Chapter 24
Miles
I stepped into the foyer of my penthouse and set my briefcase down.
“You’re home early,” Dora spoke.
“I’ll be working from home the rest of the day.” I looked around, hoping Stella was here.
“She’s not here, Miles.”
Walking into her bedroom, I opened the closet and saw that all her clothes and suitcases were gone.
“Where is she?” I turned and stared at Dora.
“I haven’t a clue.”
“You weren’t here when she came to collect her things?” I narrowed my eyes.
“No. I had a few errands to run. She must have come when I was gone,” she said. “I hope you’re happy.” She walked away.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I sat on the edge of the bed. Taking my phone from my pocket, I texted her.
“Stella, where are you?”
She didn’t respond, and I wasn’t surprised. As I was changing my clothes, my phone dinged. Walking over to the bed, I picked it up and saw a text from Nolan.
“I’m on my way to your penthouse with the annulment papers.”
“Okay.”
Walking over to the bar, I poured myself a drink. I heard the elevator ding, so I met Nolan in the foyer.
“Come on in,” I said. “Drink?”
“No, thanks. Here are the papers for you and Stella to sign. You need to get these signed quickly so I can file them with the courts. After a court date is set, you and Stella must be there and stand in front of the judge. I’ve listed the reasons as irreconcilable differences. If the judge gets wind that your marriage was based on fraud, you can kiss your annulment goodbye. So, you and Stella need to be on the same page as far as your stories go.”
“Thanks, Nolan. I’ll try to get these back to you tomorrow. I need to find her first.”
“Good luck, Miles.” He patted my shoulder and headed to the elevator.
Picking up my phone, I sent Stella another text.
“I have the annulment papers, which need to be signed as soon as possible. Tell me where you are, and I’ll bring them to you.”
My heart started racing when I saw the three dots appear on the screen.
“We can meet at the Sculptural Garden at the Museum of Modern Art in thirty minutes.”
“I’m on my way.”
I called Sean and told him to meet me downstairs. He dropped me off at the museum, and I went to find Stella. I saw her sitting on a bench in the Sculptural Gardens and inhaled a deep breath before approaching her.
“Hi,” I said, sitting down beside her.
“Give me the papers so I can sign them and get this over with,” she spoke sternly.
I pulled the papers from the manila envelope and handed her a pen.
“Where are you staying?” I asked.
“None of your business.” She quickly signed the papers and handed them to me.
“Stella, I?—”
“Save it, Miles.” She stared straight ahead.
“We have to go to court in front of a judge after Nolan files the papers. We need to get our stories straight about why we want the marriage annulled. The judge won’t grant it if he or she knows the real reason why we got married.”
“Don’t worry.” She stood up and looked at me. “I’ll tell the judge the truth—that you’re not the man I thought you were, and I made a mistake.”
“You knew exactly who I was when you agreed to this marriage,” I said.
“Did I really?” She cocked her head. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m moving on with my life, and you’ll do the same. You got what you wanted, Miles. I’m just happy it happened quickly so I could get out of this marriage.”
I stared into her beautiful, sad eyes. “What about the baby?”
“What about it? As I said last night, you don’t have to worry about us. The two of us will be just fine, and there will be no baby drama in your life. I’ll see you in court.” She hooked her purse over her shoulder and walked away.
At that moment, it felt like a piece of me had died.
* * *
Stella
“Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him,” I mumbled, walking out of the Sculptural Garden.
Tears streamed down my face as I returned to the hotel. I started the bath water, twisted up my hair, and inhaled the lavender-scented bubbles I needed to relax and calm my nerves. Placing my hand on my belly, I held it in place and closed my eyes. The dinging sound of my phone startled me. Reaching over the tub and picking it up, I saw a text from Miles. Shaking my head, I read it.
“Stella, I’m so sorry.”
How I wish I could block him and be done with all of this. But we still needed to go to court. The second the judge granted the annulment, and I walked out of that courthouse, he’d never be able to contact me again. As my phone was in my hand, it rang with an unfamiliar number. I answered it.
“Hello.”
“Hello, is this Stella?” a woman’s voice asked.
“Yes. This is she.”
“Hi, Stella. This is Grant Roman. Miles Bradshaw gave me your number and asked that I help you find an apartment.”
“Thank you, Grant, but I won’t be needing your services after all.”
“Oh?”
“I already found an apartment,” I lied.
“I understand. Well, you have my number if you need anything.”
“Thank you.” I ended the call and sighed.
I thought long and hard about Jordyn’s plea for me to move to Connecticut. As much as I’d love to be near her again, New York was my home. I loved the city and wouldn’t let Miles Bradshaw drive me out of it. I would continue attending NYU for my doctorate, graduate, get a job, and be the best mother I could. Loving Miles Bradshaw hurt me, but hating him hurt me even more.
* * *
Miles
I tucked my hands into my pants pockets, lowered my head, and walked out of the Sculptural Gardens. I texted Sean and told him I needed some time alone and that I’d text him when I needed him to pick me up. The chaos in my mind was unbearable. Between work and Stella, it was too much.
As I walked down the city streets, I saw a couple looking at an engagement ring through the window of a jewelry store.
“Let’s go in and try it on. I know it’ll look beautiful on you.” The man smiled at his future wife as I walked by.
I stopped and turned around. “You two are getting engaged?” I asked.
“Yes, we are.” The man smiled. “I already proposed, but I wanted her to pick out the ring she loved the most.”
“Congratulations.” I nodded.
“Thank you,” the woman spoke.
I turned and continued walking. The sun hid behind the clouds, and suddenly, the small raindrops that fell onto my head turned into a downpour. A woman pushing a baby carriage rushed to the bakery where I sought shelter. I opened the door for her and motioned for her to step inside.
“Thank you so much.” She smiled.
“You’re welcome. How old?” I pointed to the small child in the carriage.
“She’s six weeks old today,” the woman spoke.
“She’s cute.”
“Thank you.”
I ordered a coffee and a cherry Danish, taking it to a table by the window while waiting for the rain to stop.
The woman with the baby sat at the table next to me. I stared at her as she lifted the child from the carriage. She looked at me strangely. She probably thought I was a stalker.
“I apologize for staring. My wife is expecting.”
“Oh. How far along is she?”
“Seven weeks now.”
“Your first?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, she’s lucky to have you by her side. This little one’s father took off when I told him I was pregnant.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. We’re better off without him in our life. Isn’t that right, baby girl?” she smiled at the child. “It looks like the rain stopped. It was nice to meet you.” She put the child back into the carriage.
“It was nice to meet you, too.” I smiled.
My heart sank as I watched her walk out of the bakery. On my way out, I threw the rest of my coffee and Danish in the trash can. Sean pulled up, and I climbed inside the Escalade.
“Where to, Miles?” he asked.
“Just take me home.”