Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
A my smoothed out the edges of her skirt and crossed one ankle over the other. “You don’t actually have to be here, you know.”
Emily reached over and patted Amy’s knee. “I know, but I really don’t mind. My workshop isn’t starting for a while, so I’m happy to keep you company.”
Amy offered her a grateful smile.
Behind Emily, the city’s skyline stood, tall and imposing.
Getting out of the taxi half an hour ago had been difficult and strange because she’d kept trying to come up with excuses not to get out. She’d even made the taxi drive round the block a few times before she plucked up the nerve to get out. Even then, it was Emily’s soothing presence that got her out of the car, and it was her steady voice that got Amy off the sidewalk and through the double doors.
Still, Amy felt like she was going to empty the contents of her stomach.
Being back in the city was making her want to race in the opposite direction.
And knowing Eric was somewhere in the building made her feel worse.
Each time she thought of being in the same room with him, Amy’s stomach twisted, and sweat broke out on the back of her neck. She dreaded knowing she was going to be at his mercy and whatever mood he was in when he saw her.
But it wasn’t just her soon-to-be ex.
Amy had spent the past few minutes going over it in her head, and it wasn’t until she’d stepped in through the double doors of the large metal building located downtown that she realized what else was bothering her.
Everything about the city felt wrong to her, like the jagged pieces of a puzzle that didn’t fit. As they’d walked through the spacious lobby, with its hardwood floors, glittering chandeliers, and uniformed personnel around every corner, the feeling had only intensified. Now that she was sitting next to Emily on a pair of metal chairs pressed against the wall, the knots in her stomach were only getting worse.
Suddenly, Amy was finding it hard to remember why she liked the city in the first place.
Being back here didn’t feel right to her, and she couldn’t wait for the meeting to end so she could go back to Falmouth, where the sky was endlessly blue, the water stretched on forever, and the people around her made her feel like she was home.
With a slight shake of her head, Amy turned her attention back to Emily, who was hunched over her phone in a knee-length dress with stockings underneath, her hair piled in a messy bun on top of her head.
“So, remind me again: Why is this workshop important?”
Emily glanced up, and for a moment, she looked confused. “Workshop?”
“The one you’re here for.”
Emily blinked and averted her gaze. She kept clenching and unclenching her hands at her sides. “Oh, right. Yes. Um, it’s a baking workshop. There’s this world-class chef who’s holding it, so I thought it would be a good chance for me to broaden my horizons.”
“Definitely, although I honestly can’t imagine your goods doing any better.”
Emily’s smile was genuine this time. “That’s sweet, but there’s always room for improvement.”
Amy shifted from one side to the other. “Of course.”
“So, I saw you and William at support group the other day. You two seem like you’re hitting it off.”
“He’s a nice man. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone I can actually call a friend.”
Emily bumped her shoulder against Amy’s and gave her a knowing smile. “A friend, huh?”
“I’m too old to be thinking of anything else. Besides, neither of us are in a place to consider it. Not like you and Jack.”
Emily blushed and averted her gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Amy draped an arm over Emily’s shoulders and chuckled. “Sure, you don’t. But if you did, I’d tell you not to waste any time getting hung up on semantics or playing games. You already know that life’s too short.”
Emily’s expression turned sad. “Yeah, I know, but it feels wrong. Trevor and I… We were supposed to be it, you know.”
“No one is going to force you to do anything you don’t want.” Amy gave Emily’s shoulders another squeeze before releasing them. “Just keep an open mind and an open heart, okay?”
Emily’s phone buzzed, and she stood. “I will. I’m sorry to do this, but I do have to go. Are you going to be okay on your own?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll give you a call when I’m done.”
“Absolutely. We can do lunch or something.” Emily shifted from one foot to the other and tugged on her skirt again. “Are you sure there’s no one in the city you want to call for moral support?”
Amy’s stomach tightened. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”
With one last guilty smile, Emily darted off in the direction of the elevators, walking past rows and rows of cubicles on her way. She gave Amy one last wave before the elevator doors pinged shut, and a sense of finality and doom settled on Amy’s shoulders.
The urge to race down the stairs and run out of the building returned tenfold.
She had no idea how to get rid of it or find any of the confidence and bravado that made her pursue a divorce in the first place. The city was Eric’s playground, and she was sure there were already eyes and ears on her in every corner.
Was Eric spying on her while she sat there, crossing and uncrossing her legs?
Was he smirking at his phone screen and coming up with new and inventive ways to belittle her?
As glad as Amy was that Emily was far out of his reach, she hated knowing she might have to face Eric and his shark of a lawyer alone. A part of her wanted to call Kate again, if only to give her something to do, but the other part of her knew she couldn’t nag.
Not unless she wanted Kate not to take her seriously.
She wasn’t a child trembling at the thought of her bully.
Amy was a grown woman with thoughts and feelings of her own, and the sooner she learned how to stand up for herself, the better they were all going to be.
After clinging to that thought, Amy sank back against the chair and linked her fingers together.
A long moment passed where nothing happened.
Sighing, she picked up a magazine and began to flip through it. While she waited for her lawyer to arrive, Amy considered, for the umpteenth time, whether or not she should let her children know she was in the city.
Considering how tense and awkward the last few phone calls were, she didn’t want to make things worse.
The last thing she wanted was to drive her kids further away, especially when it was clear they still didn’t understand her reasons for getting a divorce. Nor did it seem like they were ready to wrap their heads around it, not with everything going on in their personal lives.
Amy was halfway through the magazine and still debating the issue with herself when her lawyer stepped off the elevator in seven-inch black Louis Vuitton heels and a white silk blouse tucked into a gray pencil skirt that fell just past her knees.
“It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Ms. Gruntle.”
Amy uncrossed her ankles and rose to her feet. She stuck her hand out and was relieved to realize Kate Wentworth’s grip was firm and strong. “You too, Ms. Wentworth.”
Kate motioned for Amy to follow her, and the two of them walked past the receptionist seated behind a circular-shaped desk. Abruptly, they stopped in front of an office with glass doors, a large, wooden rectangular-shaped desk in the center, and a flat-screen TV mounted to the wall opposite big bay windows.
Without missing a beat, Kate pushed the door open and motioned for Amy to step through.
“Would you like something to drink?” Kate went over to the tray set in the corner and flicked the electric kettle on. “I could make you some tea to help settle your nerves.”
Amy lingered in the doorway. “No, thank you.”
Kate offered her a small smile. “You can sit anywhere you like.”
Reluctantly, Amy straightened her back and selected the chair closest to the door. As soon as she sat down, she placed her purse in her lap and resisted the urge to smooth out her skirt again. She felt ridiculous.
And she was sure she looked even worse.
But Kate had insisted she needed to look the part of a strong and powerful woman, ready to take down anyone who stood in her way. And since her phone call a few days ago, Amy had spent a lot of time thinking about what it meant. In the end, it was Ashley who helped her pick out an outfit that had been stuffed in the back of the closet and in desperate need of mending.
Days later, here she was, sitting in her lawyer’s office in the city and trying to resist the urge to throw up all over her mended and freshly pressed outfit.
You are not going to give Eric the satisfaction of knowing he has that kind of effect on you. Do not do it. He’s taken away too much from you already.
Kate poured hot water into two Styrofoam cups. Wordlessly, she placed a coaster and set Amy’s chamomile tea in front of her. “It’ll help settle your nerves or at least give you something to do with your hands.”
Amy was touched by the gesture but didn’t know what to say. Kate took a seat next to her and sipped on her drink.
Amy curled her fingers around the cup and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Have you dealt with his lawyer before?”
Kate blew on her drink and grimaced. “I have. Tyler is going to try and disarm you with charm and wit, but don’t be fooled. He rips people apart just for fun, and he isn’t above sneaking in a few low blows just to make his point.”
Amy blew out a breath. “In other words, he and Eric are well suited to each other.”
Kate nodded and took another sip of her drink. Then, she pulled a file out from under the table and flipped it open. “Are you sure there’s nothing else you want to add? Nothing you want to ask for?”
Amy curled her fingers around the cup and squeezed her eyes shut. “I just want this to be over.”
“That’s rich, considering you’re the one who started this mess.”
Amy froze as Eric’s familiar voice washed over her.
After two weeks of listening to his rage through the safety of her phone, she wasn’t sure she was ready to face him again. She didn’t feel strong enough to handle his insults and barbed comments.
But she couldn’t spend the meeting looking away from him.
Not if she hoped to get his lawyer to take her seriously.
The urge to shrink into a corner and retreat into her shell was strong, but Amy wanted to be stronger; otherwise, she was going to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.
Her hands were trembling as she stood, so she hid them behind her back. Slowly, she forced herself to rise the rest of the way, spun around, and took in the sight of her estranged husband in a custom-made Armani suit with his hair slicked back. His dark eyes were tight and fathomless as they regarded her.
A chill raced up Amy’s spine as she switched her gaze to Eric’s lawyer, a tall man with broad shoulders, a sharp jawline, and the most intimidating pair of brown eyes she’d ever seen. Side by side, the two of them looked like the kind of men she didn’t want to mess with.
Amy was suddenly wondering if she made a big mistake in agreeing to the meeting.
Her stomach twisted on itself, and a low whistling sound began in her ears.
“I’m surprised you showed up,” Eric continued in the same hard voice. “Don’t you want to run away and send an email later to let me know you’re not coming?”
Amy’s mouth fell open as Kate stepped in front of her. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk to my client that way. We’re here because you requested a mediation.”
Amy wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
Eric ignored Kate and looked directly at Amy, wave after wave of hostility rolling off of him. “Still can’t speak for yourself, huh? You know, I used to admire that quality about you, but now, I see it for the weakness it really is.”
“Mr. Michaelson, if you don’t control your client, this meeting is going to end right now,” Kate warned, pausing to give Eric’s lawyer a meaningful look. “And I’ll be encouraging my client to sue for emotional damage. I’ve got a floor full of witnesses too.”
Amy was going to be sick all over the expensive hardwood floors.
Tyler Michaelson leaned sideways and whispered something into Eric’s ear. With a curt nod, Eric followed him to the other side of the table, where the two of them sat down, side by side. Amy kept her head down as she sank back into the seat she occupied earlier. When Kate’s hand darted underneath the table to give her hand a light squeeze, Amy tried not to crumple with relief.
With Kate by her side, it couldn’t possibly spiral any further.
Tyler Michaelson sat up straighter and gave Amy a dismissive look that let her know exactly what he thought of her. “Let’s get right to it, then. My client is asking for nothing less than what’s owed.”
Kate squared her shoulders and flipped her own folder open. “Luckily for you, my client is in a generous mood. She doesn’t want anything from Mr. Taylor. Just the divorce.”
“You don’t deserve anything,” Eric said with an angry look in Amy’s direction. “I’m the one who worked hard, and I gave you everything, and it still wasn’t enough.”
Amy resisted the ever-present urge to shrink back into her seat.
Kate squeezed her knee, and Amy swallowed back the apology on the tip of her tongue.
“Since my client was the primary breadwinner, and your client was content to let him pay for everything, she isn’t owed a single thing,” Tyler continued, as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “Furthermore, your client actually owes Mr. Taylor for emotional damage.”
“You and I both know that’s not going to fly in court, Tyler. What emotional damage? Your client verbally abused Ms. Gruntle and belittled her during the entire duration of their marriage. You’re lucky she isn’t the one who sues him.”
“Verbal abuse? Is that really how low you’re willing to sink?” Eric’s eyes narrowed into slits, and it took everything in Amy to sit there and not run out of the room in tears. “It’s not verbal abuse to expect things to be done a certain way. I gave her everything, and all I got in return was a disorganized, sloppy house and a wife who couldn’t be bothered to put any kind of effort in when she wasn’t in the mood.”
“That’s not true,” Amy blurted out, her voice catching toward the end. “I did everything you asked, but you’re the one who was never satisfied.”
“You’re a liar,” Eric retorted, pausing to unfasten a button on his jacket. “And you agreed to this meeting because you know I’d wipe the floor with you if this goes to court. No judge is ever going to side with you, especially when they realize how you left me and how you couldn’t even be bothered to tell the kids in person.”
Amy’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s not fair! I—”
Kate placed a hand on Amy’s arm and gave her a quick look. “My client doesn’t have to answer any of these accusations. As for the manner in which she left, she is perfectly entitled to leave whenever she wants.”
“And are you entitled to treat the children like an afterthought?” Eric’s lips twisted into a cruel sneer. “You can’t even deny it because you know it’s true. So much for being a good mother.”
Amy sputtered, her mouth opening and closing several times. Every response she had, every retort she thought of, wasn’t enough.
Because, deep down, as much as she hated to admit it, she knew Eric was right.
He had every right to throw that in her face, but it still felt like being punched in the gut repeatedly.
Eric knew exactly where to twist the knife in and dig to make it hurt.
And she was the idiot who’d given him the road map to be able to get away with it.
What was wrong with her that she hadn’t been able to confide in her own children?
Why hadn’t she told them the truth and took refuge with one of them, regardless of the consequences?
Because you needed a fresh start, and you didn’t want your children getting caught in the middle. You did the best you could, Amy. Eric is just trying to bait you and get under your skin.
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.