Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 25544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Because at that same moment, two men in suits enter the conference, and Sandy looks like he's torn between fury and fear the moment he sees them.
"Y-You—"
The men close on him, and that's when Sandy turns into something else entirely. He grabs the chair he was sitting in and shoves it backward at one of them. He grabs a water glass from the table and throws it. Delia screams. Risa makes a sound that doesn't quite make it out of her throat.
"Sandy! What's wrong with you?"
"Mr. Pettyfer, calm down!"
But it's as if a devil's completely taken over him. He's now staring at me with so much hatred in his eyes.
"You slut! You fucking—"
The door opens again.
A third man steps in. Older. Quieter. Carrying a slim folder under one arm. The folder is going to be used. He doesn't look at Sandy. He nods once at Jeanne. He stations himself by the wall.
I almost feel like laughing and crying. Who's next? I don't even know what or who to expect—
Oh.
Or maybe I do, but I just didn’t know if I wanted this to happen or not.
He walks straight toward me, and even though there are so many others in the room, it's like I'm the only one he sees, the only one that matters.
And when he’s finally standing in front of me, this stranger who knows my soul like he’s known me his whole life—
Sandy goes berserk, Risa starts shouting, but it's as if he doesn't hear any of this.
"Does it hurt?"
He asks this so, so softly, and his hand actually shakes as he reaches to touch my cheek.
Ouch.
The tenderness takes me by surprise, causing me to flinch—
Oh no.
I didn’t mean to make him mad. Or lose control. Or both.
All I know is that everything after that happens so fast—
Mr. Everford suddenly has Sandy by the collar, and he’s speaking in such a dangerously soft voice—
"You will never touch her again. Do you understand?"
Sandy doesn't get to answer. One moment he's looking belligerent as he struggles to free himself from his former boss's hold—
The next moment he's down on the floor, his nose bleeding, and he's crying.
"You fucking broke my nose! You'll pay—"
I catch Jeanne nodding at Mr. Everford before stepping forward.
"I'd be more careful with my choice of words if I were you, Mr. Pettyfer." Her voice is still sunny. "This room is under surveillance, and I don't think you'll appreciate footage of this becoming public—"
"She cheated on me!"
His voice has gone nasal from the bleeding. He's still on the floor. His shirt has come untucked. There is a smear of blood across his chin where he tried to wipe his nose with the back of his hand.
"Especially as Mr. Everford has been aware of how you've been embezzling funds from his company in the last two years."
Sandy...was what?
"That's...that's defamation of character!" He's struggling to his feet, one hand cupped under his nose to catch the blood, the other braced against the table. "I'll fucking sue—"
"Do you recognize the name Robert Charles?"
I have no idea who that is. But the name Jeanne mentions seems to catch Sandy flat-footed, and he just freezes. His nose is still dripping blood, but he no longer seems to care.
"Sign the divorce papers, Mr. Pettyfer. And in return, the company will not be pressing charges against you."
"How do I know if you're telling the truth?"
The third man steps forward from the wall and hands his slim folder to Howie Lyle without a word, then steps back.
Howie opens it...and starts biting his nails by the third page. When he’s done skimming, he clears his throat and says, “It’s all here. Sign the papers, and they won’t press charges. It’s a good deal—”
“You only looked at it for a second.” Sandy seems to have finally recovered from his shock, and he’s back to speaking with a mixture of petulance and resentment. “How do you know—”
"Just sign it," Risa snaps.
"But Mother—" Sandy is actually wailing like he's four years old instead of forty, while his own mother ignores him like he really is a toddler who can't make decisions on his own.
Risa looks at their lawyer.
"You're sure it's good?"
"Yes, Mrs. Pettyfer."
As soon as Howie confirms this, Risa snatches the divorce papers that were still on the table and shoves them at her son's chest.
"I will not have you ruin our name over—"
That slut.
It's what she almost said. But she manages to catch herself in time and tightens her lips in silence instead.
"Just sign it!"
She grabs one of the pens on the desk and hands it to Sandy.
His hand is shaking. There's blood on his chin, on his collar, on the cuff he tried to use as a tissue. The pen leaves a small red smear on the corner of the first page when he begins to sign.
Delia tries to comfort him as he starts to sign, but he waves her away irritably.