I had an inkling my father made her sign some contract in order for her to marry me. That was his way. What he made her sign and what the terms were exactly, I had no idea. But I remember him telling me about how I had at least five years to produce an heir. Put two and two together and well… "Thought you were slick, huh? How much do you have to payback if you break the contract?"
Her silence told me all I needed to know. The sum was probably in the millions. The pieces fell into place. Of course, she had been counting on whatever my father and, by extension, his estate offered her in the settlement. She couldn't pretendto want nothing from me while getting a large piece of pie my father promised her. But a breach of that contract meant she was getting nothing.Should have thought three steps ahead instead of two, dear wife.
Thalia straightened her back, making her look even more regal and resolute. "Still doesn't mean I have to stay in the same place as you. Your father was the one who wanted us to be together. Plenty of couples in our circles don't live in the same place."
"Sure you want to run the risk of negative headlines for the next few months? I don't know if you know, but your husband has just won a high-profile case and everyone is talking about him. They might wonder why his wife moved out."
She scoffed. "Of course it's your reputation you think about."
"Oh, I'm not talking about me." I closed the distance between us. "I am talking about all the speculation and vitriol that will be thrown in your direction. Lets face it, I have goodwill in the eyes of the public and you, at best they will see you as a fame hungry person using my name to seek clout and attention. At worst, they will see you as the social climbing gold digger that you actually are."
Thalia took a step back, and I bit back a smirk. She looked rattled enough. "Fine." She sighed and picked up the suitcase. "I will leave when the contract is up." Thalia shook her head, "Why do you want me to stay when we both know you hate me?"
"Don't flatter yourself darling, I'm just thinking about my future." It wasn't true, but I couldn't explain my reasoning. I watched her as she rolled the suitcase back to her room, slam the door and lock it. I almost wanted to shout that I could unlock it if I wanted, but what would be the point? She had proven that she could no longer be rattled by empty threats.
I sank into the couch and read over the papers again. This was supposed to be my move, not hers. I was the one who left, notthe other way round. But I had been so preoccupied by the case and, dare I say, had gotten too comfortable with our marriage routine to realize our five years was almost up. She got one on me while I wasn't even looking. The agreement had very little I could protest against.
After reading through the document thoroughly, I had to conclude she thought about everything. It was pretty ironclad. Everything was standard and written in a way that was advantageous to me and not to her. Her lawyer must either be bad or Thalia herself insisted on it to be like this. I went to the settlement section once more. The only thing she required out of the divorce was the assets she came with, which let's be real, were non existent, plus one million dollars.
There had to be more to this. Thalia is an opportunist. She would never let herself leave this marriage with nothing. Especially now when my profile is high. A smart wife would demand more. She would use this to make it harder for me to drag her through the courts. There had to be a piece I was missing. Soon, I would find it.
Chapter 26
Thalia
MY HUSBAND OFfive years was a handsome man. Jet black hair, blue eyes and a tall, muscular frame that would make any Hollywood star jealous. Add to that, he was filthy rich, too. Any woman would think I am lucky, but I couldn't wait to get rid of him. He didn't want to be with me, and I didn't want to be with him. It was a dreary marriage we subjected to each other, but you wouldn't guess it, just by looking at us. He was the perfect arm candy, and I tried my best to be the same for him. That's the least I could do in this god awful marriage and tonight, I was doing my part.
Attending the Witz ball was a time-honored tradition amongst New York elites. As an annual fundraising for the arts and the grand opera house, it was the most sought after ticket on the calender. Besides seeing and being seen, there were plenty of artists who performed all for the low low price of two thousand five hundred per plate.
As a patron, Carey was obliged to be present. He inherited the position from his father and was the only person in his family who cared about the Opera house. And as Carey's wife, I had to been seen to be supportive. I wondered what Nolan Sr would think of me now that I was leaving his son. I doubt I could do it while he was alive. The man was too controlling to not find away to put a stop to it. The longer I stayed with him, the harder it would be to leave, I told myself.
I turned my attention to the party, banishing all the nasty thoughts about my divorce. The gala had truly started yet. Some people were still arriving and most people were in the foyer getting to know each other. Anyone who was anyone in New York was here tonight and they were all dressed in stunning evening gowns and tuxedos. The bright lights, the buzzing crowd and the clash of assorted perfumes made the room that much more confining. The longer we stayed in the foyer, the more I realize how much I would rather be anywhere but here. Every once in a while I would check the time, wondering when the show will start.
Carey felt stiff beside me as I held his arm. I wondered what he was thinking. We barely spoke since I presented him with the divorce papers and a week later, he hadn't done or say anything about it. If he was talking to a lawyer, I wonder what that lawyer had said to him. He knew better than to act foolish in a matter like this.
"Stop fidgeting," Carey said after another quick glance at my phone.
My gaze went to him. We were still locked arm in arm."I ama not looking forward to staying here all night, just so you know."
"You don't have to stay. You can leave whenever you want."
"Now even?"
He chuckled. "Know your obligations, wife."
"Soon to be ex-wife," I muttered.
He swung me to his side in a sudden move that shocked me until I realized he was sidestepping a waiter with a tray full of glasses. My heart raced and quickly, before I realized it, I had my hand on his chest and my arm around his waist. My cheek rested against his heart and I could hear it beating fast.
"Are you okay?" His voice was tender and made my heart clench. I slowly withdrew from his embrace and cleared my throat, shameful for clinging to him like that. I nodded. It should not have felt like this, not after all these years, but here I was feeling shaky at being embraced by him. I was about to thank him when his attention turned away from me. His eyes glinted, and I followed his gaze. As soon as I realized who he was looking at, my stomach dropped.
His girlfriend. He would never admit it, but I knew. They had been seeing each other for the better part of a year now. I shouldn't be mad. The only problem was that she was too beautiful. Every time I was in her presence, she made obvious how little I measured up as Carey's wife. Gemma had an easy sophistication I could never pull off, and it sucked to acknowledge why Carey liked her. I watched her as she glided across the room, greeting and hugging people until she saw us.
Gemma waved and waltzed over to us. Better give the lovers space, I thought as I tried to disentangle my hand from Carey's arm, but he held me closer to him until it was too late to leave and not make it seem awkward. "Hi!" Gemma flashed a bright white smile. "I was looking for the two of you. I didn't know you were already here."
Make that one of you. I doubt Gemma cared I was here or not. However, she was very cordial for a mistress and never tried to claim her territory in public. "So what do you think," she said gesturing at the crowd, "quite an attendance don't you think? Kelly thinks this is going to be our biggest yet."
Carey hugged her. "You've really outdone yourself."
