake off the feeling that something wasn’t right.
The feeling stayed with her until she climbed into bed hours later and cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Twelve
“Oh, that’s interesting.” Amy’s hand lingered over the mouse as she peered at the laptop screen in front of her. A wide array of shapes and colors played out on the screen, and Amy couldn’t look away until the music went up, and she hastily reached for the mouse. After turning the volume down, she hovered over the “register” option and paused.
Was she being too picky?
Having tried several other hobbies and courses, Amy was no longer sure how she was meant to fill her time. A part of her debated finding a job, if only to fill the hours and get herself used to working again, but the other part of her was reluctant to be tied down. It had been too long since she thought about money and even longer since she held down a job she actually needed.
Volunteering at charities didn’t count.
Out of all of the scenarios she’d played out in her mind as she’d stayed away from Eric, having him threaten to take everything, even the clothes on her back, wasn’t something she’d pictured. It wasn’t even a level she thought Eric would stoop to, yet here they were. It had been days since the disastrous meeting with the lawyers that had gone sideways. Days sinceshe was forced to sit across from Eric while he tore into her, coming up with new and creative ways to make her feel small and insignificant.
