Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
“ T hey haven’t spoken to you at all?”
Lily’s sigh was heavy. “We’ve spoken, but I don’t think they’re ready to talk about what happened.”
Amy swallowed past the lump in her throat and glanced out the window at the towering city skyline set against a backdrop of clear blue skies. “You know you can tell me if they’ve talked to you about it. I won’t mind.”
It was better than not knowing what they thought at all.
Amy didn’t like being kept in the dark when it came to her children, and she liked it even less because of how they left things the last time she saw them. After a tense dinner with Ashley and Jude, who did their best to break the ice, Sylvie and Lucas had barely looked at her. Lily was left to try and carry on the conversation, and it wasn’t until they’d all gone to sleep that Amy burst into tears in her room.
In the morning, she’d woken up to the news they’d already left.
She’d been carrying around a heavy feeling in her stomach and in her chest since then.
And even though it had only been a few days since she’d last set eyes on them, it felt like far longer.
As Amy listened to Lily discuss the details of the renovation, her latest client, and a new chapter in her book, she couldn’t help but wonder how she’d gotten to where she was now, living out of a suitcase in Ashely and Jude’s spare room with her kids barely speaking to her, and an ex who wanted to leave her out on the street.
How had everything spiraled so quickly out of control?
Weeks ago, she’d been glancing out of her penthouse apartment while dinner cooked and a TV played the news in the background. Now, she was back at her lawyer’s office, glancing out an unfamiliar window and trying to ignore the knots in her stomach. Over and over again, she kept replaying the events of the past few weeks in the hopes it would make her feel better.
How had her life veered so far off the charted path?
And was she really better off for it?
With a sigh, Amy ended the call with her stepdaughter and stood straighter. When she spun around, she spotted her lawyer stepping off the elevator in her usual five-inch Louis Vuitton heels and a pressed creamy silk blouse tucked into a pencil skirt. Kate didn’t say anything as she motioned to Amy from across the hall. In silence, the two women stepped into the familiar conference room, and Amy immediately froze.
Everything came back to her all at once.
All of the taunts and insults, everything Eric threw at her, designed to punish and break her.
Her chest grew tight as she forced herself to reach for the nearest chair and sit down. Her hands were trembling as she placed them underneath her thighs. Amy’s heart was pounding in her ears as Kate walked to the other side of the room and poured herself some water. Then, she poured some more and brought a cup over to Amy.
She couldn’t hide the shake in her hand as she brought the cup up to her lips.
“I know Eric is a piece of work.” Kate sat down and linked her fingers together. “But you remember what we talked about, right? He’s going to throw everything he can at you to make you look bad. He wants you to think this is all your fault.”
Amy’s throat was dry. “It is, though, I’m the one who walked away.”
Kate laid a hand on top of Amy’s, and the tremor stopped. “You walked away because you had to. Because you couldn’t stay in that house a minute longer. Honestly, I don’t even know how you stayed with him all that time.”
Amy cleared her throat. “I didn’t think I had a choice.”
Kate’s expression softened. “I know, but it’s different now. We’re going to get you that divorce, and with any luck, it won’t be much longer before you’re completely free of him.”
Amy studied Kate and counted backward from ten.
Then, she released a deep breath and gave her lawyer a small nod.
As soon as Kate removed her hand, the conference room door thudded open, and Amy nearly jumped out of her chair. She chided herself, rose to her feet, and clasped her hands behind her back. Like last time, Eric and his lawyer looked like carbon copies of each other with slicked-back hair, custom-made suits, and loafers that were light and soundless against the hardwood floors. In silence, the two of them stepped in, with Eric’s lawyer pausing to unfasten a button on his jacket.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” Tyler began in an even voice. “I’d like to start off by apologizing for my client’s outburst at the previous meeting.”
Amy shot Kate a startled look, but Kate didn’t meet her gaze.
“Moving forward, we’d like to keep this as civil and as cordial as possible,” Tyler continued, his gaze settling on Amy’s and sending a chill up her spine. “In light of Ms. Gruntle’s recent behavior, a new agreement has been drafted.”
Kate held her hand out and pressed her lips together.
Amy sat next to her and tried not to shrink into a smaller version of herself.
When she was in the same space as Eric, it felt like all of the oxygen in the room was being sucked up.
In the background, a clock ticked, and Amy began to count along with it.
She lifted her gaze to the gray-colored ceiling, her eyes running steadily over it.
Then, Kate touched her knee, bringing Amy back to the present with a jolt. Slowly, she glanced down and found herself looking at the agreement drafted up. Kate squeezed her hand and sat up straighter, her face giving nothing away.
Eric was asking for everything except for the clothes on her back.
She skimmed over the list of his assets, not caring at all for any of them, but when she reached the last line, her heart missed a beat. Not only had Eric stated his intent to file a restraining order, banning Amy from going anywhere near him or his offices, but he was also planning on suing her because of the manner in which she left him.
As if she’d caused him any kind of distress at all when she walked away.
Amy was sure it was one more tool designed to hurt her, but she couldn’t prove it.
She knew Eric’s only concern was how he appeared to his colleagues and the social circle he’d spent years cultivating.
She must’ve really hurt his pride by leaving the way she did.
It was her only solace in the sea of turbulence and sadness she faced.
When she was done, Amy looked over at Kate, and the two of them exchanged a quick, understanding look.
Then, Kate pulled the contract back in front of her and straightened her back. “My client doesn’t want anything except to be left alone. She won’t argue any of Mr. Taylor’s requests, but she will be countersuing for emotional distress.”
Eric was on his feet before the words finished leaving Kate’s mouth. “How dare you? How dare you sit there and allow her to say those things about me? You left me .”
Amy bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.
Eric slammed his fists against the table. “You’re nothing but a coward, Amy Gruntle. A coward and an ungrateful, pathetic little housewife who can’t even leave right. You’ve got some nerve trying to countersue me after everything I’ve done for you.”
Each word felt like a dagger through her heart, like her head was being held underwater, and no matter how hard she kicked or how much pain she experienced, she couldn’t find her way back to the surface.
Her chest felt tight, and Amy was overcome with the urge to crawl her way out of her own skin. Right after she emptied the contents of her stomach all over their brand-new loafers.
“Mr. Michaelson, you will restrain your client, or I’ll call the police and have him charged with harassment.”
Tyler touched Eric’s shoulder. “Mr. Taylor—”
Eric shook him off, his eyes blazing with anger and his nostrils flaring. “Don’t you dare patronize me. I know my rights. I kept a roof over her head, and this is how she repays me? If you take this to court, I will destroy you. You won’t have a single friend left in the city, and no judge is going to want to touch your case with a ten-foot pole. I will make you regret ever crossing me.”
Amy believed every threat falling from his lips and then some.
It took every ounce of strength and self-control she had to sit there and not curl up into a ball or find the nearest room to hide in. Her hands were clenched into fists to keep the shaking at bay.
“Enough,” Kate interrupted coldly. She rose to her feet and met Eric’s gaze head-on. “Mr. Taylor, if you want this to go to court, we are happy to oblige, but I will not sit here and allow you to continue to verbally attack my client in this manner. Security is already on the way up, so unless you want headlines in the paper about how you were escorted out, I’d suggest you leave the conference room. Now .”
Eric’s mouth fell open, and he stared at Kate as if she’d grown three heads.
Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be led out of the conference room, hands balled into fists the entire time. Amy stood in time to see Tyler drag Eric into the elevator, eyebrows pinched together. Eric was still bristling when he looked up, and their eyes met.
Amy froze and couldn’t look away.
She kept seeing flashes of their lives together, the endless slew of parties, where Eric kept her close to put her in her place, and all of the mornings after when he’d replay every wrong thing she’d done and how she’d embarrassed him.
Amy felt like she was reliving it all until the elevator doors pinged shut.
Amy blinked, heart sputtering uneasily, and placed a hand over her chest. She straightened her back when she saw Sylvie rounding the corner in five-inch black heels and a knee-length patterned dress with a blazer on top. A few wisps of hair escaped from Sylvie’s tight bun as she made a beeline for the conference room and pushed the door open. Kate pretended to flip through the folder as Amy stepped forward and nearly fell into her daughter’s arms.
Sylvie’s arms came up around her mother, and she gave her an awkward pat. “I hope it’s okay that I just showed up. June and Beth are visiting, and they wanted me to invite you to lunch.”
Amy drew back and adjusted the strap of her purse. She blinked back the tears and ignored the fluttering in her chest. “Yeah, I’d love to.”
“I’ll call you later to touch base,” Kate said on her way past.
She offered them both a polite smile on her way out of the conference room.
In a daze, Amy followed Sylvie out of the room and into the elevator. She snuck glances at her daughter the entire way, but Sylvie was on her phone. Once they pushed their way through the revolving glass doors, Amy immediately spotted Sylvie’s cherry-red Volvo parked next to the curb.
As soon as she pulled the passenger door shut behind her, Amy twisted to face her daughter. “This is a wonderful surprise, sweetheart. I hope this means you’re ready to talk about what happened the last time we saw each other.”
Sylvie twisted the key in the engine and exhaled. “I’m not ready to talk about it yet, but I thought lunch was a good place for us to start.”
Amy’s stomach dipped as disappointment, hard and heavy, settled in the center of her stomach “Of course. I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.”
The world outside rushed past in a blur of shapes and colors.
A few blocks away, Sylvie pulled up into an empty parking spot outside a cluster of metal buildings. Together, the two of them crossed the street, and Amy’s heart lifted when she saw her granddaughters, June and Beth, through the glass window. Dressed similarly in knee-length dresses and sweaters, the two of them waved them over.
Amy was ready to put the entire day behind her as the waiter led them to the table in the back with the checkered tablecloth, mood music playing in the background.
June and Beth pulled Amy in for a hug, and the three of them lingered until Sylvie cleared her throat.
Reluctantly, she drew away from them and gave them each a bright smile. “You both look wonderful. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”
“Grandma, you look amazing,” June gushed, her green eyes lighting up. “Have you done something different to your hair?”
Amy blushed and touched a hand to it. “Just a little cut. I’ve also been trying out yoga.”
“Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it,” Beth added with a bright smile. “It really suits you.”
“Grandma’s been looking up online courses too,” Sylvie added without looking up from her menu. “And I think you’ve done a few pottery classes.”
Amy leaned back against her chair and nodded. “It’s true, but I’m terrible at a lot of things. It’s okay though, because I’ve been trying all of these new things. I wish I had my laptop to show you what I’ve been working on.”
Now that they were all together, after weeks of missing them, Amy wanted to show off everything she’d done.
A smaller part of her wanted to prove, as much to herself as to her family, that leaving Eric hadn’t been a mistake after all.
She was making something of herself, and if it took a while for everyone else to realize that, she was okay with waiting.