Page 214 of Unhinged

“Stop pausing for a commercial break and tell me what she said.”

He licks his lips and shifts his beady eyes. “Greg…”

My heart pounds faster. I also know his tone. I snap my fingers and walk backward to the swinging door. “You know what? I don’t need to know. Never mind.” I turn to leave, and Vaughn says, “Simone is filing for an annulment. I wanted to tell you before you’re served with the papers. I’m sorry.”

As my heart and every other organ nosedive, I lose my breath and my speaking skill. I turn to face Amos again to make sure I heard what I had, but I know I’m not wrong. It’s been my biggest fear since she left.

When he sees my mental state deteriorating, he says, “I tried to talk her out of it, but she wants you to move on to someone who can make you happy and whom you can trust.”

I whisper, “I don’t want anyone else. She was it. Amos…”

“I wish I had better news.”

“Are you her attorney, Benedict Arnold?”

“No. A friend of mine in Richmond is.”

“An annulment erases our marriage, making it invalid. It wouldn’t exist on record.”

“Yes, but they’re also harder to obtain and to prove your case. The positive aspect for you is it’s harder to receive one in North Carolina.”

“That’s good news?”

“No. She technically lives in Virginia, and that’s where she’s filing. There, she can claim fraud but has to give a specific reason. And since she filed, that’s her burden to prove.”

“And…?”

“She’s stating you want children, but she does not. Essentially, she’s blaming herself and stating she’s the fraud.”

“What the fuck?”

“That’s Simone for you.”

“No. I won’t agree to an annulment.”

He takes a deep breath. “Then Simone will have to fight harder for an annulment, and it will take longer, so she’ll file for a divorce, which will most likely be quicker because of your lack of assets and children.”

“Christ. No.”

“You can contest a divorce, but your marriage will still end, and it’ll exist on record. Simone will legally be your ex-wife. Either filing can take mere weeks if uncontested, but often longer.”

“She’ll lose her money if we split before a year.”

Amos nods. “She’s even sealing her fate by changing her last name to Simpson.”

I stare at the counter, utterly empty, but I shove my pain and lock it deep within me. I’d think her picking that name was adorable and kick-ass if she hadn’t taken mine first and then dumped it into a shredder. I laugh with a shrug. “Okay. Good for her.” I nod, grinning, and it’s the most painful smile of my life. “I can finally live again.”

“Greg, don’t put up a front. Go home. You don’t need to be here.”

I pull out my phone. “Why not?” I scroll through my numbers and hold up my phone, showing him Simone’s number before blocking her. “I guess I’m free to date now.”

“Can I call your mother to pick you up?”

I shoot him an exasperated frown as I scroll more. “I’m fine. Better than I’ve felt in a long time.”

“No, you’re not fine.”

I text Kleo, asking her to stop by, and then roll my eyes at Vaughn. “I’ll be fine after work, for sure.” I then find a hotel nearby and reserve a room for tonight and tomorrow. Regardless of how the rest of the night goes with Kleo, I can’t go home to my mother. I have a bag full of clothes and other shit for when I stayed with Simone.

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