Page 14 of Marrying My Ex's Boss

“Are we going to spend the next half an hour discussing her mental defect again?”

“No, Carl, but we can pull that plank out your ass and beat you with it instead.”

“You see what I got to deal with here, baby? You gotta save me.”

I’m not sure if they were intending to lighten the mood or make light of the situation by making me laugh or if this was their usual repartee, but it sure was keeping my mind off of things back home.

All kidding aside, though, there was a lot to process and unpack here. What I thought was some colossal joke at my expense is turning out to be the most otherworldly experience of my life. I mean, who thinks like him? Or is this how all people with bucket loads of money react to situations?

“How long were you planning to stay here, baby?”

“Just the weekend.” Why am I answering him like this is normal?

“Okay, so we’ve got one more day. Do you want us to grab the kids and bring them here? No, wait, that’s too much of a distraction and besides, it’s not time for them to meet their new daddy yet.”

Yup, I’m convinced. I have completely gone around the bend, and I’m going to wake up any minute with my ass strapped to a gurney.

‘Get the dick first.’

Fuck off.

“She’s doing it again.” Monique’s tone almost had me on the floor in stitches, and the way Carl was eyeing me as if I were a cobra getting ready to strike didn’t help.

* * *

Look, I know I started off my Friday night drunk off my ass and ended it a little bit high, but this is too much. By mid-afternoon Saturday, this man had contacted a PI, one that was already on his payroll, by the way, a divorce attorney, and my Dad. Yes, you heard that right. He called my parents and told them about the affair.

The next thing I knew, somebody named George was picking them up in Marcus’ private plane and bringing them here and I had yet to understand any of what was going on.

“Don’t worry, this is how he does things, but he’s a freaking genius, so I’ve learned to let him do his thing. Trust me.” Monique came and sat next to me on the dune where I sat, looking out at the water.

I had to leave the house when it got too crazy. Between my Dad, my brothers, and Marcus, I’m not sure who was the craziest. Right now, I think Carl is the only one keeping all their assed out of jail.

My Dad and siblings want to go beat the shit out of Paul, and Marcus is encouraging them because, as he puts it, he can’t do it right now because he doesn’t want to show his hand too soon, but if they get it started, he’d really appreciate it.

I don’t know how he’d sold my family on him because they’re not known for being swayed by money and material wealth, so he must’ve said or done something that had them thanking him for taking care of me instead of my Daddy shooting him for following me here.

My mind was all over the place, but who can blame me? I hadn’t really had time to process any of this, starting with my husband’s affair. I’ve been on autopilot since the moment I confirmed the affair, but now, with everything else that had happened in the last day or so, my poor brain is trying to sift through everything at once.

“Wait, there’s one thing I don’t understand. I thought Marcus hadn’t been back here in fifteen years. How does he see his grandparents?”

“They come to him all over the world. He refuses to come back here because he doesn’t want to see his father. He’s as stubborn as a mule. I don’t know what the old man told him this time to get him to come back.”

“Wait, you don’t know why he’s back?”

“No, he wouldn’t say. Why did he tell you?”

“No.” It must be the fact that he was taking over the company. But why didn’t he tell them but tell me? And why did that give me butterflies?

“Monique, is this real?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid so. Remember that stubbornness I mentioned. If he’s set his sights on you, there isn’t much you can do to escape his clutches. If you’re not interested, I suggest you get your ass in the witness protection because he’s not gonna stop.”

“Is he crazy?”

“Not even a little bit. He’s too damn smart for his own good. But this is how he is. He’s been in every dangerous jungle, desert, and shanty town on the earth as far as I know, so he pretty much lives on guts and nerves of steel. Once he locks onto something, it would take an act of the almighty to get him to change his mind.”

“But, I’m an almost divorced woman with three kids. What could he possibly want with me when he could have anyone he wants?”

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