Chapter 13 - THE DEADLINE
The divorce moved faster than Alex expected.
Rachel’s forensic accountant traced the transfers.
Seventy-six thousand dollars.
Then another twenty-four thousand hidden through cash withdrawals.
One hundred thousand dollars of marital money had been redirected toward Valerie, the house, medical bills for Ava, and expenses Alex had never mentioned.
Some transfers dated back before I became pregnant.
Some dated back before we started trying.
The court froze the Oak Park closing.
Alex panicked.
He asked for mediation.
I refused.
He asked to speak privately.
I refused.
Then he showed up at my mother’s house.
I was staying there because I could not sleep in our bedroom.
He stood on the porch holding my ring.
My mother wanted to call police.
I stepped outside instead.
“You have two minutes.”
He looked terrible.
His beard had grown in.
His eyes were red.
For one dangerous second, I remembered loving him.
Then he spoke.
“I never slept with her.”
I blinked.
“That’s your opening argument?”
“It matters.”
“To you.”
“I know how everything looks.”
“It looks like you built a second life.”
“I loved Ava.”
The name softened something I did not want softened.
“She was innocent.”
“Yes.”
“I helped Valerie because Ava needed people.”
“And after Ava died?”
His silence answered.
He had become necessary to Valerie.
Maybe he liked it.
Maybe he needed it.
Maybe eventually he confused being needed with being loved.
“I should have told you.”
“Yes.”
“I should have ended things with Valerie years ago.”
“Yes.”
“I should have gone to you in that elevator.”
“Yes.”
His voice broke.
“I know.”
I studied him.
“No, Alex.”
He looked up.
“You know now because there were cameras.”
That landed.
He looked away.
Then he held out my ring.
“I can’t keep this.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Lucy.”
“No.”
I stepped backward.
He closed his fingers around the ring.
Then he said something strange.
“There’s an emergency board hearing Friday.”
“I know.”
“They may terminate me.”
“That is not my problem.”
“They asked whether you would submit a victim statement.”
“I will.”
His eyes closed.
There it was.
The real reason he came.
“What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing false.”
“You want me to help save your career.”
“I want you to tell them I’m not dangerous.”
I stared at him.
“You were dangerous to me.”
He flinched.
“You made a rescue decision based on an affair you refuse to call an affair.”
“I didn’t abandon you intentionally.”
“You requested assignment because Valerie called.”
His face went still.
He had not known I knew.
“She told you I was inside.”
He said nothing.
“She asked you to get her first.”
Still nothing.
“And you said, ‘I always do.’”
His knees seemed to weaken.
“Lucy.”
“Your hearing is Friday.”
May you like
I opened the door.
“I’ll make sure they know exactly who you are.”
