Page 78 of Room Service
“Oh my god,” I exclaim as I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him tight. “Thank you,” I whisper, with tears in my eyes. I don’t have to deal with Derrick ever again. Dorien has made it so that he’s out of my life once and for all.
He truly is a remarkable man.
“All you have to do is sign and then we can get it filed with the courts. You shouldn’t have to do anything else, because he’s not contesting anything,” he continues, and I let a tear fall.
“No one has ever done anything on this scale for me before,” I whisper, pulling back to look at him.
“No one has ever loved you like I do,” he tells me, and I fucking melt.
Dorien Dukes went from a man with no feeling to the one that sits before me, giving me every part of him that he kept hidden.
“I love you,” I whisper, my lips meeting his and hoping for a lifetime of happiness with him.
Chapter Fifty-Five
ELISE
I should know by now that happiness is short-lived, but with my newfound zest for life, I decided to try and push all negativity away. Until I opened the door to two policemen.
“Can I help you?” I ask, and they introduce themselves, following with needing to speak to me about Derrick Woods. Puzzled, I invite them in, showing them to the sofa as I take the chair.
“Derrick and I are divorced now, so I don’t know why you would need to speak to me,” I tell them, really not wanting to hear anything they have to say about my ex-husband.
Ex-husband. Sounds so fucking good.
“Miss Woods—”
“Just Elise is fine,” I interrupt, because I don’t want to use my maiden name either, it’s just as toxic as my married one.
“Elise, we’re here to tell you that your husb—” The police officer stops himself before clearing his throat and continuing. “Your ex-husband is believed to have committed suicide.”
Time stops for a moment.
“Pardon?” I question, because I must have heard them wrong.
“A note was sent to your mother, and she called us to report it. Derrick’s body hasn’t been found yet, but we’re looking as we speak. There aren’t many leads to go on, but as his next of kin, we had to inform you.”
Derrick’s dead?
Suicide?
Note sent to my mother?
What the hell?
“We realise this is shocking news, Elise, but we need to ask if you can shed any light on where he might possibly have gone to…”
“To kill himself,” I finish as his voice fades off.
“Yes,” he replies with a nod.
I sigh and give them the only response I can. “Derrick hasn’t left the house in years, preferring to spend his days as a couch potato. In all honesty, I’m surprised he even had the energy to get up and top himself.” Their eyes widen, but I don’t care. I have no feelings for him, and if he’s truly taken his life, then it doesn’t mean anything to me. Callous, possibly, but I put up with a world of shit because of him, and I refuse to let it impact my future.
Just then, the door opens, and I turn to see Dorien walking in, his eyes narrowing on the men sat on the sofa.
“Who are you?” he questions, taking his jacket off and throwing it over the back of my chair before putting his hands in his pockets in a dominating stance.
“Uh, we’re here on police business,” the older looking guy says, and I bite my bottom lip. Dorien won’t like the vague answer.
