Chapter 23
Michael sat at his desk in a daze. He’d missed an important phone call, he was behind on his paperwork, he had to reschedule a settlement hearing, and he looked like crap. His clothing was sharp, but his face told the story of a man riddled with pain, worry, confusion, and a twinge of anger.
It’d been two weeks since Karli moved out of their home . . . their house. It hadn’t been a home in months. She was living in an undisclosed hotel, and despite his efforts to woo her back, he’d gotten the paperwork he dreaded: a petition for divorce due to irreconcilable differences. His eyes watered again as he thought about the courier delivering the papers yesterday at his job, of all places.
Everyone had tried to console him, from his parents to Karli’s, to their friends. None of them had been able to get in contact with her, and her colleagues and other employees at the company had been instructed to keep their mouths shut, block phone calls, and disallow visits from any of them, including Catrina. It was as if she was divorcing everyone. Karli had sent Catrina a text at the beginning of each week to let her know she was doing fine, but she wouldn’t respond to any attempts Catrina made to contact her.
As he sat there, the questions began to grow in his mind. How in the hell did they move from Karli needing a little space to getting a divorce in two weeks? He knew Karli. She was his wife. She was a planner, a thinker, and a strategist. This sudden shift from wanting to mend their differences to needing space to filing divorce papers seemed implausible to him. Though the conflict had been building, the divorce was still too sudden. They’d been married for four years, so what in the world would make her want to rush to throw it all away, without so much as a conversation about doing so? That was what hurt. Despite five years of being together as a couple and promising each other a lifetime together, he hadn’t even been afforded the courtesy of a face-to-face conversation, let alone the privacy of receiving such news in the solace of his own home. He didn’t know this woman. This woman wasn’t his wife. He refused to believe that she could switch up like the wind on him. Something had to be amiss. He felt it in his gut.
The more he contemplated it, the more upset and depressed he became. He was fighting a battle between being devastated and wanting to wreak devastation. A raging storm swelled within his spirit. He had made a mistake, but just like her, he had tried to make amends for it and had gone above and beyond to make their marriage work. It made absolutely no sense to him that the woman who had cried and begged him to forgive her sins, who had wanted to make their marriage work, was the same one who had filed for divorce. Whether she wanted him to or not, he was going to find out what was going on with her, and they would have a conversation. She owed him that much. He wasn’t going to accept this without an explanation and a fight.
After slipping out his cell phone, he dialed her number. Of course, the call went to her voice mail, as it had been doing for the past two weeks. She couldn’t avoid him forever, and he was determined that she wouldn’t. As he tapped his phone on his hand, an idea came to mind, and he went into the app to track her cell phone. When the phone didn’t ping, he contacted the cellular provider. They explained that she had canceled their cell service for that line. He was flabbergasted. She was really making major moves without consulting him. Now he really knew something was awry.
After hanging up, he swiped his hand across his beard and then slammed his hand on the desk in frustration. “Think, Michael. Think,” he said aloud. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. He dialed another number.
“If it isn’t my favorite lawyer.”
“You don’t have to suck up. I need your help,” Michael responded.
“Is it paying help?”
“It’s always paying when it comes from me, you know that.”
“I’m just asking because you sound angry, and anger means it’s personal. All our interactions have been on a professional level, but I’m your guy, no matter what.”
“Good. I need to find out some information on someone.”
“No problem, boss. Who?”
“My wife.”
* * *
Why can’t he just leave well enough alone? Karli thought as she sat in bed, in a huff from the conversation she was now having over the phone.
Being in marketing had its perks, and one of those perks was getting to know people in very high positions. She had learned from one such person that Michael had been snooping around, trying to find out where she was and what was going on with her.
Knowing him and his controlling ways, she was certain he’d never settle for allowing her to leave without a fuss and giving her space. Eventually, he would go on an ego trip and disregard her request to be left alone. Of course, she figured the divorce papers would be the straw that broke the camel’s back when it came to Michael. She couldn’t deny that for the most part, his incessant research was out of his love for her, but on the other hand, she knew he wanted to force her to go back to him, to assert what he thought was his authority over her.
After her call ended, she took a deep breath and leaned her head against the headboard, hoping Michael would let it go.
“Michael again?” Hudson asked as he eased into bed beside her.
“Yes.” She nodded. “He’s beginning to search for me. I don’t want to hurt him with all of this. I just wish he would leave me alone.”
Hudson stroked her hand with his thumb. “That’s why I had my people get with you about securing your information, and I’m glad you took my advice by driving my Audi to work.” He gently pulled her head to him and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, baby. He’s not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do, including having to see him and talk to him.”
Cocooned in Hudson’s arms, she felt safe and secure, but in the back of her mind, she had an ominous feeling that she couldn’t shake.