Page 87 of The Fate of Us

“My ex-wife showed up on my doorstep.”

“Oh,” Marcus says flatly.

“And she claims our divorce is false and is trying to win me back. Of course, she was dismissive and horrible toward Anna. And I didn’t defend her.”

“Bad move.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah I know that now. We got into a fight and then she left for Nashville.” I pause before I say the worst of it all. “And then me being the guy I am let Claire, my ex, stay in my guest room when she came crawling back to me and said she had nowhere to go.”

“Another bad move.”

“I know. And I didn’t tell Anna. Not until the night before she came back. Of course, she came back and we got into another huge fight. Then this morning she came home to pack a bag and Claire staged a whole scene that makes me think I lost Anna for good.”

Marcus looks over at me. “Do I even want to know?”

I shrug. “I got shit-faced with my brother last night even though I knew I shouldn’t but all this stuff was pissing me the hell off. I’ve been keeping my bedroom door locked but I passed out last night. Claire threw underwear on the floor of my room. I don’t know how she knew Anna was stopping by or maybe it was just luck she did and Claire wanted me to think something happened between us. Anyway, Claire walks into the room in one of my shirts, nothing else, and starts making comments about last night being fun.”

“Ouch.”

I rub my hand through my hair. “Yeah, so now I feel fucked.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“The worst part is my brother convinced me to let Claire stay with me. It wasn’t my idea and now it’s biting me in the ass.”

“Why would your brother do that?”

“He wants to see if I can dig up dirt on her.”

“Why does she say the divorce isn’t valid?”

“When she left me, no one could find her. It took a year before my brother’s P.I. found her in New Jersey. He tried to get her to sign papers for six months and not once did she respond. The judge filed the divorce. And now she is saying she did sign papers contesting the divorce but we never got them.” I am not telling him Carson is a corrupt asshat who hid them.

“Don’t those things usually need to be signed for when they are delivered?”

I look at him quizzically.

“I’m divorced too. All those documents required signatures on delivery.”

I hadn’t thought about that and I’m guessing Carson didn’t either, considering he didn’t know the mail had been sitting on his desk for a few days. Unless his secretary signed.

“If there is no proof they were delivered, it won’t hold in court.”

“You’re right. I’ll have my brother look into it.”

“You think she is hiding something else too?”

I nod and tell him all about her expensive car and clothes and the way she is acting.

“She sounds crazy. Did she escape the psych ward?”

Marcus’ comment brings a smile to my face. The first I’ve had all day. “It feels like it.”

“But you can’t find any information on her?”

“Nothing. His P.I. is going crazy but there is no trace of her on any records.”

“I’m guessing you both assume she changed her name.”

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