5
I slipped the divorce papers into my bag and,
on a whim, bought a fruit basket at a nearby
shop.
Liam wasn’t impressed. He scrutinized the
fruit, suspicion etched on his face.
“You poisoned it.”
I ate a pear right in front of him, but he still
tossed the entire basket in the trash.
After my apology, I pulled out a thick stack of
documents, including the divorce papers.
“These are the contracts from this week.
Please sign them.”
Liam had been at the hospital with Bethany
for a week, neglecting his company duties.
Heaps of paperwork piled up unsigned.
L
He worked quickly, pausing at the divorce
papers. “This document…”
“”
My heart pounded. I forced a calm demeanor.
“My team triple–checked it. There are no
problems.”
“Liam, my head hurts,” Bethany whined,
feigning a faint.
“Just sign it, then you can take care of
Bethany.‘
“”
Seeing Bethany’s distress, Liam swiftly signed
everything.
I looked at the signed divorce papers. It was
all worth it.
Bethany lay in Liam’s arms, looking contrite.
“I’m sorry, Kara. Liam is my only friend, so I
had to ask him for help. I hope you don’t
mind. If you do, I can handle it myself.”
Liam tightened his grip on Bethany’s hand.
“Of course I’ll take care of her. We’ve been
best friends since we were kids.‘
“”
<
Best friends? The kind who get it on? I didn’t
care.
Ignoring them, I packed my things and left.
Liam’s voice followed me. “I… I’ll be home
tonight.
99
I questioned my ears. Should I ask him to
repeat it? Nah.
I stopped, turning to him. “Okay.”
No response is the best response.
I headed straight for the airport; I’d brought
my luggage to the hospital. A cab waited
downstairs.
Liam was gone.
He called later that night, asking where I was.
I was about to take off.
―
My phone buzzed incessantly thirty–seven
missed calls. I blocked all of Liam’s numbers.
Silence. Bliss.
Moments later, a different number called.
I answered, assuming it was a work matter.
The call was filled with an intense argument,
unaware the line was open.
“Fine, I get it. Stop bugging me. When I find
my wife, tell her to get you a job, Kara.”
Liam’s relatives were at it again, needing job
placement. Previously, I’d handled this –
juggling Liam’s moods and his family’s
demands. As his assistant, I was a scapegoat
for his poor choices.
“Don’t try to fool me. You’re divorced. You
even had the divorce party. You’re just
making excuses! I won’t leave until you get
my son a job!”
Liam seemed shocked. “What divorce party?
What are you talking about? That’s
impossible.”
Over the airport’s PA system, a calm voice
announced our imminent departure.
