11. Gideon
— · —
Gideon
When I woke up, the bed was empty.
“Ellie?” I murmured as I reached out. Her side of the bed was cold, and I frowned. There were no sounds coming from the bathroom. Puzzled, I popped my head up and glanced at the clock. It was barely six in the morning.
Shit. Was last night too soon for her? Too intense? Panicked, I bolted from the bed and grabbed my sweatpants. “Ellie?” I called out louder as I left the bedroom.
There was someone in the living room, but it was not my wife.
The pit in my stomach opened up immediately. “Mother?”
“Good morning,” she said primly. “Are you aware that this couch is broken?”
“Christ, what are you doing here? Where is Ellie?” I demanded.
“Who knows? Frankly, with the resources she has now, she can go wherever she likes. All that I care about is that she is not here.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped. “How the fuck long has she been gone? She doesn’t even have a car, and the bus doesn’t run this early.”
Shit. I didn’t have an extra clean pair of socks, but I grabbed my shoes.
I couldn’t believe my mother had once again scared off my wife, but it would be the last damn time.
In fact, it was going to be the last time my mother ever saw me.
My wife was pregnant and wandering around town with no transportation for God-knows-how-long.
“Stop, Gideon. For fuck’s sake, I didn’t just let her leave. My driver has been instructed to take her wherever she wants to go.”
Whirling around, I glared at her. “I warned you,” I snarled. “I warned you what would happen if you got in the way again.”
Standing, my mother smoothed her jacket and reached for the briefcase at her feet. Setting it on the couch, she opened it with a click and stepped aside. “Take a look for yourself. I always know what’s best for you, Gideon. Even when you’re blind to it.”
Inside was a neat stack of papers. When I glanced at the top, my blood ran cold.
Divorce papers.
“You brought those here? Have you fucking lost your mind?”
Lifting the stack, she grabbed a piece of paper and handed it to me.
“I have not lost my mind. I told you that woman was nothing more than a gold digger, and now I can prove it to you. Do you think this little scheme of hers was by chance? Running away and crying because you weren’t giving her enough attention?
She was doing it because you weren’t giving her enough money.
I bet you just promised her anything she wanted, didn’t you? You played right into her hands.”
“Mother, she ran away because you treat her like shit, and I let you. Believe me when I tell you that it won’t happen again. There is nothing that you can say to me right now that will save you from being completely cut from my life.”
Her eyes widened, but she thrust the piece of paper into my hands. I didn’t look at it. “I don’t give a flying fuck what that is.”
“Just read it!”
Snatching it from her, I proceeded to rip it in half when I saw the signature at the bottom. Whatever it was, Ellie had signed it.
In exchange for the sum of five million dollars… waives any and all rights to the Montgomery name… Signs an immediate divorce… agrees that no father shall be listed on the child’s birth certificate… acknowledges that the paternity of said child is unknown…
“There. Now you see what kind of wife you married. She was always willing to walk away. I just had to find the right price. With that kind of money, she will take excellent care of the child, so you can put that out of your mind. In addition, when the child comes of age, I have already set up a trust. I will not abandon her, and you can get back on track with the company. Marry again and have the kind of children this family can be proud of. Now that she has signed the divorce papers, all you have to do is sign, and we can be done with this whole mess. You can thank me when we get home.”
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a pen and handed it to me. “I’ve already wired the money into her account, Gideon. It’s a drop in the bucket for us. Let’s just move on.”
Move on? I bared my teeth and ripped the contract in half. “You bought my wife and child?” I asked in a low voice.
“I suppose you could look at it that way. I see it as buying your happiness and your future. Please, Gideon. There’s no need to make a scene.
Drink away your sorrows when we get home, but we all make mistakes.
I made a few of my own before I met your father, and when he passed, I swore to him that I would ensure his legacy.
Eleanor is a pretty and bright girl. She will land on her feet, and she is better off having met you.
Five million dollars better off, but she holds you back.
You need someone who can stand by your side.
A wife who will fight for you. Does that sound like her? ”
When I didn’t take the pen, my mother sighed and grabbed the stack of papers from the briefcase. She flipped to the last page and held it up so I could clearly see Ellie’s signature. “She is moving on, Gideon. It is time for you to do the same.”